Senior Manager, Kids Learn Together Project

Job Description

Senior Manager, PBS KIDS ''Learn Together'' Project (Hybrid)

Title: Senior Manager, PBS KIDS ''Learn Together'' Project (Hybrid)

Department: Learning & Research

Corporate Area: PBS KIDS

Status: Full-time/Regular/Exempt/Grant (Funded through 9/30/2023)

Supervisor: Sr. Director Early Learning Engagement and Sr. Manager, Content Development

Position Overview:

PBS KIDS is dedicated to supporting children's learning, and we know the adults in kids' lives are essential partners in their growth and development. PBS KIDS is seeking a dynamic professional to manage the ''Learn Together'' project, a grant-funded effort to engage parents, caregivers and educators with content that supports children's learning.

The Senior Manager is responsible for managing budgets, monitoring progress and metrics, and keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project. This position collaborates with a cross-functional team of internal and external content creators, product managers, advisors, co-designers, researchers and other stakeholders with the goal of developing content and experiences for parents and educators that support intergenerational learning and engagement.

The Senior Manager will develop and implement processes across teams to ensure consistent, efficient, and coordinated content development; formative testing and co-design with station staff, caregivers and educators; deployment and community engagement for all Ready To Learn Initiative-funded content for caregivers and educators.

This position is funded by a Ready To Learn (RTL) grant from the US Department of Education to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS, focused on promoting early learning and school readiness, with an emphasis on supporting children from low-income communities.

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Project Management (20 hours/week)
• Work with the Learn Together team leads to manage work scope, budget and cross-team timeline of grant deliverables.

• Develop and manage a detailed project schedule and work plan. Maintain team documentation (e.g. deliverables, reports) that stakeholders can easily access.

• Champion and lead the implementation of process and workflow efficiencies for parent and educator resources and initiatives.

• Facilitate content review of parent and educator content across PBS KIDS departments and with external stakeholders, including advisors and producers.

• Develop benchmarks and track progress, including any program-related data and metrics.

• Facilitate regular project updates to various stakeholders about strategy, adjustments, and progress with guidance from Learn Together leads.

• Manage internal cross-team meetings, agendas and follow-up.

• Review series contract terms and deliverables as they relate to the Learn Together project.

• Keep up-to-date on other RTL-related projects and deliverables to help inform the timeline and content development process.

Centralize Spanish Translation for Learn Together Content (5 hours/week)
• Oversees the development and revision of Spanish-language guidelines for Learn Together content working with Spanish language and culture advisors to PBS KIDS and producers.

• Manage the translation process, including hiring, onboarding and managing translators.

Project Strategy (15 hours/week)
• Co-Design: Collaborate with a cross-functional team to execute a flexible and scalable co-design strategy that enables teams to create responsive content, products and initiatives that reflect audience assets, needs, and voices. Manage development of co-design tools, resources, and co-design participant recruitment and facilitation best practices. Partner with content developers and other stakeholders to assess needs and develop the co-design approach for each project as needed.

• Track project-related research, collaborating with product, user experience design, internal and external research teams with the goal of developing a cohesive formative and summative Learn Together research strategy and timeline.

• Conduct relevant competitive landscape and field scans for opportunities to innovate and experiment with emerging resource and distribution methods.

• Operationalize communication of actionable insights from research and co-design efforts to key stakeholders that enable audience-first and relevant content creation and innovation.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements for success:
• A minimum of 2 years' experience coordinating and overseeing projects.

• A minimum of 2-4 years combined experience in one or more of the following areas: project management, managing the development of digital content, co-design, or user-centered design.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to present concepts clearly and concisely.

• Detail-oriented, analytical thinker with excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to make effective presentations.

• Knowledge of project management tools and software.

• Ability to successfully work and collaborate with all levels of management, staff and stakeholders.

• Proven ability to work on multiple tasks with competing priorities.

• Confident and highly organized self-starter with ability to lead, motivate, negotiate, and influence a diverse group of driven, seasoned professionals.

• Knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility best practices in content development and co-design.

• Proficiency in Spanish preferred.

• Knowledge of PreK-3 educational media field, child development and national early learning standards is preferred.

• Knowledge and experience in design thinking, participatory design, or user-centered design preferred.

• Must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered. Proof of vaccination required.

PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with the EEOC and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gpwoz4-3-145-173-132-42 in your application.