RPPL Network Engagement & Learning Manager

About RPPL

The Research Partnership for Professional Learning (RPPL, pronounced “ripple”) is a collaborative of professional learning (PL) organizations, researchers, school systems, and funders. RPPL works to advance educational equity and student achievement by studying and sharing the specific features that make some PL programs more effective than others.

Guided by the learning agenda we jointly wrote in summer 2021, RPPL seeks to:

  1. Uplift the current evidence base 
  2. Generate faster and better research on PL 
  3. Create the research and collaborative infrastructure so we can get that better research into practice in thousands of districts, schools, and PL orgs across the nation
  4. Change who sets the research agenda

Since February 2020, RPPL has been a coalition of interested PL organizations, researchers, and funders who spent 2021 planning for our long-term work and writing our shared learning agenda. In 2022, we entered our first three-year chapter of research and collaboration. In 2022, we entered our first three-year chapter of research and collaboration, and brought on our Executive Director, Stacey Alicea, in September. We are now hiring a full-time Network Engagement & Learning Manager to join the team.


Network Engagement & Learning Manager Position Description

The founding Network Engagement & Learning Manager of RPPL will bring people together to improve teacher professional learning and is excited to dig into the weeds of research design and problem-solving to help organizations design work for learning. They believe in transforming teacher learning and practice to ensure that students in priority groups learn rigorous content and thrive in equitable schools.

They will be empowered to work across RPPL’s ecosystem members (RPPL central, members, affiliates, researchers, funders, and district partners) to build RPPL into a sustainable organization that serves the field in improving PL.

The Network Engagement & Learning Manager will work closely with the research team at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, who serves as RPPL’s Research Collaborator, and with RPPL member organizations to support the design and management of quality research, including running multiple types of studies across member organizations each year. They will propose creative ideas and work through barriers to conducting practically relevant, high-quality research.

They are able to manage a large variety of workstreams and stakeholders. They are an adaptive problem-solver, enjoy the prospect of building RPPL as a new type of research-practice partnership, and are excited to build this organization. As is true for all RPPL team members, they believe in transforming teacher learning and practice to ensure that students in priority groups learn rigorous content and thrive in equitable schools.

This is a remote position; the Network Engagement & Learning Manager can work anywhere, with availability on CT/ET hours. Limited travel is expected, including quarterly leadership meetings and one annual event. This position is considered exempt for overtime status.

The Network Engagement & Learning Manager will report to RPPL’s Executive Director. They will work closely with the Director of Operations, RPPL’s member organizations, research partners (including RPPL Senior Researchers at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, RPPL’s Research Collaborator), and affiliate organizations.

Responsibilities

Research and R&D Infrastructure

  • Partner with lead researchers at the Annenberg Institute, on the Research Advisory Council, and study PIs to execute RPPL’s research plans
  • With RPPL members and the Annenberg team, creatively work through barriers to conducting relevant, high-quality research in PL
  • Conduct regular check-ins with study participants:
    • Ensure progress according to study plans
    • Help troubleshoot; coordinate with researchers as needed
    • Organize information and meeting notes; share in a timely fashion with appropriate groups
  • Lead data infrastructure work, including working with learning engineers to improve the way RPPL members collect, house, analyze data, and instrument platforms, and expand open data access to researchers
  • Determine opportunities for RPPL member organizations and affiliates to improve their data infrastructure through innovative technology 
  • Determine RPPL data infrastructure innovations that can be uplifted, shared with and/or adopted by other organizations

Shared Learning

  • Support the development of RPPL tools, resources, and publications, and connect them to interactive learning activities
  • Work with the Executive Director to launch a working group that includes AIB, RPPL central, members, affiliates, RAC to identify core goals for "what" and "how" we want build and disseminate in this space grounded in our "why"
  • Propose and personally lead RPPL’s interactive learning experiences, including:
    • Monthly Brown Bag Lunches
    • Applied learning working group
    • Topical research meetings
    • Google Group (shared space)
    • Other networking connections

Network Membership & Affiliation

  • Set up relationships with each RPPL member and facilitate high engagement in RPPL activities and meetings and in RPPL’s research studies
  • Onboard new members and affiliates to RPPL
  • Plan two 2023 RPPL convenings (spring/winter): 
    • Revisit RPPL value proposition (Equity focus)
    • Support the creation of RPPL’s theory of action and research agenda
  • Internal communications
    • Conduct member and affiliate monthly touchpoints and surveys as needed

Candidate Qualifications & Traits:

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • At least 3 years of relevant K-12 education experience
  • Experience working with partnerships/a network of organizations
  • Strong facilitation skills
  • Able to synthesize information rapidly and succinctly communicate it to others
  • Strong internal & external communication skills
  • Experience with and enjoys managing/navigating many entities/workstreams that may pull in different directions (researchers, practitioners, funders, states/districts, fiscal agent)
  • Relationship-focused
  • Adaptive and flexible; can create standard operating procedures and systems in a fast-moving, growing, new environment
  • Quick study and learner; thrives when building from the ground up in a start-up environment alongside high-level leadership
  • Equity-driven, equity-grounded

Hiring Process & Timeline

  • Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until December 12, 2022. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.
  • First-round interviews will be conducted December 1-22.
  • Second-round interview panels will be conducted December 10-22 and January 3-10.
  • Finalist interviews will be conducted January 11-13.
  • Offer extended by January 16.
  • New hire starts January 30, 2022 (ideal – no later than early February).

Compensation & Benefits

The salary for this position is $80,000-$100,000. A comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance; 3% automatic contribution and a 3% employer match on 401(k) contributions; pre-tax transportation benefits; and paid holiday, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off is offered through RPPL’s fiscal sponsor New Venture Fund, who will be the official employer for this role.

How to Apply

Please email your cover letter and resume to RPPL leadership at team@rpplpartnership.org no later than December 12, 2022.

New Venture Fund Hiring Statement 

The Research Partnership for Professional Learning is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

COVID-19 Policy

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, New Venture Fund requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date. This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at HR@newventurefund.org.