Job Title: Professional Learning Consultant

Location: Houston, Texas, metropolitan area

ROLE SUMMARY

NWEA’s State & Strategic Accounts Professional Learning Team provides facilitation, coaching, and consultative services to support NWEA’s state education agency and large school district partners with the professional learning goals they have for their educators. We build capacity to support professional learning initiatives in states or large districts that empower educators to make data informed decisions and implement evidence-based instructional practices that make a difference for students. As a Consultant in State & Strategic Professional Learning Partnerships, you will draw upon expertise and experience in consultation, facilitation, and coaching to accelerate and deepen the acquisition and application of adult learning, the development of skills, and the coordination of methodologies and system-wide organizational practices to support educators state- or district-wide and improve student growth. This position contributes to the State & Strategic Accounts Professional Learning team for both professional learning design and delivery. In the Senior Professional Learning Consultant role, you will work collaboratively with other teams across NWEA to accomplish the goals of organization-wide programs that our partners have selected. This position involves significant contact with NWEA partners. The Consultant must have substantial experience in K-12 education and experience providing consulting or coaching services to help others improve their practices. This role is based in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area.

PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Contributes to the delivery of one or more state & strategic professional learning programs of varying complexity and scale.
Collaborates with NWEA colleagues and state and large district partners in designing large-scale complex professional learning programs that are likely to make a positive impact on adult learning utilizing experiential knowledge of and expertise in the K-12 education system.
Collaborates with those in leadership roles to build and maintain relationships with state education agency or district leadership partners in a manner that respects their politically nuanced environments.
Follows the lead of senior team members to ensure all work is delivered within budget while maximizing proper margins.
Identifies opportunities and enacts plans for customization and differentiation, reflection, planning, and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and sharing.
Ensures that relevant research and evidence on pertinent content areas as well as implementation science is incorporated in the project set up.

PL Design

Performs some professional learning design work and/or configuration of existing assets in collaboration with design staff and more senior consulting team members.
Works collaboratively with internal cross-functional teams to inform the ongoing design and development, revision and maintenance of instructional format and content for NWEA’s professional learning offerings.
Collaborates with design leaders to ensure proper workflows, procedures, and branding requirements are followed to ensure design assets are created on time and to partner satisfaction for their assigned portfolio.
Collaborates with PL Design leads and managers, as applicable, to configure existing PL assets and/or customize PL to align with contract requirements.

External Consulting

Contribute to discussions and dialogue with organizational leaders, state education agency staff, school leadership teams, instructional coaches, educators, and other key stakeholders.
Contribute to strategic PL planning, implementation, and progress monitoring with partners.
Support PL team in the utilization of systems-thinking practices and tools, inquiry, assessment literacy, educational best practices to address relevant and timely issues impacting the learning environment.
Implement effective adult learning practices in support of partner learning.

External Facilitation

Provide professional learning as partners implement NWEA’s products and services; deliver and/or coordinate others to deliver all Professional Learning Services for each assigned contract.
Contribute as a member of delivery teams and/or personally deliver high quality, responsive, agile, and collaborative professional learning to meet the multi-dimensional goals of each partner.
Incorporate adult learning strategies and multiple learning styles within an effective and dynamic learning environment.
Participate in learning experiences with colleagues to maintain expertise related to the products and services provided by the organization.

Program/Project Measurement & Evaluation

Implement common, teamwide measurement strategies as applicable to assigned portfolio.
Access, analyze, interpret, and apply multiple sources of data accurately and summarize results in reports for stakeholders as required.
Support PL team methods to gather qualitative and quantitative data to inform professional learning design and delivery.
Collaborate with internal State & Strategic Implementation Team members to develop, implement, and monitor/adjust program/project schedules and implementation plans for each assigned professional learning program.
Collaborate with senior members and leaders of the State & Strategic Professional Learning Team to navigate requested scope of work changes in a manner that stays within budget.

Skills and Competencies

Customer focus: build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions.
Manages complexity: make sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
Action oriented: take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Drives results: consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances.
Collaborates: build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Communicates effectively: develop and deliver multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
Interpersonal savvy: relate openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
Instills trust: gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
Demonstrates self-awareness: use a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.
Situational adaptability: adapt approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

Education and Experience

Master’s degree in Education or related field; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered in lieu of Master’s degree (required).

Preferred

Three years’ experience facilitating professional learning, coaching educational leaders, and/or consulting using data and evidence to inform decision-making (preferred).
Experience with NWEA products and services (preferred).
Three years’ experience working with school leadership teams (preferred).
Three years’ experience working in a large complex school district, a state education agency leadership role, or supporting large complex school systems in a consulting relationship (preferred).

The application window for this position is anticipated to close on 8/12/2024. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. The posting may be available past this date but is not guaranteed.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is fully committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and to attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the most qualified employees without regard to race, gender, color, religion, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, pregnancy, gender identity, ethnic/national origin, ancestry, age, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, citizenship status, status as a disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran, other covered veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment, and where employees are treated with respect and dignity. We actively participate in E-Verify.

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