Director of Educational Technology

 Assabet Valley Collaborative is seeking to hire a Director of Educational Technology (EdTech) 

NOTE:  Before you read on, please read the Commitments to Educational Equity (http://bit.ly/AVC-Equity) that AVC strives to adopt across our organization. We seek to add leaders to our team who can help us make these commitments a reality so that they influence how we lead, learn, innovate, design, collaborate, create, and serve our students, families, partners, and communities. Still interested? See below:

Who We Are:

Assabet Valley Collaborative (AVC)  is an educational service agency in Metrowest/Central Massachusetts. Our services include school programs, wraparound services, transportation services, professional development, cooperative purchasing and consulting. We are in the process of developing a shared leadership model to engage stakeholders across the organization in learning, leading, designing, and decision-making. To achieve shared leadership, we need to engage in continuous study of the principles of cultural proficiency, culturally responsive practices, human-centered design, design thinking, and social innovation.   

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Educational Technology serves as an essential member of the AVC team to ensure that our technology resources, infrastructure, and expertise foster ongoing innovation in the delivery of high quality services to those we serve now and, as we continue to grow, in the future.   In the current context of COVID-19, our work requires a rapid and robust paradigm shift to more efficiently integrate technology in the equitable, rigorous, and nimble delivery of our services and the operations of AVC.   This paradigm shift includes new ways of delivering physically distant in-person services, new ways of operating virtually/remotely, new ways to pivot efficiently and effectively between in-person and virtual as needed, and strategic planning to leverage technologies to transform our future work long-term.   The core responsibilities of the position are outlined below.  It’s important to note that we are a small team, and it’s crucial that every member of our team is comfortable wearing many hats including some administrative, hands-on, and detail-related responsibilities.  

 Job-specific Details

• AVC’s 100+ employees work in 6 sites - 3 managed by AVC; 3 located in public schools.
• AVC procured a technology audit in 2019 which, among other things, recommended the development of a strategic plan, a complete overhaul of networks, redesign of vendor contracts, and the creation of new positions (including this one). 
• This position is a “start up.”   It will begin with infrastructure and systems development priorities and then grow over time to prioritize professional learning and capacity-building of stakeholders while managing maintenance of systems and infrastructure.
• AVC is a growing and unique organization with some functions similar to a public school district, some functions similar to a mission-driven nonprofit, and some functions similar to a small business.

Strategic Design 

• Engage with stakeholders across AVC to assess needs related to hardware, software, networks, systems, skills, and knowledge.
• Engage diverse stakeholders in developing short- and long-term plans for high quality, modern, innovative technologies to advance our commitments to equity for those we serve in the context of the current pandemic and in the future
• Develop/strengthen partnerships with external entities to expand our capacity/expertise and possibilities (industry, schools, guilds, grants, etc)

Resource Management

• Collaborate on the selection, financing, and deployment of technology resources within programs and across AVC
• Join squad leaders in integrating technology needs within the goals and budgeting for each program
• Work with others to identify and maintain funding sources (e-rate, for example), grants, etc.
• Help to build capacity within AVC so that our technology know-how can be developed into a sustainable asset within AVC and as a service to contract out to others for revenue
• Collaborate with others on the procurement/purchasing/leasing of technology resources to achieve the goals set forth in the long-term strategic planning process

Program and Process Design

• Serve as leader and team player by including multiple stakeholders in designing, testing, evaluating, and implementing systems, processes, and solutions to growing technology needs.
• Manage and monitor the quality of contracts with  outside vendor(s)  for technology support/help desk
• Vendor quality monitoring and accountability
• Request and completion process (ticketing, follow up, documentation, etc)
• Preventive, maintenance, and replacement plans
• In-house trouble-shooting capacity and robust and versatile break-fix capacity
• Process/plans for moving programs into new facilities or within facilities
• Codesign and maintain systems for onboarding new staff and for rolling out new technology 

Information Technology

• In collaboration with stakeholders, lead the integration of information technology into all areas of AVC
• Plan, implement, sustain, and evaluate all tasks related to the integration of information technology into every facet of operations
• Coordinate the use and accessibility of email, websites, social media, web tools, voice systems and other forms of communication
• Implement and maintain systems and tools for gathering, mining, integrating and reporting data in efficient, usable, meaningful and sustainable ways following industry and government standards.
• Implement practices and systems to ensure privacy and security of data

Facilitation and Consultation 

• Codesign effective strategies to strengthen organizational capability in these areas
• Share expertise with stakeholders to support their learning.
• Contribute to AVC’s internal professional learning program to support our staff’s development of technology talent.
• Contribute to AVC’s consulting services by facilitating the learning of customers.
• Codesign practices, processes, and policies to recruit, retain, and promote a diverse workforce supporting these and other AVC needs.

QUALIFICATIONS

We’re looking for an EdTech expert who serves as a leader and as a learner; a team member who is flexible, resourceful, and thrives in a non-traditional, collaborative environment and who understands educational and human service institutions.  This person demonstrates a learning mindset and ability to receive feedback, self-reflect, and pivot as well as an ability to effectively facilitate the learning of others by pushing their thinking, building their skills, and sparking their self-reflection and curiosity.  

Ideal candidates have:   

• A minimum of 8 years of experience 
• An advanced degree in Instructional Technology or equivalent related work experience in a related field (e.g. technology in other industries, digital learning, etc.)
• Advanced scholarship/inquiry (formal or informal) in topics related to personalized learning, human-centered design, assistive technology, educational equity
• Deep working knowledge of current and emerging educational technology systems 
• Experience working in schools, nonprofits, human service organizations
• A passion for interdisciplinary work and intercultural collaborations
• Ability to lead, learn and work within diverse teams
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision
• Ability to engage with conflict and core tensions 
• Ability to seek and incorporate clear and direct feedback from others in own learning plan
• Ability to provide authentic, clear and direct feedback to others to support inter accountability

Bilingual or multilingual is a plus

Full time salary range is $116,280 for a 215-day contract year 

Competitive Benefits include 

• Enrollment in MA State or Teachers Retirement System
• 35 days off (called “non-contract days”)
• Additional time off includes 12 holidays, 4 personal days, 12 sick days
• 75% health insurance premiums covered by AVC
• Voluntary benefits: Flex Spending, Life, Short-term, Long-term Insurance; Dental

For more information and to apply http://www.avcollaborative.org/employment