Partnerships & Growth Associate, Greater Newark (Full-Time/Temporary)

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that truly works. Join our stellar, committed team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about the mission and core tutoring work of Reading Partners.

The high level:

The Partnerships & Growth Associate, Greater Newark (PGA), is part of a team working to accelerate Reading Partners’ mission through national delivery partnerships, new transformative innovations, and capacity-building partnerships. The primary role of the Partnerships and Growth Associate is to execute an ambitious Newark-focused partner acquisition and implementation strategy to reach and exceed annual student impact goals and new business revenue metrics. Reporting directly to the Managing Director of Partnerships & Growth, Greater Newark (MDPG), the PGA will be primarily external-facing, focusing on managing multiple tutoring centers and on building a strong local delivery and capacity partnerships pipeline to increase the impact of Collective Impact partnerships work in the Greater Newark Area. They will support the MDPG with day-to-day operations, development strategies, and project management as partnerships scale.

Location: This (hybrid/remote) position requires candidates to reside within the greater Newark, NJ area upon their start date.

This full-time and temporary position starts in January 2027 and concludes July 2, 2027. This position is eligible for benefits.

What you’ll do:

Local Partner Acquisition: Support local new partner acquisition strategy in meeting and/or exceeding annual revenue and student impact metrics (20%):

• Conduct market research and landscape analyses for new partner acquisition - staying abreast of key market trends and national and state education policy.
• Support external-facing partner meetings, field engagements, and industry events alongside the MDPG, including partner site visits around the region.
• Build, maintain, and forecast an accurate partnerships pipeline within Salesforce and internal operating systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with key internal and external stakeholders, and the MDPG, to drive Reading Partners’ strategic priorities and transformative bets (50%):

• Work cross-functionally with the national program, community engagement, and regional operations teams to ensure seamless programmatic alignment and implementation in service of each national partner.
• Manage a reading center site two days a week at one of our Newark sites. This includes communicating with volunteers, being present at the site to support the volunteers and tutoring process and all logistics. This is anticipated to take approximately 8-10 hours per week.

Operations: Provide project management and support for the MDPG to support the growth of partnerships (5%):

• Create effective presentations, including data compilation and analysis, slide design, and support during presentations as needed.
• Assist with other administrative and coordination projects, as needed.

Provide regional development operations and provide administrative support (5%):

• Oversee and leverage the Salesforce donor database to record and track deadlines, meeting notes, and funder information.
• Oversee gift processing and donor recognition efforts to ensure accurate and timely tracking and acknowledgment.

Support regional fundraising events and activities (10%):

• Support the planning and execution of fundraising events, including the creation and management of project plans, coordinating event logistics, revenue and ticket tracking, day-of event support and volunteer management, and event follow-up in partnership with the local advisory board.

Positively impact all aspects of the volunteer experience by (10%):

• Acting as a strong advocate for Reading Partners programming inside and outside of the organization.
• Support tutor onboarding and recruitment efforts as needed and requested by the MDPG.

Other duties as needed.

How you’ll do it:

Relationship Development:

• Develop positive relationships with MDPG, national department team members, and external stakeholders
• Demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate with various personalities and manage a portfolio of relationships as well.
• Remain flexible, patient, and goal-oriented in the face of competition for time and resources.

Project Management & Problem Solving:

• Balance multiple competing priorities daily that include high-level and tactical communication, coordination, and administrative activities.
• Identify problems, solve them quickly, and appropriately message all shifts.
• Take initiative to propose solutions, process improvements, and overall experience for a small team.
• Assess how to prioritize, make decisions that consider all internal and external stakeholders and act accordingly.

Innovative Thinking & Flexibility:

• Demonstrate an ability to implement processes and systems to streamline internal operations for the Greater Newark region.
• Display a high level of comfort with ambiguity and an ability to generate high-quality deliverables in a fluid environment.
• Display an aptitude for framing problems as opportunities and always pushing to further streamline processes and systems.

What we offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation and benefits programs are designed to attract, motivate, engage, and retain top talent to propel our mission forward.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, non-exempt, and hourly position with an end date of July 2, 2026. The pay range for this position is $26.27 - $30.91 per hour. We aim to set salaries based on objective, external, high-quality market data. Our salaries are adjusted for candidates in different geographic regions. We do our very best to ensure that we’re bringing our best offer - therefore we do not engage in salary negotiations.

Our benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefits program intentionally crafted to support employees and their families with physical, mental, and financial health:

• Health & Insurance Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance with substantial employer contributions toward both employee and family premiums; life and disability insurance at no cost to employees; and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Pre-Tax Medical Support: Significant pre-tax employer funding to help offset employees’ out-of-pocket medical expenses, including providing first dollar coverage for some plan options.
• Mental Health Support: Spring Health for easy access to therapy, coaching, and wellness resources, including six sessions provided at no cost to employees.
• Inclusive Health Support: Carrot for guidance and support related to hormonal health, fertility, family-building, and gender-affirming services.
• Retirement Benefits: 403(b) retirement plan with immediate eligibility to participate and to receive employer matching contributions.
• Paid Time Off: Flexible Paid Time Off (Unlimited PTO) and Paid Parental Leave for up to 8 weeks for birth and non-birth parents.
• Holidays & Office Closures: 14 paid holidays annually, plus one week of office closure in early July and two weeks in late December.
• Culture & Growth: A dynamic, mission-driven culture with a strong commitment to employee development and career growth.

The other things you need to know:

• This role is hybrid. Days in the office are flexible based on approval from the MDPG.
• Occasional weekend and/or evening hours are required.
• Travel: This position travels daily throughout the Greater Newark area.
• This role may require occasional movement and lifting of physical boxes. Must be able to lift to 20 pounds.
• Must have access to reliable transportation, as select partners are not easily accessible by public transportation.

What’s Next?

If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your past experience has prepared you for this role.
• Resume

Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualifications

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you have:

• 1-2 years of professional experience in the K-12 education, nonprofit, and/or social impact sector
• Strong interpersonal, time management, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Incredible passion and skill in communication, both verbal and written.
• Maturity and poise under pressure, ability to balance competing priorities, and show a high degree of professionalism.
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and verbal/written communication skills
• Demonstrate a commitment to fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.
• Display a deep belief in our mission and root your work in our core values.
• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S. and that you are at least 18 years of age.

Bonus Points if you:

• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alumnus/alumna