Program Manager (50% or more throughout West Coast region)

About WestEd

As a community of over 1,000 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact - asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.

WestEd supports individual initiative, excellence, and hard work of all individuals in our hiring and work practices. WestEd complies with all applicable federal and state anti-discrimination laws, as well as OFCCP requirements. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, or status as a protected veteran.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION - WestEd has an interest in building community in our local areas and has a strong preference for staff to live in proximity and regularly come to one of our anchor offices in Alameda, Seal Beach, or Washington DC. Other WestEd offices or remote work will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Brief Description:

As a Program Manager, you will lead small to mid-sized technical assistance and professional learning projects, or components of larger ones, within established service offerings. You will manage budgets, timelines, and quality across workstreams while working directly with clients, partners, and funders. You will also present at conferences, contribute to publications, and help develop proposals for new work.

Position Overview:

In this role, you will own the day-to-day delivery of technical assistance and professional learning that strengthens the systems, organizations, and practitioners we serve. You will design and facilitate engagements grounded in strong evidence, shape them with clients and communities, and use data to keep improving them. You will manage the scope, timeline, budget, and quality of your projects, with guidance from senior colleagues on strategic questions. Because you will work regularly and independently with clients, partners, and funders, you will be a trusted face of WestEd, whether in a project meeting, at a conference, or in a publication. You will also help us sustain and grow this work by contributing to proposals and starting relationships with prospective clients. In this position you will partner with schools, districts and state education agencies to strengthen inclusive practices and improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Your initial projects will focus on three areas:

• Inclusive practices and tiered systems of support: Support district and school teams in strengthening inclusive core instruction and specially designed instruction within tiered systems of support. This work involves coaching educators and guiding leadership teams as they identify barriers to learning and implement practices that improve access to grade-level instruction.
• Learning network design and facilitation: Design and facilitate learning networks that support districts in implementing California graduation requirements for students with disabilities. You will help district teams examine their current policies and develop local approaches that expand opportunities for students to earn a diploma while maintaining rigorous expectations.
• Statewide assessment policy and guidance: Work with state education leaders to develop guidance that supports the implementation of alternate assessment models for students with disabilities. This includes translating policy and research into practical resources that help educators understand assessment expectations and make informed decisions about implementation.

Core Focus Areas and Responsibilities

Learning and Capacity Building Design and Implementation

• Independently design technical assistance, professional learning, and coaching that is grounded in strong evidence and scholarship and responsive to client and community priorities.
• Facilitate multi-session engagements and adapt plans based on evidence of participant engagement and readiness.
• Lead co-design discussions to identify needs, assets, and goals.
• Use multiple data sources to refine designs and improve the approach.
• Apply WestEd compliance frameworks to project work, guide the team on requirements from the Legal Office, Office of Research Integrity, and Data Protection Office, and escalate compliance risks to the appropriate office.

Knowledge Translation and Influence

• Lead development of client deliverables, using subject matter expertise to ensure accuracy, relevance, and usability.
• Present at conferences, webinars, and professional convenings to extend WestEd’s visibility.
• Contribute to publications that share WestEd’s work.
• Support team members in translating complex research and domain knowledge into effective messaging for specific audiences.

Project and Client Management

• Lead small to mid-sized projects or components of larger projects, managing scope, timelines, quality, and budgets across workstreams, with guidance from senior staff on strategic issues.
• Follow agency quality standards and practices for all deliverables.
• Build strong client relationships through responsiveness, clear expectation-setting, and attention to evolving needs, working regularly and independently with clients, partners, and funders.
• Address emerging issues directly with clients and negotiate adjustments to scope or timelines within established parameters.
• Collect data to demonstrate impact to clients and funders.

Business and Partnership Development

• Lead new business development activities for small to mid-sized projects or scopes of work.
• Lead discrete sections of proposals or write scopes of work, using templates, WestEd systems and processes, and standards for high-quality proposals.
• Identify potential opportunities through ongoing client interactions and awareness of the sector.
• Maintain rapport with clients, partners, and collaborators to support future work.
• Begin cultivating relationships with prospective clients at conferences and other convenings.

What We’re Looking For:

Experience and Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, with at least five years of relevant experience.
• Experience designing and facilitating technical assistance, learning networks, professional learning, or coaching grounded in evidence-based practices.
• Deep experience in inclusive instruction and a strong understanding of how general and special education systems and staff work together to support all learners.
• Expertise in grade-level curriculum and instruction, specially designed instruction, and the school and district structures needed to ensure students have meaningful access to high-quality instruction.
• Expertise in Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
• Experience designing and implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) that integrate academic and behavioral supports within a coherent districtwide framework.
• Experience helping schools establish the structures and processes needed to deliver tiered interventions consistently and effectively across classrooms and grade levels.
• Direct experience implementing, coaching, or leading co-teaching partnerships in general education classrooms.
• Experience using data from multiple sources to evaluate and improve program design and delivery.
• Experience supporting teams in developing strategic plans and using data from multiple sources to monitor progress and refine their strategies over time.
• Experience leading small to mid-sized projects, including managing budgets, timelines, and quality.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and relationship-building skills with diverse clients, partners, and funders.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills, including preparing client-ready deliverables.
• Ability to manage multiple projects independently, collaborate effectively, and travel extensively (55% to 65%).

Preferred

• Experience presenting at conferences or other professional convenings and contributing to publications.
• Experience contributing to proposals or scopes of work and building relationships with prospective clients.
• Experience leading co-design processes with clients and communities.

How You’ll Approach the Work

We’re looking for someone who:

• Gives clear direction and feedback to team members on assigned work, sets expectations, and monitors progress.
• Creates an inclusive team environment, models effective collaboration and communication, and supports teammates’ skill development through their assignments.
• Plans and guides problem-solving for projects, explores multiple approaches before recommending a solution, and builds alignment around the chosen approach.
• Looks beyond surface-level requests to understand clients’ underlying goals, priorities, and constraints, and shapes work to be practical and usable for the people who will rely on it.
• Is a dependable contributor who holds themselves to high standards for quality and ethics and addresses issues before they affect others’ work.
• Leads collaborative problem-solving, brings in diverse perspectives, adapts their communication style to different colleagues and partners, and shares credit.
• Stays calm and empathetic under pressure, helps teams adjust plans as needed, seeks feedback proactively, and treats mistakes as chances to learn.

Location and Work Arrangement

• Location/geography: West Coast – California Highly Preferred
• Work arrangement: Remote
• Travel: 55-65%

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

WestEd conducts a criminal background check, fingerprint validation, and education verification for all new hires. Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd Level 11, is $106,000 to $165,600 but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $106,000 to $132,500. The actual offer considers multiple factors including but not limited to education; experience; internal equity, and other organizational needs.

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment and immediately 100% vested

· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account option

· All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date

· PTO: 19 days (increases to 21 days beginning the third year of employment), 12 paid holidays

· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary, max of 500k

· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more details about our benefits, go to: https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/#benefits WestEd is a Drug Free Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. #Circa-CA

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)