ABOUT ELSO
ELSO is a community based environmental education focused nonprofit that uses the natural world to connect children from underrepresented communities to STEAM.
Program Director Salary: $70,000 - $72,000 Hours: Contractor - 32 hours per week Expected Start Date: September 01, 2022; Contracted 9/1/22- 3/1/23 with understanding that the contract renewal is contingent upon expected funding. Position will be re-evaluated with the plan of transition to F.T. employment March 2023. Created in 2015 by Women of Color, ELSO, Inc. provides culturally relevant education and leadership development opportunities that invite Youth of Color to Experience Life Science Outdoors (ELSO). Our mission is to teach and frame science and nature-based education through a lens that centers and elevates the stories, ways of knowing, individual needs, and lived experiences of Black and Brown communities. ELSO seeks to reduce the achievement gap in STEAMED (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math, Environment, Design) education and professions while creating a sense of belonging for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC) in the natural and built environments. ELSO uses a multi-cultural approach to STEAMED education that is rooted in environmental justice and cultural history. We are demonstrating a model for STEAMED education led by People of Color.
ELSO Inc. is hiring a Program Director to run our Architecture and Design program for Black and Brown youth ages 14+ . This incubator and workforce development program introduces design careers to high school students and young adults. Participants engage 3 forms of thinking: Design, Critical and Creative. They also apply them to the design/ build process for real world projects, while gaining valuable technical skills to support successful college graduation and entry-level career preparation for future architects and designers. Our program aims to enable power and agency for Black and Brown communities to use design as a tool for racial and environmental justice. Program participants create leadership and decision making opportunities in real time design projects across our cities, and work alongside diverse industry professionals.
POSITION OVERVIEW Grounded in the ELSO mission statement, and honoring the principles of Environmental Justice, Restorative Justice and Architecture, the Program Director will be responsible for the leadership of this design justice and workforce development program that creates pathways for future Black and Brown Architects, Designers and Drafters.
Strategically positioned as ELSO’s first multi-state Program Director, this position will be responsible for program development, implementation, and leadership in both Oregon/SW Washington and the Greater Houston Texas Metro Area, and future regions as the program grows. As Program Director this position manages all aspects of program ethos, program development, participant/panelist recruiting, financial tracking, training and program implementation. This position is responsible for the development and alignment of the program with ELSO Inc.’s strategic plan for national expansion. This individual will be key to developing and implementing the vision and goals for the program to ensure a high-quality, accessible, engaging educational program for Black and Brown youth and young adults. Over the first year on the job, the new Program Director will lead the small team of instructors, interns, and contractors through a culturally relevant evaluation process which engages current and past program participants to re-envision the program for the future.
A good candidate will possess practical and technical skills to teach software basics for careers in architecture, engineering and design and have experience working with Black and Brown youth. A great candidate will be able to speak to a time when they guided participants in creating an individualized portfolio while joyfully coordinating the resources for youth mentorship, support, and guidance that happens on the back end of program planning. If you are an industry professional who is comfortable in a role that ties together ideation, business development, community resilience, environmental justice and economic empowerment opportunities then this may be the role for you. Successful candidates must be critical thinkers, problem solvers, excellent communicators, have exceptional time management skills. Candidates must be motivated to work within the context of a small and growing entrepreneurial nonprofit organization working towards elevating underrepresented communities of color.
ELSO Inc is committed to supporting Black and Brown youth in AED workforce development and building real world decision making power in urban design. Applicants who can speak from the “I” perspective, share their lived experience as a member of a marginalized community are strongly encouraged to apply.
TO APPLY: Send a resume and communication of interest (cover letter, email, and videos are all accepted) The communication of interest should include your background in architecture, your alignment with ELSO’s mission statement, and any relevant education and transferable skill. Submit your materials to Executive Director Sprinavasa Brown at jobs@campelso.org. All application materials must be received by 5:00pm CST on July 18,2022 .
Please do not reach out with inquiries about this position, we will follow up with all applicants as updates are available.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES Program Leadership & Implementation - 50 % ● Responsible for facilitation, planning, outreach/recruitment for 2 learning cohorts (one in TX, one in OR).
● Responsible for planning, outreach/recruitment, and logistics management for 1 design forum in OR.
● In collaboration with facilitators, guest speakers, day of planner, plan and host Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day events for OR and TX. ● Conduct culturally responsive STEAM program reflection, evaluation, and assessment towards program goals annually. Using a variety of quantitative and qualitative measures provide regular and ongoing opportunities for community listening, participant feedback and reflection. ● Review and Implement ELSO Inc’s Partnership Assessment Tool to foster mutually beneficial program partnerships with industry partners. ● Create regular and ongoing opportunities to support and engage with past program Alumni. ● Create, and elevate external training, skills development and internship opportunities for program participants. ● Recruit speakers, volunteers, and guest educators for program cohorts, design forums and outreach events (Harvest Party, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day). ● Work collaboratively alongside contract event planner, program and outreach staff to implement successful events. ● Supervise interns, development business, government and industry Sponsorships and Partnerships, facilitate youth engagement in the public engagement process for planning, infrastructure and implementation projects. ● Build and Maintain network with Black and Brown industry professionals to identify cohort learning and mentorship opportunities.
Administrative & Management - 25% ● Responsible for drafting future fiscal year program operating budgets. ● Working closely with the Executive Director, Development Manager to identify and grow program funding sources to promote funding diversification. ● Recruiting, hiring, training and supervision of program Instructors, guest educators, and Contractors and shepherd them for paperwork compliance with Operations team. ● Identify program related volunteer needs, collaborate with staff team on volunteer recruitment, training and supporting volunteers.
Curriculum Development & Lesson Planning- 25% ● Research, review, and develop culturally responsive design, policy engineering, sustainability education curriculum, hands-on experiences, and learning outcomes utilizing a racial justice, social justice, and culturally competent lens ● Work collaboratively with the Wayfinders Curriculum Learning Group, and Wayfinders Day Camp staff, to suggest field trips, and design lessons and activities for youth in k-8th grade specifically for the T-technology, E-Engineering, M-Mathematics, Environment, and Design themes ● Understand and be able to teach and integrate into the program, the Design as Protest strategy and Justice Index.
Fundraising & Communications- 10% ● Work cooperatively to identify and solidify business sponsorship opportunities for community engagement and special events to achieve specified programmatic revenue goals ● Collaborate with the Development team and Executive Director to identify and cultivate strategic program partnerships with small businesses, corporations, Industry and Government agencies. ● Serve as primary contact for participants and families. ● Responsible for the outreach, and community engagement opportunities nationally and statewide ● Responsible for all parent communications via newsletter, parent letters, emails, and responding to inquiries in a timely manner.
Teamwork - 15% ● Look for ways to align program growth with ELSO Inc mission as well as policies, processes, and procedures both established and in development ● Contribute to a collegial work/team environment that honors the dignity and value of every team member.
● Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, participating in professional societies, etc. ● Support maintenance of ELSO branding, supplies, office space, and administrative systems by understanding and following policies, processes, and procedures for supply organization, file storage and naming conventions, branding guidelines, communications logs, departmental budgets, etc. ● Be friendly, accessible, and responsive to the public in all aspects of job duties, including communicating professionally and knowledgeably about ELSO Inc.’s mission, fundraising efforts, and programming.
● Commit to following ELSO, Inc.’s approach to problem-solving both internally as well as with partners, contractors, volunteers, program participants, funders, donors, and the general public. ● Honors and demonstrates leadership in modeling ELSO values, “how we work” and Community Agreements
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS ● 21+ High School Graduate, or GED complete ● Degree from either 2 year or 4 year college from an accredited Department of Architecture, Design, Drafting or equivalent. ● Must have at least 5 years experience as a licensed and practicing Architect, Engineer, Specialist or Designer (experience must be from within the last 7 years). ● Must have a design Portfolio of individual work to share and be able to demonstrate skills and familiarity in the following : drafting, computer aided drawing and 3-D modeling, structural design, residential design and remodeling, structural design, free-hand drawing and rendering, construction design and drawing. ● Must be able to pass a background check as required by the Oregon Department of Education for positions that work directly with youth (Oregon State Department of Education Disqualifying Crimes 342.143) and have clean driving record for 1 year prior to application ● Knowledge, understanding, and experience developing and delivering culturally responsive
practices and teaching. ● Proficiency with all software and technical skills entry-level designer must know including (surveying, drafting, rendering, designing, planning) ● Strong cross-cultural communication skills both verbal and written, and ability to excite, engage and affirm diverse participants. ● Proficient in time management, project management ● Ability to interact effectively with diverse audience including staff, students, children, community organizations, and the general public. ● Position requires regular travel (up to 8 visits per year)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS ● Experience with Miro Board, Canva, Microsoft Office ● Bi/multilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply ● Presentation, public speaking and teaching experience preferred ● Experience working or volunteering with marginalized communities ● Proficiency with, or willingness to learn, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat, Google applications such as gmail, drive, docs, sheets, slides, forms, etc., Autocad
BENEFITS ● Flexible schedule ● Health Vision and Dental Insurance
● Mileage coverage ● Professional Development account ● 401(k) ● Intuitive Sick, Vacation, Holiday and PTO Days
● Communications Stipend
ELSO will supply all office essentials (computer, mouse, keyboard, printer, pens, paper, etc.) to staff working from a home office as well as subscriptions to required software.
