Job Title: Associate Director

Department: IRC

Reports to: COO

Job Type: Full-Time, Salary (Exempt)

Job Location: Arlington Heights

Salary Range: $85,000 – $95,000 per year

The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning – We Teach. They Soar: Who We Are:

The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning, is a nationally recognized, nonprofit professional development and educational services organization dedicated to better teaching and learning in early childhood, elementary, secondary and adult education. The Center also provides statewide communications support for schools and districts, assisting leaders with internal and external communication needs. At The Center, we oversee programs supporting high-quality education for at-risk students, including English Learners, young children facing challenges, and immigrant populations. Initiatives include adult education (Adult Learning Resource Center), early childhood services (Early Childhood Developmental Enrichment Center), special needs support (Star Net Region II), professional development for diverse learners (Illinois Resource Center), and tech-based instructional assessments (Technology Center for Teaching and Learning).

Position Description – What the Role Entails:

• The Associate Director will be responsible for ensuring high-quality professional learning, compliance with program deliverables, and effective coordination with staff, state agencies, partners and management, supervision, and performance reviews of assigned staff.
• This role reports to the COO.

Company Culture - Do Our Values Speak to You?

At The Center, our work is guided by the following core values:

• Dedication – Demonstrating effective and transparent leadership while providing high quality services and support to children, families, educators, educational leaders, and adult learners.
• Education – Delivering evidence-based professional learning, technical assistance, direct services, and educational programs grounded in industry standards and best practices.
• Accountability – Ensuring consistent service delivery, measurable outcomes, continuous improvement, and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Advocacy – Promoting equitable access to high-quality education, empowering learners and educators, and building strong partnerships that support children, families, and communities.
• Compassion – Embracing culturally and linguistically diverse communities and responding with sensitivity and respect to the unique strengths and needs of all individuals.

These values guide our work in early childhood education, adult education, special education, multilingual teaching and learning, educational technology, and professional development for teachers and educational leaders.

Areas of Accountability - What you will be doing:

• Leadership
• Direct, manage, monitor, and evaluate all deliverables associated with project events, grants and contracts, with special focus on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) contract in coordination with staff at the Department of Multilingual/Language Development including the following:
• Plan and implement professional learning opportunities in a variety of settings and formats.
• Facilitate and provide the annual Bilingual Directors meeting.
• Facilitate and provide the annual Bilingual Parent Summit.
• Provide technical assistance to the school districts identified by the Department.
• Provide technical assistance to educators and administrators seeking assistance and support to better serve the state’s multilingual learner population.
• Provide quarterly graduate level coursework for the bilingual/ESL endorsement in coordination with National Louis University.
• Participate in monthly coordination meetings with National Louis University and IRC.
• Contract with adjunct faculty to provide coursework.
• Approve quarterly tuition payments and adjunct faculty compensation.
• Coordinate and provide deliverables as outlined in the EDC (Math for All) sub contract.
• Identifying IRC staff members to provide on-site Math for All professional development.
• Attend monthly Math for All meetings and ensure timely invoices.
• Coordinate the annual Multilingual IL conference (event selection, keynote recruitment, planning meetings with stakeholders, session proposals, registration, program development, financial tracking). 
• Provide coordination, oversight, and delegation of new/additional contracts and grants deliverables and compliance. 
• Supervise assigned staff, set expectations, monitor progress, provide coaching and feedback, and conduct performance reviews.
• Reporting
• Lead biweekly KPI reviews, quarterly accountability reports, and annual program evaluations.
• Ensure accurate invoices and documentation of all services across various programs.
• Review staff performance, document progress toward goals, and address performance concerns in a timely manner.
• Program Management
• Manage program budgets to meet financial and operational targets.
• Monitor program outcomes, grant and contract deliverables, and performance metrics.
• Support staff development through supervision, feedback, and performance planning.
• All other duties as assigned

The Center Rewards & Benefits- How we value you:

• Sick days: 12 days per year
• Vacation Time: 21 days per year
• Personal Business Days: 2 per year
• Holidays: all approved holidays
• Bereavement: 3 days
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life Insurance & Disability Insurance
• 403(b): Up to 10% match

The Center’s Work Environment – What to expect:

• In office with occasional travel.
• Schedule: Monday through Friday during standard business hours, occasional evenings or weekends as needed.
• English is required: any additional languages are a plus.

THE CENTER IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

I acknowledge that I have received, read, and understand this job description. I understand that it outlines the essential functions and responsibilities of my position and may be modified at any time to meet organizational needs.

Employee Name: _____________________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________

The Knowledge and Expertise that Matters Most - What you bring to the Role:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Expertise in professional development for multilingual learners, including knowledge of program models, instructional strategies, and statewide priorities.
• Ability to collaborate across many different teams/partners.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage major initiatives simultaneously.

Position Qualifications – What is required to Perform the Role:

• Master’s degree in education or related field.
• Background in bilingual/ESL education.
• Experience overseeing grants, contracts, or statewide educational initiatives.
• Leadership experience.
• Experience managing annual conferences or statewide professional learning initiatives is a plus.