Manager of Educational Policy, Advocacy, & Partnerships

Summary: The Manager of Educational Policy, Advocacy & Partnerships serves as the Latino Community Center's primary leader and resource on K-12 educational policy, advocacy, and partnerships. This position is responsible for advancing educational equity for Latino children by identifying and addressing systemic barriers, strengthening partnerships with school districts and educational institutions, and ensuring Latino children and families have a voice in the policies, practices, and decisions that shape their educational experiences. The Manager provides strategic leadership for the Educational Advocacy team and the SOMOS Coordinator, ensuring families receive high-quality educational advocacy services while building collaborative relationships with school districts, charter schools, Intermediate Units, government agencies, and community partners throughout Allegheny County. As the organization's subject matter expert on K-12 education, the Manager monitors educational policies, legislation, funding, and emerging issues impacting Latino students; represents the Latino Community Center in educational coalitions, school board meetings, and public forums; and partners with organizational leadership to strengthen educational systems and improve opportunities for Latino children and families. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Leadership & Program Management 1. Supervises, coaches, mentors, and develops the Educational Advocacy team and SOMOS Coordinator. 2. Establishes clear performance expectations, goals, and professional development plans that support both individual growth and high-quality services. 3. Participates in the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and ongoing training of assigned staff. 4. Ensures staff have the knowledge, resources, and support needed to effectively advocate for students and families within K-12 educational systems. 5. Fosters a collaborative, family-centered team culture grounded in LCC's values of Empathy, Positive and Welcoming, Growth Mindset, Professionalism, Passion, and Education. 6. Conducts regular one-on-one meetings, provides timely feedback, and supports staff in problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership development. 7. Promotes consistency, innovation, and continuous improvement across all educational advocacy services. Educational Advocacy & Student Support 1. Oversees all educational advocacy services provided to children and families from Kindergarten through 12th grade. 2. Ensures families receive high-quality support related to school enrollment, residency, attendance, truancy, bullying, transportation, language access, special education, and other barriers affecting educational opportunity. 3. Provides guidance and oversight for complex educational advocacy cases involving Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Section 504 Plans, disciplinary matters, language access, and other student rights. 4. Develops strategies that empower parents and caregivers to become informed and confident advocates for their children's education. 5. Identifies trends across family cases and recommends solutions that improve educational access and outcomes for Latino students. 6. School District & Community Partnerships 1. Serves as the Latino Community Center's primary liaison with public school districts, charter schools, Intermediate Units, and educational agencies, throughout Allegheny County. 2. Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with school district administrators, principals, counselors, family engagement staff, attendance offices, educators, and community partners. 3. Represents the organization in collaborative meetings, educational initiatives, and cross-sector partnerships focused on improving educational opportunities for Latino students. 4. Strengthens partnerships that increase access to services, improve communication between schools and families, and create more inclus ve educational environments. 5. Educational Policy & Systems Advocacy 1. Monitors local, state, and federal educational legislation, funding, regulations, and policy developments affecting Latino students and families. 2. Monitors emerging educational issues and provides recommendations to organizational leadership regarding advocacy priorities and opportunities. 3. Represents the Latino Community Center at school board meetings, educational coalitions, public forums, and policy discussions. 4. Participates in educational coalitions, community partnerships, and public forums that advance equitable educational opportunities for Latino students. 5. Identifies systemic barriers affecting Latino children and develops collaborative strategies to address those barriers. 6. Serves as the organization's subject matter expert on K-12 education systems, student rights, educational policy, and educational equity. 7. Provides guidance and technical assistance to staff regarding educational policies, student rights, and advocacy best practices. 8. Grants, Evaluation & Administration Partners closely with the Grants and Development Team to ensure compliance with grant requirements, contractual obligations, reporting expectations, and applicable regulations. Develops and manages departmental budgets and ensures responsible stewardship of program resources. Reviews and approves purchases, invoices, credit card reconciliations, and other departmental expenses in accordance with organizational policies. Oversees the collection, analysis, and utilization of program data to measure outcomes, demonstrate impact, identify trends, and inform organizational decision-making. Prepares accurate and timely reports for leadership, funders, and community par