Professional Development Strategist

A pioneer in K-12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

Job Description: 

Amplify is seeking a full-time Professional Development Strategist with a background in teaching, coaching, and/or school leadership, as well as experience in leading Professional Development initiatives, to join one of our regional PD teams and make an impact on educators and students.

The PD Strategist will assist the district with change management and will be the point of contact for implementation support in close partnership and collaboration with the account's Customer Success Manager and Sales Account Executive. The PD Strategist will work to build capacity within the district with the end goal of a self-sustaining implementation.

Essential Responsibilities:

The PD Strategist will support district partners of varying levels of service delivery with implementations of core, supplemental, and assessment programming including: 

• developing a multi-year, district-wide professional development strategy,

• envisioning, planning, and iterating on comprehensive PD logistics in coordination with district partners,

• advising district leaders on key pedagogical questions and change management considerations, 

• conducting district-wide program reviews, and 

• building capacity within the district with the end goal of a self-sustaining implementation

We are looking for people who are passionate about STEM with strong program knowledge. PD Strategists must be able to manage multiple projects and be highly organized and creative. They must be able to clearly and compellingly communicate ideas and plans to a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Successful PD Strategists are self-starters, problem solvers, and tech-savvy team players.

The Professional Development Strategist will report to the Associate Director of Professional Development.

Partnerships

• Collaborate effectively with regional leadership, operations team, and contractors to deliver a superior PD experience and elevate and support the customer perspective

• Escalate questions/challenges/concerns to AD/Ds, ensure open lines of communication, collaboratively problem solve, and bring others in to meet the needs of our customer while balancing company priorities

• Partner with designers to customize training materials for strategic engagements

• Collaborate with Product & PD teams to understand upcoming content offerings & feature releases

• Collaborate with other PD Strategists within and across the regions and communicate lessons learned to manager

Strategy

• Support pre-sales discussion (written proposals, PD Plans) and serve as the primary point of contact for all PD-related questions post-sales with assigned accounts 

• Consult on implementation plans with manager, and build and maintain a strong understanding of PD products

• Oversee project management (scoping, budgeting, delivery) of PD engagements

• Escalate potential and actual high-risk situations appropriately to manager

Leadership

• Model exceptional leadership and relationship-building skills with customers and internal senior leadership

• Assess impact and effectiveness of training by analyzing feedback from PD participants, PLSs, and internal colleagues.

• Coordinate, coach, and support Professional Learning Specialist preparation and delivery to ensure a delightful customer experience 

• Drive their own learning to demonstrate consistently high levels of knowledge about our products and suites  

Implementation and Delivery

• Coach and prepare Professional Learning Specialists (PLSs) for session delivery to managed accounts, including anticipation of individual school/district context, regional complexities and uniqueness

• Analyze training feedback from partners / PD participants as well as district-level implementation data to inform practice and next steps

• Support implementation through consultation and ad hoc professional development (e.g., modeling literacy instruction)

• Provide support and feedback on implementation goals through onsite visits (professional development sessions, coaching, analyze data)

• Regular travel required, 20-40% of the year, as needed

Department and Team Support

• Ad hoc additional duties, as designated by the Regional Leadership

• Support department-wide priorities and initiatives, as assigned 

Personal Attributes

• Resilient: Thrives in high-pressure environments, maintaining focus and composure under stress.

• Growth Mindset: Open-minded, receptive to feedback, and committed to continuous self-development.

• Professional: Displays humility, professionalism, and confidence in interactions with team members and key stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent related work experience

• 5+ years of K-8 classroom teaching experience in STEM

• Experience (at scale) designing and delivering professional development sessions and helping educators adopt new practices

• Large scale project management in an educational setting

• Proven time management skills when managing multiple tasks

• Experience analyzing project feedback data and using it to inform implementation next steps

• Demonstrated proficiency of technology integration in workshops and in the classroom

• Demonstrated proficiency in use of technology-based productivity tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides)  

• Ability to travel regionally and nationally (per travel policy). Amplify's COVID-19 Policy requires  full vaccination for all travel and in-person meetings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience as an Instructional Leader and/or Curriculum Developer across a district or network of schools

• Biliteracy a plus (Spanish)

• Experience delivering PD at Amplify or using Amplify products as an educator or administrator

• Experience with managing teams of people

Additional Information

Location: West Coast (Pacific Time and Mountain Time) preferred; This position requires that PD Strategists are permitted to work in the US, have residency in the US, and possess a valid US driver's license. If selected, a regional assignment will be issued, but you may be asked to travel throughout the country based on business needs. 

Travel: Travel is required and considered an essential function of the job. This role will require an average of 20% travel, up to 40% throughout the year. Travel includes overnight stays at hotels and transportation via car, plane, and/or public transportation.  All travel-related expenses are initially paid in advance by the employee (eg, lodging, daily meals). Reimbursements for these expenses - including mileage if driving your own car and compensation for time traveling - will be processed 2-3 weeks following submission of the expense reimbursement requests. PD Strategists are also able to keep all travel points for flights and hotels booked for work-related travel.

Documentation: If selected, a background check and proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required. The latter is subject to potential reasonable accommodation due to medical issues or sincerely held religious beliefs. 

Equipment: This position requires reliable home internet that can support video calls on Google Meet and Zoom and a quiet, professional place to conduct meetings.

What we offer:

Salary is only one component of the Amplify Total Rewards package, which includes a 401(k) plan, competitive health insurance and mental health options, basic life insurance, paid time off, parental leave, and access to best-in-class development programs. The gross salary range for this role is $90,000 - $105,000. This role is eligible to earn an annual discretionary bonus that rewards individual and company performance.

Amplify is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Amplify makes employment decisions based on qualifications and merit, and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability status, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.

Amplify is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, including disabled veterans.  If you have a disability and need an accommodation in connection with the application or hiring process, please email hiringaccommodations@amplify.com.

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If you are selected for employment, a background check will be required.  As required by state and local laws and district policies, you may be required to provide additional documentation, such as proof of vaccination, or submit to enhanced background screening, such as fingerprinting.

Amplify is an E-Verify participant.