Chief Writing, Literary Arts & Academic Writing Officer (Volunteer)

About the role

Mentor A Promise is seeking a visionary, intellectually rigorous, and mission-driven Chief Writing, Literary Arts & Academic Writing Officer to build and lead one of the most ambitious youth writing initiatives in the nonprofit sector.

Responsibilities

• Lead the long-term strategy, vision, and growth of PromisePages.
• Build systems that establish writing excellence across the organization.
• Develop division goals, strategic plans, program models, success metrics, writing standards, and long-term growth initiatives.
• Establish PromisePages as a nationally recognized model for youth writing development.
• Lead programs supporting poetry, fiction, memoir, personal narrative, flash fiction, playwriting, songwriting, spoken word, storytelling, and literary arts programming.
• Develop academic writing supports focused on essay writing, research writing, argumentative writing, informational writing, scholarship essays, college essays, revision strategies, grammar & mechanics, citation practices, and writing across disciplines.
• Create writing support systems modeled after leading university writing centers, including one-on-one writing coaching, writing consultations, revision support, writing workshops, peer review sessions, mentor writing support, academic writing assistance, and scholarship essay support.
• Lead MAP’s flagship youth authorship initiative, including student anthologies, poetry collections, story collections, children's books, literary journals, student publishing opportunities, public readings, and author showcases.
• Establish division-wide standards for developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, editorial review, style guides, writing rubrics, revision processes, and publication quality.
• Build a vibrant literary culture through author talks, poetry readings, open mics, storytelling events, writing challenges, literary festivals, publishing celebrations, and youth writing showcases.
• Recruit, develop, and support a team that may include directors of creative writing & literary arts, academic writing & composition, publishing & youth authorship, editorial excellence, writing education & curriculum, creative writing teachers, academic writing teachers, poetry teachers, fiction teachers, editors, publishing coordinators, and writing fellows.

Qualifications

• Welcome candidates from diverse literary, academic, educational, and publishing backgrounds.
• Helpful experience may include creative writing, literature, publishing, editorial leadership, English education, writing program administration, writing center leadership, curriculum design, literary arts administration, youth writing programs, higher education, journalism or communications.
• Strong candidates often demonstrate exceptional writing ability, editorial expertise, strategic leadership, program development experience, teaching and mentorship skills, commitment to literacy and youth development, strong systems thinking, ability to build sustainable programs and teams, advanced education or equivalent professional experience.

First-year priorities

• Build the PromisePages division structure.
• Launch writing programs and workshops.
• Establish editorial standards.
• Create writing curricula and resources.
• Develop the Promise Authors Program.
• Recruit and support writing volunteers.
• Launch publication opportunities.
• Create student writing showcases.
• Build writing assessment systems.
• Establish MAP’s long-term literary vision.

Success measures

• Increase student writing confidence.
• Improve academic writing outcomes.
• Growth in creative writing participation.
• Student publications produced annually.
• Youth authors published.
• Literary events and showcases hosted.
• Volunteer writing mentors trained.
• Sustainable writing pathways established.
• Strong editorial and publishing standards implemented.
• Recognition of PromisePages as a leading youth writing initiative.