College and Career Academies Middle School Partner Engagement Manager

Posting open July 22, 2026 – July 31, 2026. This is a School Employees Retirement System position.

About the Role

This is an administrative position that cultivates and maintains nonprofit partnerships with middle schools and ensures that community partners are equipped to deliver high-quality, inclusive, and curriculum-aligned field experiences that directly support College & Career Academies of Akron initiatives and the district's Portrait of a Graduate. The Specialist serves as an instructional bridge, supporting experiential, service-learning, and inquiry-based learning for middle school students.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain a network of nonprofit partners who will invest time and talent to support experiential learning, service learning, and inquiry-based learning opportunities for students at district middle schools.
• Design compelling, age-appropriate descriptions and learning objectives for each nonprofit field experience, ensuring they align with 6th-8th grade standards and are ready for publication in the SchoolLinks platform.
• Establish and manage the comprehensive yearly calendar for all district middle school field experiences, balancing the capacity of local nonprofits with the scheduling needs of the district's middle schools.
• Work closely with the Akron Community Foundation and area nonprofits to identify, assess, manage, and scale nonprofit capacity to host student groups effectively without overwhelming partner resources.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with partners, academy coaches, school leadership and staff, and other stakeholders to assess needs and ensure successful and equitable engagements.

Partner Training & Capacity-Building

• Train and support nonprofit partners on effective strategies for middle schoolers, including explicit instruction, maximizing "opportunities to respond" and "key vocabulary," career exploration, and fostering student agency and voice during visits.
• Educate partners on the district's "Portrait of a Graduate" framework, ensuring partner activities actively develop the specific student competencies outlined in the framework.
• Provide critical training on accommodating diverse student needs, including educating partners on how to interpret and support Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), physical access requirements, and inclusive practices so every student can participate fully.
• Actively participate in the Middle School Academy Advisory Board, Middle School Essential Exchange, and Steering Committee meetings.
• Present at partner and community meetings to explain and develop understanding of the CCAA middle school model.
• Provide information to the marketing staff to facilitate the development of marketing materials and supplies.
• Assist the marketing staff with the development and upkeep of the CCAA Middle School webpage by providing necessary information in a timely manner.
• Other duties may be assigned to support the district's mission and vision.

Logistics, Operations & Compliance

• Actively chaperone events and field trips to ensure smooth operations, provide real-time coaching to partners, and manage student behavior alongside school staff when necessary.
• Safely operate district vans to transport students or materials as needed for specialized, smaller-scale field experiences. Maintain ODOT Education Van Driver's License.
• Track student participation, partner engagement hours, and learning outcomes.
• Compile and submit required district and Akron Community Foundation grant reports to demonstrate program impact and ROI.
• Participate in professional development to better understand experiential learning, service learning, inquiry-based learning, and social-emotional learning.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in education, teaching, and/or curriculum development and design.
• Three or more years of demonstrated experience and expertise in nonprofit/business engagement, marketing, sales, or fundraising.
• Valid State of Ohio driver's license with a driving record that will allow for obtaining a Van Driver's license to transport students.
• Able to travel in the district and out of the district as needed.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong listening skills.
• Organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated skills in motivating and leading others, and working well with a team.
• Respect for differences, whether racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, gender, or class.
• Ability to switch work style from big picture to minute detail.
• Commitment to excellence and passion for the mission of Akron Public Schools and College & Career Academies.
• Ability to operate a variety of office equipment.
• Strong technology and computer skills, including Google, Word, Excel, and data systems.
• Must be able to work occasional flexible hours as needed, e.g., evenings & weekends, and must be able to attend seminars, workshops, etc., both inside and outside the district.

Additional Working Conditions

• Frequent repetitive hand motion, e.g., computer keyboard, writing, etc.
• Frequent requirement to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, see, read, speak, reach, climb, stoop.
• Occasionally lift, carry, push, and pull various items up to a maximum of 25 pounds.
• Operation of basic office equipment, e.g., computer, printer, copier, fax machine, etc.

Reports to the Director of College & Career Academies and/or the Coordinator of Partner Engagement.