About Mastery:
Founded in 2001, Mastery Schools is a public charter network of 23 K-12 schools in Philadelphia and Camden, serving more than 14,000 students.
At Mastery, we’re on a mission to provide all students with the academic and personal skills they need to succeed after graduation and pursue their dreams. Student achievement is not just a goal for our organization; it's the reason we exist, and every member of our team is dedicated to securing student success. We are also committed to pursuing equity, actively disrupting systemic racism, and addressing the disparities that limit our students' choices.
Our culture is built on respect, service, and the belief that the success of our students, their families, and the communities we serve will help us achieve our mission. We foster a positive, open, and inclusive environment where honesty, humor, and continuous improvement are celebrated.
Join us in creating a model urban school district that serves all students with excellence. Together, we can make a lasting impact.
Position Summary:
The NJ Family and Community Engagement Organizer will implement Mastery's vision of partnering with parents, families, and community stakeholders to support student success, strengthen school communities, and build parent leadership. This role serves as the primary organizer and relationship-builder within the Mastery NJ network school community, developing parents as advocates, leaders, and partners in advancing school and community priorities. The NJ Family and Community Engagement Organizer will build meaningful relationships with families, cultivate community partnerships, coordinate advocacy initiatives, and support family engagement strategies that elevate parent voice and strengthen student outcomes.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Job Functions:
- Parent Engagement & Leadership Development
- Develop and implement a comprehensive family engagement and advocacy plan aligned with school and network priorities
- Recruit, train, and support parents to serve as leaders within Parent Action Teams (PAT), and other leadership structures
- Conduct one-on-one relational meetings with parents to build relationships, identify leadership potential, and opportunities for engagement
- Facilitate parent leadership trainings focused on advocacy, public speaking, organizing, educational equity, and civic engagement
- Support parents in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for their children, schools, and communities
- Parent Organizing & Advocacy
- Build and maintain a strong base of engaged parent leaders capable of mobilizing around school and community priorities
- Coordinate parent advocacy campaigns related to educational issues, school improvement efforts, policy initiatives, and community concerns
- Organize parent participation in meetings with elected officials, community stakeholders, and education leaders
- Support parent testimony, letter-writing campaigns, petitions, public comment opportunities, and other advocacy activities
- Track parent leadership growth, engagement metrics, and advocacy outcomes
- Maintain active communication with school, community and network leaders
- Community Partnerships & External Relations
- Develop and manage strategic partnerships with community organizations, businesses, service providers, and civic leaders
- Represent the school at community meetings, neighborhood associations, and stakeholder convenings
- Build partnerships that create opportunities for family engagement, leadership development, and advocacy
Qualifications:
- Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
- Team player who is a self-motivated "go-getter" with the ability to lead and motivate others
- Curiosity in people’s stories and the ability to listen and learn from a wide and diverse range of people
- Commitment to educational equity and excellence for all students
- Knowledge of public education, charter schools, and political landscape highly desirable
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Excellent problem solver and creative and strategic thinker
- Flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities
- Self-awareness with the ability to reflect and adapt to diverse environments
- Cultural competency and experience working with families from diverse ethnic and class backgrounds
- Available for night and weekend meetings and events, approximately 5% of total time.
Education and Experience:
Minimum three (3) years of professional experience in organizing, politics, community relations, education,business development, social services or relevant field
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Must be bilingual in Spanish and English
- Experience with grassroots field organizing, including experience in political or issues campaigns, or leading a field organizing team a plus
- Strong presentation skills
Other Requirements:
- Ability to physically perform the essential duties of the role as outlined above, and to work in the environmental
conditions required, such as traveling to network campuses, monitoring and interacting with students, in-person
facilitation of trainings, etc.;
- This role may require frequent travel between multiple locations. Reliable transportation is essential to fulfill job responsibilities.
Salary and Bonus Information
- External candidates hired for this role are eligible for a $3,000 signing bonus as well as up to $5,000 for relocation expenses!
- The Family and Community Engagement Organizer (New Jersey) at Mastery can expect a starting salary between $62,000 to $69,700 based on education and experience, with opportunities for growth as your career progresses. Each offer is made in alignment with Mastery’s compensation philosophy and commitment to pay equity, ensuring fairness and consistency across our team.
Mastery's Benefits Package:
We offer a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth. Some of our most popular benefits include our 403(b) retirement plan for PA employees (with a 5% match from Mastery for full-time employees), enrollment in the State of New Jersey Pension Plan for NJ employees, a robust Employee Assistance Program, mental health and counseling programs, an annual Professional Development Fund, and discounts and perks at a myriad of retailers, travel organizations, insurance providers, and so much more, as well as access to the HealthAdvocate Helpdesk to help you navigate various benefits-related topics. Please go here to see all of our Benefits offerings!
Annual Calendar:
As you plan to make Mastery your new work home, please feel free to review our
calendar here. We like to think our calendar is a benefit of working here too!
Why You Should Apply:
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. Mastery may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.