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We’re Hiring: Congressional App Challenge Program Director

Job Description:

Program Director, Congressional App Challenge

The Internet Education Foundation is seeking an experienced, energetic and dynamic Program Director to lead one of its projects, the Congressional App Challenge. The position is based in Washington, D.C.

The Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a young, nationwide effort aimed at encouraging students to learn how to code, through localized app challenges hosted by Members of Congress. (More details on the CAC below.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Program Director position will be responsible for overseeing execution of the Congressional App Challenge, including:

Program Management: The Program Director is responsible for determining, implementing and overseeing CAC processes. These include, but are not limited to: congressional registration and participation, student registration and project submission, partnership management, localized outreach strategies, diversity-promoting strategies, etc.

In the last 2 years, nearly 4,000 students have participated in 239 challenges across 33 states – and the program is growing in popularity. The Program Director will need to establish new data management protocols to protect the information of thousands of students, connect congressional offices with pertinent organizations, and more.

Fundraising: The Program Director is an integral part of the organization’s fundraising efforts. The Program Director must be able to articulate the project’s goals and value to prospective funders, communicate with existing funders, and determine a strategy to attract additional funders. A background in grant applications and foundation fundraising is a bonus.

Communications/Marketing: The Program Director must use communications tools and strategies to recruit student participation and stakeholder support in pockets all across America. This role will require raising awareness of the project through social media, email marketing campaigns, personalized communications, and frequent public speaking under a variety of conditions.

Manage A Growing Team: Currently, the primary CAC consists of a full-time Program Manager, several part-time consultants, and several interns and volunteers. As the program grows, the Program Director will need to establish hiring criteria and processes, manage onboarding, and oversee a growing team.

As the Program Director you will:

  • Oversee all efforts involved in execution of the Congressional App Challenge.
  • Develop and maintain sponsor relationships.
  • Build partnerships with community organizations, both nationwide and local, to advance outreach efforts in participating districts.
  • Develop and maintain improved contact/data management systems.
  • Work with the Congressional Affairs Director and oversee other team members.
  • Organize #HouseOfCode, the culminating celebration in the Spring.
  • Develop new models for growth in the areas of educational support and regional events such as hackathons and demo days.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

The most important quality a program manager must bring to the table, is a passion for addressing the tech talent gap, and promoting equity and equality in the tech community.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

  • Several years experience managing complex projects.
  • An entrepreneurial spirit and startup mentality.
  • Relentless attention to detail and effective time-management skills.
  • A commitment to social equity and diversity efforts.
  • A data-driven, metrics-oriented mindset.
  • Fundraising experience.
  • Media experience; pitching press releases, op-eds, and more.
  • Clear and concise communications skills, oral and written.
  • Some familiarity with Computer Science (coding skills a plus).

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with WordPress, HTML, and CSS.
  • Experience with CRMs and email marketing programs. (We use Salesforce and Mailchimp.)
  • Experience with database development and management.
  • Non-profit or Capitol Hill experience.
  • Experience hosting hackathons, demo days, or coding competitions.
  • Experience with computer science education strongly preferred.
  • A Graduate Degree in public policy, business administration, computer science, or related fields.

TO APPLY

Send cover letter and resume to [email protected].

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE

Launched in late 2015, the Congressional App Challenge operates in the intersection of Congressional politics, technology policy, and 21st century workforce development. The program is a joint effort between the Internet Education Foundation and the House of Representatives. Aimed at inspiring students across America to pursue computer science and coding skills, IEF coordinates and supports the execution of regional app challenges hosted by the Members of Congress from July through late October/early November.

Winners are announced in December during Computer Science Education Week, and the Challenge concludes with #HouseOfCode, a reception and demo day held in Washington DC in the spring, which student from around the country travel to, to showcase their award-winning apps.

The CAC mission is to inspire, include, and innovate efforts around STEM, coding, and computer science education:

  1. Inspire: To inspire students from every corner of the country to explore STEM, coding and computer science through hands-on practice;
  2. Include: To actively include and engage students from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the tech community; and
  3. Innovate: To innovate policymaking by connecting Members of Congress to new and emerging technologies through personal interactions with their student constituents.

In two cycles, the CAC has executed 239 successful challenges, and has grown to a point that now requires an experienced project manager to take the program to the next level.

About the Internet Education Foundation

The Internet Education Foundation (IEF) is an entrepreneurial non-profit at the heart of Internet policy in Washington. For 20 years IEF has been the most trusted voice in Internet policy in Washington. Other IEF projects include the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee, the State of the Net Conference Series, and the Internet Law & Policy Foundry.

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