Associate Program Director | Early Learning Tutor-ND

Company Description

The University of Notre Dame is more than a workplace! We are a vibrant, mission-driven community where every employee is valued and supported. Rooted in a tradition of excellence and inspired by our Catholic character, Notre Dame is committed to fostering an environment of care that nurtures the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Here, you will find a deep sense of belonging, a culture that prioritizes well-being, and the opportunity to grow your career while being a force for good in the world. Whether contributing to world-class research, shaping the student experience, or supporting the University’s mission in other ways, you will be part of a dedicated team working to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. At Notre Dame, your work matters, and so do you!

Job Description

Position Type: Full-Time, Three-Year Limited-Term (Extension contingent on funding)

The Tutor Cognitive Science Connection at Notre Dame (Tutor-ND) is seeking an Associate Program Director for Early Learning to lead and scale high-quality early-learning and family-literacy initiatives. This pivotal role combines direct local implementation with statewide technical assistance-helping schools, early childhood centers, community organizations, and university partners design and execute effective early literacy programming for children from Pre-K through Grade 3.

This position is ideal for an educator who thrives at the intersection of direct practice and systems leadership: someone who loves engaging with young children and families, coaching tutors, building cross-institutional partnerships, and scaling successful programs into new settings.

Core Responsibilities

1. Early Learning Program Leadership & Local Implementation

• Lead PK–K & Family Literacy: Drive the implementation and continuous improvement of Tutor-ND’s PK–K tutoring and Pre-K–Grade 3 family-engagement programming.
• Curriculum & Resource Development: Develop, adapt, and maintain instructional materials, training resources, and implementation guides for tutors, families, and partner sites.
• Direct Engagement & Support: Train, coach, and support tutors and educators. Maintain hands-on engagement in program delivery to ensure training remains grounded in practical classroom realities.
• Quality Assurance & Feedback: Monitor site implementation, gather participant feedback, address operational challenges, and refine program models.

2. Statewide Technical Assistance & Regional Scaling

• Regional Coordination: Serve as a regional implementation coordinator for Tutor-ND’s statewide capacity-building initiatives, focusing on preschool partnerships and family literacy.
• Partner Onboarding & Adaptability: Guide partner schools, community organizations, and universities in adapting Tutor-ND models to fit their local community contexts.
• Design Team Coaching: Provide technical assistance and coaching to partner design teams, building their capacity to recruit, train, support, and retain tutors and volunteers.
• Toolkit Creation & Knowledge Sharing: Develop scalable tools to maintain program fidelity across sites while allowing local adaptation; facilitate shared learning across implementation partners.

3. Broader Literacy Leadership & Program Support

• Evidence-Based Practice: Support the implementation of 20 evidence-based literacy practices across Tutor-ND programs and sites.
• Relationship Management: Build and sustain strong relationships with school personnel, community leaders, and institutional partners.
• Organizational Growth: Contribute to overarching Tutor-ND strategic planning, grant deliverables, continuous improvement efforts, and team-wide priorities.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Human Development & Family Studies, or a closely related field.

Experience: 5–6 years of relevant experience in educational, early childhood, or community-based settings.

• Direct Early Childhood & Literacy Practice: Demonstrated experience working directly with young children (PK–Grade 3) in a teaching, tutoring, literacy, or early learning environment.
• Adult Coaching & Facilitation: Proven track record of training, coaching, or supporting adult learners, including tutors, educators, site coordinators, or community volunteers.
• Communication & Engagement: Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with an ability to build strong, collaborative relationships across diverse teams and community partners.
• Autonomy & Collaboration: Ability to work independently with strong organizational skills while managing partnerships across schools, early childhood centers, university departments, and community organizations.
• Travel Requirements: Willingness and ability to travel regularly to regional partner sites, early childhood centers, and community locations.

Additional Information

This position will be accepting applications until October 16, 2026.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.