DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Partners in Reading (PAR) is a department within SJPL that delivers adult and family literacy services to residents of San José. Volunteer tutors are trained and matched with adults to assist with reading, writing, problem solving, computer and life skills. Over the last 30 years, PAR has trained over 4,574 tutors who have instructed over 6,470 adult learners. PAR has expanded beyond one-to-one and small group tutoring and has developed and delivered vocational literacy programs and enhanced its family literacy program. PAR has also been offering basic and advanced ESL classes at libraries and community centers.
The ideal candidate will be responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating the above mentioned programs as well as have a strong understanding of current trends in adult and family literacy that may result in the development of new programs and services for SJPL. Other duties will include: directing and evaluating staff; writing, implementing, and monitoring grants; monitoring budgets; collaborating with community organizations, volunteers, other library jurisdictions, City Departments, and the Library Foundation; collaborating with internal library departments such as Family Learning Centers, SJPL Works, Early Education, and Centralized Programming/Instruction; working with California Library Literacy Services (CLLS) at the State Library; representing SJPL in community meetings as the adult and family literacy advocate; and understanding current technological trends in adult/family literacy . Additionally, this position manages the City’s Career Online High School Program which has had 97 successful graduates with the most recent graduation held on July 30, 2020.
This position will serve as a bridge between staff teams and Administration and other resources necessary for successful support of family and adult literacy, evaluate and analyze pilots and experiments, to learn from failures and build upon success. The individual in this position will represent the Library and the Director with City staff and other stakeholders. This position will communicate results internally with Library staff and collaborate with Library Marketing to share achievements and aspirations with the public, and resource partners outside the organization.
The ideal candidate for this position will be a strong leader and be aware of and support, practice and promote the Mission, Vision, & Values statements of the City of San José and the San José Public Library; communicate effectively orally and in writing; have experience working with a diverse community and a diverse staff; and enjoy working in a fast-paced, innovative team environment.
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.
Selection Process
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews, one of which may include a practical/writing exercise. You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process:
1. Please indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. (1 year = 2,080 hours of work experience)
• I have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in public administration, social work, psychology, sociology, or in a related field such as literacy, ESL, etc. AND four years of increasingly responsible professional experience related to adult and/or family literacy.
• I do not meet the minimum qualifications for this position
2. If you specified a Bachelor's Degree in a related field, please list the college or university, type of degree, and field of study.
3. If you indicated four years of increasingly responsible professional experience related to adult literacy-based programming, please describe your experience. Specify the name of the organization(s), your job title(s), and your starting and ending dates.
4. Please indicate if you have experience with the following. Select all that apply.
• Program management and implementation
• Evaluating programs and services
• Development of staff training
• Establishing performance measures
• Developing and monitoring budgets
• None of the above
5. If you selected any of the experience options above, please describe your experience in detail.
6. Describe your experience working on a complex project for which you had primary or significant responsibility. Specify how you dealt with the complexity of the project, coordinated amongst key stakeholders, maintained schedule, and achieved the desired results.
7. Describe your experience(s) relating to leading and managing in a changing environment. Please include examples of your management style in your description.
You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, please contact Vidya Kilambi at vidya.kilambi@sanjoseca.gov.
If you have questions about the selection or hiring processes, please contact Aletia Egipciaco at aletia.egipciaco@sanjoseca.gov
