Academic Educator

Job Title: Academic Educator  

Reports to: Director of Education

Type: Full-Time 

Category: Education

Background on UTEC, INC.:

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they’re at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

Job Summary:

Educators at UTEC teach academic courses to prepare young adults for their high school equivalency exams, and non-academic courses focused on social and emotional learning, social justice, and workforce readiness. The Educator will work mostly onsite at UTEC’s Center in Lowell, with a possibility to travel locally to provide educational support to young adults in different parts of programming. . UTEC believes in a culture of life-long learning grounded in principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to supporting our young adults as they navigate the system and gain the necessary knowledge and skills to challenge systematic and ideological cultures of oppression. The Educator will be an integral part of continuing to shape UTEC’s learning agenda.

The perfect candidate for the position will have the educational experience to develop and/or implement a curriculum, knowledge of partnerships with other educational/learning institutions, and investment in cultivating students’ interest in social justice. This is an exciting position for an individual who desires to help shape and lead dynamic programming in a community-based setting, collaborate with fellow educators and youth workers, and serve a youth population that needs extra support to excel. 

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Plan and prepare lessons for Young Adult students, including identifying and/or creating a curriculum, gathering any materials necessary for any activity included in the lesson, and developing formative assessments to measure student progress
• Incorporate social justice and civics concepts into educational experiences, both within and beyond the HiSET curriculum
• Develop strategies and instructional practices to engage small groups of proven-risk young adults that will promote student learning and increase their personal development and social-emotional competence
• Provide instruction that supports individual needs and promote interactive learning
• Proctor periodic internal assessments and support young adults in setup for “HiSET at Home” testing onsite at UTEC
• Assist with recording attendance, growth, and testing data within UTEC’s database and compile all necessary reports
• Support partnerships with institutions of non-academic learning skills and higher education so that UTEC graduates are prepared to enroll in post-secondary institutions or engage in the workforce
• Regularly communicate with colleagues about young adult performance and participate in scheduled progress meetings with each young adult’s Program Manager and Transitional Coach
• Assist with UTEC-wide events outside of classroom hours and attend retreats.
• Plan, facilitate, and/or support activities and events for Young Adults on Fridays and alternative programming days

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Ability to multi-task and adapt to a changing environment 
• Must demonstrate an acceptance and respect for cultural diversity in all its forms, including ethnicity, sexual orientation, abilities, and religious backgrounds. Ability to work collaboratively in an ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse environment
• Can demonstrate an understanding of educational equity and how issues of bias and privilege impact student learning
• Has excellent written and oral communication, organization, and facilitation skills
• Must be able to foster an inclusive classroom environment in which YAs feel supported and motivated
• Strong interpersonal skills, humor, and compassion
• Excellent relationship-building skills required
• Ability to self-reflect and implement feedback to improve instructional practice constantly
• Ability to collaborate with Education team members to create and facilitate curriculum
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• At least 1 year of urban teaching experience in a school or comparable setting is required; 3 or more years of experience is highly preferred
• Experience teaching ESL and/or foundational literacy OR experience teaching math and/or science required
• Teaching and/or administration License in Massachusetts preferred
• Individuals with lived experience that reflects or speaks to the lives of UTEC’s young adult population are highly encouraged to apply.
• Candidates that identify with, or are from, the communities we serve (Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, MA) are highly encouraged to apply.

Physical Requirements: 

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Able to travel as needed

Salary range: $55,000-$61,000, commensurate with experience. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, a 457B retirement plan and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support. With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3 week sabbatical. 

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e. for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee! 

UTEC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UTEC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.