Career Center

About WestEd 

As a community of over 800 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.
 
Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. 

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although a remote option may have been listed as one of the location options for this position, the default location for all WestEd positions is in one of WestEd’s offices. However, candidates may submit a request to work from home.

All WestEd staff are required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Proof of full vaccination is required before beginning employment. If you want to be considered for a medical or religious exemption, you will have an opportunity to provide appropriate documentation.

Content Area Profile

English Learner and Migrant Education Services (ELMES) at WestEd, which includes the Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) initiative, is looking for a team of equity-focused educators committed to improving the quality of educational opportunities for all students, with a particular focus on English and Multilingual Learners. ELMES provides professional learning, strategic systems support, curriculum, and standards development, and conducts research to enhance the quality of education for English Learners, Multilingual Learners, and Migratory Students. Our team partners with state and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) to build educator capacity to implement necessary educational shifts. This position will expand our ability to continue to develop and implement services that change outcomes for traditionally underserved students.

Who We Are

We are a highly motivated team with a deep, sociocultural foundation and an equity focus. We believe equity cannot be achieved without an upmost commitment to ensuring a quality education for all students. We are committed to building educator capacity at all levels of the system to ensure quality curriculum, design and facilitate quality teaching, and develop coherent systems. We believe that by focusing in these areas, we can create the necessary conditions to implement powerful learning experiences that lead to long-term impact for students. Our team values experience and expertise, and consists of former teachers, site, district, and state administrators, researchers, and scholars. We rely on our diverse teammates to navigate the dynamic and ever-changing contexts our school, LEA, and SEA partners face while staying true to our theoretical foundations. We are passionate and hard-working, and we value professional growth, intellectual rigor, and a collaborative culture.

The Opportunity

Please note that we are seeking a candidate with deep content knowledge and teaching experience in secondary English Language Development.

This Program Associate position is an opportunity for experienced practitioners, administrators, researchers, and scholars across the country to join a committed team and contribute to a diverse portfolio of services that builds educator expertise to ensure quality learning opportunities for all students, with a focus on English and Multilingual Learners. The person in this position will work with teachers and educational leaders in designing and facilitating professional learning, accompanying teachers in the classroom to support them as they engage in quality pedagogical practices, developing curricular materials, contributing to proposal writing and technical publications, and supporting successful project management and business development. Applicants should be self-starters who thrive in fast-paced working conditions, enjoy problematizing complex situations and seeking solutions, are intellectually curious, independently able to successfully manage a variety of project work, communicate clearly, continually pursue opportunities to learn and grow, seek feedback, build strong relationships, and advocate for others.

As a part of the English Learner and Migrant Education Services team, the Program Associate will support existing projects and lead specific components in a variety of work that includes designing and facilitating professional learning, curriculum design, systemic reviews, and research and evaluation projects. Based on their expertise, the Program Associate will do the following:

Curriculum Development (up to 50%)

• Develop curricular materials, pedagogical tools, and processes for secondary instruction aligned to the QTEL approach.
• Design professional learning activities that will enable educators to utilize curriculum materials.

Professional Learning (up to 50%)

• Develop and facilitate Quality Teaching for English Learners professional learning sessions for middle and high school teachers, professional developers, educational leaders, and teacher educators with a focus on the rigorous development of conceptual, analytical, and language practices for English and Multilingual Learners.
• Create materials and activities that advance educator knowledge, reflection, and practice.
• Coach teachers and leaders, providing feedback, and assisting them as they understand, plan, and implement pedagogical practices that enhance the quality of education for English and Multilingual Learners.

Business Development and Knowledge Dissemination (up to 20%)

• Participate in business development opportunities by developing client relationships, supporting the identification and pursuit of funding sources, and writing competitive proposals for a variety of SEA, LEA, federal, and philanthropic funders.
• Contribute to the development of a variety of publications to improve education systems, programs, and instruction and disseminate knowledge.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking to hire a candidate with a complementary range of experiences and knowledge that will enhance and strengthen our existing team.

• 5+ years of experience teaching in secondary ELD classrooms to culturally and linguistically diverse students in U.S. schools
• knowledge of sociocultural theory and its implementation in the education of language minoritized students
• knowledge of and/or Quality Teaching for English Learners Professional Development Certification preferred
• advanced degree in English, Language, or related content with a focus on secondary education
• demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence in the education of English and Multilingual Learners
• extensive experience designing and facilitating professional learning to enhance content and pedagogical knowledge of teachers, with a focus on the simultaneous development of students’ conceptual, analytical, and linguistic practices.
• proven ability to effectively work and collaborate across differences, including ethnicity, gender, and culture, and willingness to engage in honest conversations about racism and systemic oppression
• comfort with ambiguity and adaptation, and commitment to ongoing learning, innovation, and meaning making
• ability to travel extensively (50% or more)

Must be authorized to work (visa sponsorship not available).