About Understood

Understood is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive. 

Having a shared commitment to our values is a key factor in any hire we make. We have five core values: 

1. Continuously learn.
2.  Act with intention.
3. Champion difference.
4. Inspire change.
5. Grow together. 

Come be part of an organization with an entrepreneurial spirit that’s helping to shape the world for difference. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential. 

To learn more about Understood, please visit: www.understood.org.

Who you are 

To advance Understood’s mission and to further our impact, we’re hiring an Associate Director, Intervention and Program Specialist, reporting to our Vice President of Expertise & Strategic Design. The ideal candidate will have deep experience in developing and managing scalable, evidence-based programs and interventions across a wide variety of settings, such as developing interventions within an app, or developing large-scale programs for a school system.

What you’ll do

• Overall:
• Work closely with the VP of Expertise & Strategic Design to ensure everything we do at Understood is built for positive impact, grounded in evidence (including lived experience), and practically helpful
• Intervention planning: 
• For any new initiative, gather and synthesize evidence from various disciplines to inform our work
• Leverage existing frameworks designed to maximize effectiveness, improving these as relevant
• Before the work begins, ensure the key puzzle pieces that ensure positive impact are identified, aligned across stakeholders, and documented
• Balance rigor with speed
• Day-to-Day Management:
• Through the development phase, work with interdisciplinary stakeholders to ensure quality, and grounding in evidence
• Track decisions made, and the “why” behind them
• Monitoring and evaluation:
• Partner with the Associate Director of Applied Research & Evaluation to ensure all work has a clear measurement strategy; and that findings are leveraged to improve our offerings
• Product development:
• Partner with our product team to develop new digital approaches
• As needed, act as a translator between external SMEs and product
• As needed, work to improve processes, in order to maintain rigor without sacrificing speed
• Safety & quality:
• Develop safety guardrails and guidelines, ensuring our first principle of “do no harm” lives front and center
• Practice high levels of discernment, calling out potential risk areas
• Communication:
• Work with the team to influence how we talk about and present our current work. For example, this might include, clarifying, as simply as possible, the theory of change and logic model for any given offering 
• Edit and develop key assets for describing our impactful approaches to internal and external stakeholders; this includes but is not limited to decks and written docs that will be used in presentations with partners, funders, internal colleagues, and/or the individuals and families we serve

Must-haves 

• Advanced degree (Masters or Doctorate) in psychology, education, public health or related field
• Minimum 4 years of experience developing and managing impactful programs, initiatives, and interventions; with minimum 2 years of experience developing and supporting digital-only approaches 
• Meticulous organization, with demonstrated ability to manage complex projects across diverse stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills - must be able to create clear, engaging decks, documents, and project plans at a professional level
• A strong grounding in best practices for evidence-grounded design
• An expansive, adaptive mindset regarding interventions - we are all about broad access, reducing barriers, and meeting people where they are in creative ways from school district partnerships to social media content
• Strong agility in adjusting approaches based on real-life time and resource constraints
• Demonstrated history of designing novel approaches that are both effective and desirable to large populations
• Subject matter expertise in learning and thinking differences, such as Dyslexia and ADHD
• Depth of experience working in partnership, effectively and with humility, with interdisciplinary colleagues from marketing to product development to content 
• Expertise in managing time, commitments, and priorities 
• Committed to embodying and being a steward of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging 

Nice-to-haves

• Strong background in evidence-grounded, grant-funded approaches
• Experience working as a practitioner, such as a teacher, counselor, or coach - with children and adults who learn and think differently
• Experience working in multiple sectors, such as education, academic, non-profit, and industry

The base salary range for this role is minimum $130,000 - $160,000 maximum, depending on years of experience and qualifications. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports wellness for our team members and their families. You can learn more about our benefits and offerings.

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Understood encourages individuals of all learning styles and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including those whose life experiences may include the challenge of access due to a disability, to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to supporting this work.

Understood is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, alienage or citizenship status, marital or familial status, domestic partnership status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, change of sex or transgender status, genetic information, medical condition, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, physical or mental disability (where the applicant or employee is qualified to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation), any protected military or veteran status, or status as a victim of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault or offense, stalking, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law or that of persons with whom that individual associates, or any other legally protected characteristics.

For additional information on learning and thinking differences, including ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, executive function challenges, nonverbal learning disabilities, processing issues, and more, please visit www.understood.org.

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