LEA Project Manager – New Kent County

Advertising Summary: The Partnership for People with Disabilities was founded in 1985 to build a world where all people can live, learn, work, and play together. We’re based at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, serving as Virginia’s only University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities or UCEDD (www.vcu.edu/partnership). The Partnership is leading Project AWARE Virginia, a five-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focused on strengthening comprehensive school mental health systems. We are seeking a dynamic LEA Project Manager to serve as the local Project AWARE lead in New Kent County Public Schools. Working under the leadership and guidance of the Project AWARE Director at VCU, this position will be based primarily within New Kent County Public Schools and will coordinate the local implementation of Project AWARE.

Unit: School Of Education MBU

Department: SOE Spec Ed and DP PPD

Duties & Responsibilities:

At VCU, we provide UNcommon learning, research, creativity, service and discovery — the hallmarks of the VCU experience. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers. VCU is a great place to work. It is a place of opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

The Partnership for People with Disabilities was founded in 1985 to build a world where all people can live, learn, work, and play together. We’re based at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, serving as Virginia’s only University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities or UCEDD (www.vcu.edu/partnership). 

The Partnership is leading Project AWARE Virginia, a five-year initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focused on strengthening comprehensive school mental health systems. We are seeking a dynamic LEA Project Manager to serve as the local Project AWARE lead in New Kent County Public Schools. Working under the leadership and guidance of the Project AWARE Director at VCU, this position will be based primarily within New Kent County Public Schools and will coordinate the local implementation of Project AWARE. This position will be open rank with an anticipated slotting of Sr. Project Administrator GA 1, Job Code: 19244. 

The LEA Project Manager will work closely with division leadership, school staff, families, youth, community behavioral health partners, and the VCU Project AWARE team to build upon existing strengths, identify needs, align resources, and support the implementation of a sustainable, comprehensive school mental health system within the division’s existing multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS).

-Coordinate day-to-day implementation of Project AWARE within New Kent County Public Schools.
- Work under the leadership and direction of the VCU Project AWARE Director to ensure local implementation aligns with project goals, objectives, and grant requirements.
-Serve as the primary local point of contact between the school division and the VCU Project AWARE team.
-Collaborate with existing division and school-level leadership and implementation teams to align Project AWARE activities with division priorities and existing initiatives.
-Coordinate Project AWARE professional learning and implementation activities.
-Facilitate collaboration among schools, families, youth, community behavioral health providers, and other community partners.
-Support resource mapping, needs assessment, implementation planning, and continuous improvement activities.
-Coordinate family and youth engagement activities.
-Coordinate with community behavioral health partners to strengthen referral pathways and access to services.
-Collect and monitor required implementation data and progress toward division goals and action plans.
-Support the development and implementation of division sustainability plans.
-Participate in Project AWARE statewide learning opportunities, meetings, and communities of practice.
-Coordinate local advisory activities and facilitate cross-sector collaboration.
-Communicate implementation progress, emerging needs, successes, and barriers to the Project AWARE leadership team.
-Perform other Project AWARE-related duties as assigned by the VCU Project AWARE Director.

Location and Travel:
This position is assigned to New Kent County Public Schools and will primarily work within the division. Local travel among New Kent schools and community partner locations is expected, with occasional travel for statewide Project AWARE and required SAMHSA activities.

This is a full-time, on-site position based within local school systems. Given the nature of the work, every effort will be made to align the employee's work schedule with the assigned school system's calendar, including holidays and scheduled school closures, to the extent permitted by VCU policies and operational requirements. Specific scheduling arrangements will be determined in coordination with the employee's VCU supervisor.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

-  Master’s degree in education, counseling, psychology, social work, school administration, public health, or a related field.
-  Minimum of two years of experience working in K–12 education.
-  Experience coordinating school-based programs, projects, or initiatives.
-  Strong project coordination, communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
-  Knowledge of K–12 school systems and ability to work effectively with school personnel, families, and community partners.
- Experience using data to monitor progress, inform decision-making, or support continuous improvement.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Experience supporting school mental health or student behavioral health initiatives.
- Demonstrated knowledge of comprehensive school mental health systems.
- Experience with Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
- Experience coordinating or implementing systems-level initiatives within K–12 settings.
- Experience collaborating across schools, families, community behavioral health providers, and other community organizations.
- Experience with implementation, continuous improvement, or systems change.
- Experience coordinating professional learning or capacity-building activities for educators or other school personnel.

Salary Range: $73,000 – $78,700

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: Yes

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Kim Dupre
Contact Email: duprekm@vcu.edu