Project Manager/Consultant – Student Information System transition

(Temporary, grant-funded position beginning December 2018)

Independence Mission Schools (IMS) is a non-profit network of schools re-envisioning urban Catholic education in and around the City of Philadelphia.  Our schools have been beacons of hope for families from all faiths for generations.  Located in neighborhoods that have historically been underserved by other schooling options, IMS schools offer a faith-centered and academically rigorous alternative for our families.  Today, IMS serves almost 5,000 pre-K to 8th grade students across 15 schools where our team works tirelessly to prepare our students for world-class high schools and Heaven.    With strong Catholic culture and financials as a foundation, IMS is focused on creating a system of Catholic schools where academic rigor thrives, and where our schools play an important role in transforming our communities.

This project aims to provide support to schools and IMS central office through the initial phase of implementing a new Student Information System (SIS) across all 15 schools.  In Fall of 2019, IMS plans to utilize a new SIS, transitioning from its existing system to a fully integrated system that will help its schools advance strategic academic priorities. 

A high-quality SIS is a crucial tool in further advancing the IMS organizational mission to transform

young lives through education. By determining the best SIS product and then utilizing it networkwide, IMS will be able to leverage student data more effectively to better serve its students. A solid platform will allow IMS central to integrate and analyze data and help drive academic resources and supports to its 15 network schools in targeted and strategic ways. This will ultimately result in more cohesive, data-driven instruction, supports for IMS teachers, and the ability to produce

holistic reports on student performance for further analysis. 

This individual, in consultation with key members of IMS central leadership, will help lead the

implementation of the chosen SIS from January 2019 through June 2019 with an ultimate goal of

full roll out by Summer 2019, pending recommended timeline and approved plan.

Qualifications: IMS seeks candidates who have a demonstrated track record of the following skills and beliefs:

• Passionate belief in the mission of Independence Mission Schools.
• Extensive project management experience, ideally in IT or the education field/industry
• Ability to build relationships and trust quickly with school leaders, vendors, and central office staff.  Excellent skill in listening and understanding the perspectives and needs of diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent organization, time management, and follow-up skills; high sense of urgency; demonstrated ability to successfully handle multiple projects concurrently; ability to work independently.
• Ability to quickly understand, synthesize, and analyze data and information to inform a project plan, including the ability to adjust course quickly as new information arises