Director role in Washington State
Job Announcement: Director of Program$120-$125K+ annual salary, 40 hours/week
MISSION: Rainier Scholars cultivates the academic potential and leadership skills of hard-working, underrepresented
students of color. By creating access to transformative educational and career opportunities and providing comprehensive
support to scholars and families, we increase college graduation rates and empower new generations of leaders.
ORGANIZATION: Rainier Scholars is a comprehensive academic enrichment program that supports determined
students of color over a 12-year journey – from 5th grade to college graduation. We seek to serve those who are most
underrepresented on college campuses and have the greatest number of barriers to achieving a college education: 85%
qualify as low-income, 90% would be the first in their family to earn a college degree. Our program offers rigorous
academics, leadership development and personalized support for scholars, providing access to educational pathways and a
myriad of opportunities previously unimagined. With a budget size of $5.8 million, a staff team of 40 FTE and over 850
scholars and families whom we currently serve, the Rainier Scholars program has established a positive brand for our
unwavering commitment to education, proven success rate, and sustainable impact.
The Rainier Scholars - Tacoma program launched in late spring 2021 and will officially start serving families and scholars
in the greater Tacoma area in summer 2022. While the Tacoma program shares the same vision and goals as Seattle, the
approach for Tacoma will be uniquely designed for this community. Leading up to our official program start, we’ve spent
several months meeting with 60+ community organizations and leaders across the city, and recruitment is currently
underway for our inaugural cohort. The Director of Programs role will be critical to the early stages of our program
development and expansion.
SUMMARY: This educator role will provide direct support to Rainier Scholars - Tacoma students and their families during
our front-end academic intensive programming. Our Summer Stretch Academies and the school years in between are
designed to prepare scholars to be successful on college prep pathways by 8th grade. Over the course of three summers
and two school years, scholars will engage in roughly 1,000 hours of additional academic enrichment, exposing them to
content 1-2 grade levels above their current grade. The curriculum provides scholars with the opportunity to learn and
practice skills and habits they’ll need to be successful on a college prep pathway, including developing a strong sense of
cultural identity and resiliency. The Director of Programs will help develop and implement the Summer Stretch curriculum
and lead a team of teachers and support staff. As we continue to fill our 12-year pipeline with students and families, the
Director of Programs will oversee all programming along the 12-year continuum.
TO APPLY: Interested applicants should upload their cover letter and resume here, or visit the ‘Careers’ page on our
website (from the main page go to ‘About Us’ then click on ‘Careers’): www.rainierscholars.org. Please specify in your cover
letter how you learned of this position. Open until filled
