Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for growth, innovation, and transforming the landscape of early childhood education? Acelero, Inc. is looking for a dynamic Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager to drive our mission to eliminate the gaps between young childrens potential and their success in school and life. Why Acelero? Our mission is bold: To design and deliver research and evidence-based approaches to eliminate the gaps between young childrens inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor all of the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve. Our values: Data-Informed Learning; Transparent & Open Communication; Growth Mindset; Championing Equality; Caring Teams & Communities. Your Role: As the Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager, you are critical to ensuring the successful implementation, coordination, and strategic alignment of initiatives within the SPARK Quality Support Center. The Manager is the connective tissue between strategy and execution for the SPARK Quality Support Center. This role ensures projects are aligned, integrated, and implemented with excellence, strengthening day- to-day operations and cross-team cohesion. What Youll Do: Lead project management for strategic initiatives Manage a portfolio of cross-departmental projects identified by the QSC leadership team, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines are met with precision and accountability. Facilitate strategic alignment and cohesion through ensuring initiatives executed by the Coaching and Content teams align with the overarching goals of the SPARK Quality Center, contributing to cohesive and integrated service delivery. Strengthen cross-functional processes by developing, refining, and implementing operational workflows and collaborative structures that enable seamless interaction. Track project milestones and performance indicators; prepare progress updates, reports, and presentations for internal stakeholders and external partners as needed. Analyze and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data from multiple systems and stakeholder inputs to generate clear, actionable insights that guide decision-making and continuous quality improvement across the SPARK Quality Support Center. Contribute to feedback loops by collecting and synthesizing input from various teams and partners; support data integration into ongoing quality improvement practices. Collaborate with systems-oriented managers to ensure project tracking tools, shared resources, and digital systems are effectively utilized across teams. Support efficient allocation of personnel and resources for coaching, training, and content deployment projects; assist in coordinating calendars and collaborative timelines. Facilitate interdepartmental working groups, collaborative planning sessions, and co-working opportunities that deepen integration and peer learning. This includes workgroups, communities of practice, and peer learning circles. Act as a strategic thought partner in designing and launching special initiatives or partnerships identified by leadership. Serve as a communication bridge among project teams, ensuring clear documentation of processes, responsibilities, and decisions. What You Bring: Masters Degree in education, business administration, public administration or related field. Minimum of three years of experience working in educational administration, education or project management; Experience working in early childhood education administration a plus. Physical exam and background checks are required for this position. Travel required locally within the City of Philadelphia up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions. When/Where/How Much: When: January 2026 Where: Philadelphia with 10% travel How Much: The range for this position is $80,000-85,000 Application closing date : January 5th, 2026 Why Youll Love Working with Us: A meaningful mission that drives real change in the lives of children and families A collaborative, inclusive team that values your growth and well-being Robust benefits that support your total wellbeing, including: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance with multiple plan options to fit your needs Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions up to $400/individuals & $800/family annually Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care expenses 401(k) Retirement Plan with up to 3% company match Short-Term and Long-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance Up to $500 per year in Professional Development Reimbursements Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with counseling and mental wellness support Wellness Programs, including virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes Pet Insurance, Legal Assistance, ID Theft Protection, and Employee Discount Perks If youre ready to take on a challenge that matters and lead growth in a company where purpose and values drive every decision, apply now to join us as our next Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager. Together, well help every child reach their fullest potential! We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace. Shine Early Learning is committed to proving that every child can succeed at the highest levels and demonstrating that high-impact, evidence-based approaches can help early childhood programs truly make the difference in a child's life. Shine Early Learning offers dedicated resources and an integrated programmatic approach to help Head Start and early education programs reach their own ambitious goals. The Shine Early Learning approach is developed, implemented, and continuously refined at Acelero Learning, a high-performing Head Start and Early Head Start program serving more than 5,000 children across the nation. Acelero Learning was named an Exemplar Head Start provider by Bellwether Education Partners, a leading education research and consulting firm. Through the implementation of an integrated programmatic approach, Acelero Learning has produced some of the largest child outcome gains ever recorded at an individual Head Start program. Acelero Learning's evaluation study conducted by NIEER show children served for two years make twice the gain of average Head Start participants, as compared to the 2009 FACES data.