Position Summary

Are you an instructor who thrives in a collaborative and inventive environment?  Do you emphasize real-world experience and practical knowledge in your teaching?  Are you excited about preparing adults for meaningful careers in a high-demand industry?

Just A Start is seeking a Business Communications Instructor for our adult career training programs.  This is a part-time, contract role for the 2024-2025 academic year, with possibility of renewal, with 14-17 hours per week (12-14 hours of instruction, both online and in-person, 1-2 hours of meetings, 1 hour paid prep time), paid at $58 per hour.  Paid course development time is also expected before classes begin.  The ideal candidate will be a seasoned communications educator with ESL experience, a commitment to experiential learning, and comfort teaching adults from a wide variety of backgrounds.

The Business Communications course develops the communication and study skills students need to successfully complete our adult career training programs.  The course reinforces vocabulary and concepts taught in students’ other courses and helps to prepare students for their future careers. 

Course topics include effective writing in the business environment, critical thinking, oral communication, presentations, study skills, and technical vocabulary, as well as English language grammar, punctuation, and conversation practice for students from a non-English speaking background.  There may be additional opportunities for paid group tutoring sessions outside of normal class time to focus on foundational English skills and conversation practice, depending on availability and need.

Program Background

Just A Start’s mission is to promote equity by creating access to stable housing and building pathways to economic opportunity.  The Biomedical and Information Technology Careers Programs, offered out of our Workforce Development (adult career training) office, provide adult students with education and training to obtain entry level positions in biotechnology and the life sciences or IT support.  Students learn workforce skills that are aligned with industry needs, as well as durable (soft) skills that are crucial for success in the workplace.

Classes run five days a week for nine months; each cohort meets online one day per week.  Our students are a diverse group of adults, mostly ages 25-60, who are seeking a stimulating career and financial stability for themselves and their families.  Many are English language learners who completed most or all of their education in their home countries.  Most work at least part-time and care for children and other family members while in the program.

Work Requirements

This is a part-time, contract role for the 2023-2024 academic year, with possibility of renewal, with 14-17 hours per week hybrid remote/in-the-office position.

All employees and long-term consultants are required to be fully vaccinated and follow the organization's established protocols regarding COVID.

Position Details

• Course dates: Fall semester 9/9/24-12/20/24; Spring semester 1/6/25-5/16/25
• Location: Hybrid remote/in-person
• Work Hours: Classes meet Monday-Friday 9am-2pm.  The Business Communications course will fall within this timeframe, with the exact schedule to be determined based on instructor availability and program needs.  Other hours for meetings, prep, tutoring, etc. will be outside of this timeframe and generally flexible.
• Compensation: $58/hour

What You’ll Do

• Teach four sections of Business Communications (18 students each); each section meets 3-4 hours per week in a combination of in-person and online.
• Maintain appropriate classroom management while utilizing a variety of teaching methods and strategies to meet the needs of diverse adult student learning styles.
• Maintain and document lesson plans and assessment tools (exams, quizzes, project/portfolio assignments, etc.) and submit as required.
• Assess students’ learning outcomes and prepare progress reports for all students.   
• Recommend students in need of additional support services and tutoring. 
• Collaborate closely with other teachers and Just A Start staff to ensure that students’ professional skills and communication abilities are aligned with the needs of employers.
• Participate in teaching staff and Workforce Development meetings as required.
• Participate in program development and evaluation activities.

Who You Are and Keys to Success

To be successful in this job, you will excel in four areas:

1. Teaching: You have extensive experience as a communications/ESL teacher and have mastery of a wide range of classroom tools and techniques, particularly in guiding students to apply their knowledge in real-world situations.  You have worked successfully with non-native English speakers and students with learning challenges. You are skilled at keeping students engaged in live online classes.
2. Collaboration: You have collaborated with other teachers across disciplines to establish a shared vision of student success.  You are a team player who can adjust your curriculum to align class topics with students’ other course work when appropriate.  (Note that familiarity with the IT and biotech industries is not necessary in this position; just an openness to incorporating vocabulary and concepts from those areas into your curriculum.)
3. Adaptability: You tailor your curriculum and lesson planning to the particular needs of your students.  You use various teaching modalities to help students master content.  You creatively use differentiated instruction to keep students at different skill levels engaged and stimulated.
4. Cultural awareness and building rapport: You have experience working with underrepresented populations, e.g. immigrants, people of color, and/or individuals with low to moderate income.  You recognize systemic barriers related to race, class, gender, income, age, immigration status, and other identities.  You understand how cultural values can shape experiences in the classroom and the workforce.  You are skilled in making connections with students, other faculty, and staff, and you create a classroom environment where students can support and learn from each other.

Application Process

This position will remain open until filled, but we encourage interested candidates to apply by May 6^th.

• Step 1: Upload your resume and, in lieu of a cover letter*, please upload a 150–250-word statement responding to the following scenario.  A maximum of 45 minutes is anticipated to complete this requirement. 
  • Scenario: You are teaching a lesson on oral presentation skills to a group of students whose fluency with English ranges from native speakers to recent immigrants with intermediate conversational skill.  Briefly describe 2-3 classroom strategies you could employ to keep students at these various levels engaged and actively participating throughout the lesson.

• Step 2: Interview with the hiring manager (45-60 minutes, by phone)
• Step 3: Brief teaching demonstration and interview with Workforce Development staff (60 minutes, in-person) **
  • 15-minute teaching demonstration on a communications topic (detailed instructions provided to candidates who reach this stage)
  • In the interview, we’ll ask about the choices you made in your demonstration and your experience related to the role.  We will leave time for you to ask questions as well.
• Step 4: Reference check
• Step 5: Background check via Checkr

* Please note that a cover letter is not required, though candidates may include one if they choose.  A response to the above writing prompt is required for a complete application.

**We may reach out to candidates after the interviews if there are any clarifying questions before proceeding with the reference check.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in English, Education, or related field
• ESL certification preferred but not required
• Strong understanding of ESL teaching methodologies and best practices
• We expect that qualified candidates will have at least three years’ experience teaching adults, as well as a minimum of three years teaching ESL or communications to any age group.  However, we encourage you to apply if you have developed the “Keys to Success” listed above in other ways.  We especially encourage women, GLBTQIA+, BIPOC, or those with disabilities to consider how they may have developed the skills needed for success in ways other than direct years of experience.

Workforce Development Program Values

1. Student Centered- We center and inform our work with a holistic approach to our students.
   1. Trusting students as the experts in their own lives and supporting students in their version of success
   2. Each program participant is creative, resourceful, and whole
   3. Using a wraparound model of support
   4. Meeting students where they are at in their lives and academically
2. Quality-focused- We develop and continuously adapt our programming, policies and practices using stakeholder input to align with industry needs and standards.
   1. Using economic mobility metrics to set ambitious program outcomes
   2. Industry-aligned curricula
   3. Creating and using internal and external feedback loops
   4. Using data from program participants, industry and community partners to guide program design
3. Relationship-builders- We are committed to fostering meaningful impactful and reciprocal relationships with students, partners, and each other.
   1. Collaborating towards a shared vision of success
   2. Cultivating industry and community relationships that align with our values
   3. Recognizing and elevating the unique contributions of each individual
   4. Using generous assumptions to cultivate trust and connection
4. Learning Community- We view continuous improvement as an essential component of our program model and success.
   1. Embracing discomfort and giving/receiving feedback to identify areas of growth in advancing our goals
   2. Cultivating a growth mindset to learn new skills and think about things from a different perspective for our program participants and ourselves
   3. Advancing team knowledge and skills through trainings, resources, and conversations to sustain best practices

About Just A Start

Just A Start is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Our staff represents a wide range of ages, races, interests, and backgrounds coming together in pursuit of common goals. Together, we strive to provide an environment that values diversity and promotes an inclusive culture.  Applications from women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.