Program Manager for the Software Preservation Network

Full-time, Remote Position
Term: Start date through December 2025, with possibility of extension
Responsible to: Educopia Co-Director Jessica Meyerson, SPN Coordinating Committee
Compensation: $75,000/annually
We have determined the compensation for this position based on parity with similar roles and what SPN’s budget can support at this time. Therefore, we are not able to negotiate compensation. This position is a 1099 contracted position guaranteed through December 2025. Assuming that SPN’s revenue goals are reached in 2025, this position would continue, and be given the option to transition to a W2 employee with benefits at that time. Please consider whether you are comfortable with the terms and compensation level provided prior to applying.

Job Description:

The Software Preservation Network (SPN)* is a coordinated, distributed effort to ensure long term access to software through community engagement, infrastructure support, and knowledge generation. SPN is a member-funded, fiscally sponsored program of Educopia Institute. As full-time Program Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring that all program activities are advancing SPN’s mission and vision. Core responsibilities of the SPN Program Manager include: day-to-day operation and management (e.g., project management, scheduling, partnership and contractor point of contact, approving invoices, communication with members, facilitation); leading and monitoring ongoing member engagement and recruitment; coordinating strategic planning and results-based accountability in partnership with community leadership and broader membership; ensuring regular updates to policies, procedures, and standards in accordance with program goals and objectives; and clear and consistent reporting to membership. 

*The Software Preservation Network is a fiscal sponsee of Educopia

The Program Manager will support and develop this dynamic community of practice as it expands its member offerings to include the EaaSI (Emulation as a Service Infrastructure) Research Alliance. This role is perfect for someone that is passionate about equity in digital preservation, community-owned infrastructure, and co-designing effective systems for shared accountability.

2024-25 areas of focus for the SPN Program Manager include:

  • Improve on existing and design additional policies & processes to effectively support the activities of SPN working groups and committees; strengthen capacity to actively engage existing member organizations and to onboard new organizations to SPN membership
  • Co-design and implement a strategic communications plan for SPN to engage a much broader and more diverse set of organizations in software preservation
  • Co-design and oversee a thoughtful and effective membership recruitment campaign for SPN and the EaaSI Research Alliance
  • Work closely with SPN leadership regarding development of and updates to community bylaws, workflows, and policies  
  • Co-design of goals, key measures, and timelines for the integration of the EaaSI Research Alliance into SPN’s existing portfolio of activities

The Program Manager will be highly self-directed, and comfortable managing a portfolio of competing priorities. The Program Manager will support the coordination of SPN’s working groups, interest groups, and strategic partnerships. The Program Manager may also co-lead or help to coordinate multi-organizational research projects. This position requires a dedication to responsible management of schedules and scope, values-driven and data-informed approaches to decision-making, clear and consistent communication with stakeholders, and a commitment to anti-oppressive facilitation. 

We are excited about applicants that share our deep belief that racial equity and social justice are important, and will be committed to their personal equity journey in addition to helping lead SPN on its equity journey. We expect all candidates to demonstrate empathy and intentionality in their interpersonal communication.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Partner with SPN Coordinating Committee to develop annual strategic goals and facilitate annual assessment of the community’s efforts based on specific objectives and key results
  • Participate as a key member of the EaaSI International Alliance Subcommittee of the SPN Coordinating Committee to determine key goals for the integration of the Alliance as a program of SPN
  • Help to oversee and facilitate SPN community leadership transitions and elections
  • Co-design and oversee the launch of a strategic and sustained SPN membership recruitment campaign
  • Onboard and offboard SPN members 
  • Manage, in partnership with SPN’s Co-Treasurers, annual community budget planning, month-to-month financial management, and quarterly community budget reporting to membership
  • Cultivate and support (e.g., consultation, facilitation, scheduling, resources) working groups and interest groups within SPN that engage members in ongoing research, development, and documentation
  • Stay informed and up-to-date on: alignment and facilitation tools and techniques; trends in the information landscape likely to exert force for change within collectives and organizations; research on group dynamics, organizational development, social learning & group sensemaking, and decision making; participatory action/community-based research tools and approaches
  • Edit and publish regular content updates to the SPN website
  • Provide quarterly overview reports to the community
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with SPN strategic affiliates
  • Coordinate the work of contractors that provide support for SPN activities (e.g., website hosting and development, marketing and strategic communications, law and policy consultation)

Qualifications:

  • Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree preferred but not required
  • Experience in design, coordination, and facilitation of complex multi-stakeholder engagements, research projects, and/or communities of practice 
  • Demonstrated success in completing day-to-day administrative tasks while tracking/advancing toward long-term strategic goals 
  • Experience with project management tools such as Asana, Airtable, Confluence, and Jira
  • Commitment to the personal and professional work of acknowledging systems and modes of interaction that have caused harm, predicting potential future harms of our practices and approaches, and proactively shifting those practices and approaches in order to cultivate trust and mutual respect among staff, clients, and partners
  • Skillfulness setting and regularly communicating explicit, realistic expectations based on known information and available capacity
  • Skillfulness at anticipating challenges,risks, or potential harms and proactively communicating both the challenge/risk and proposals for addressing them
  • Comfort working on a remote team
  • Knowledge of opportunities and challenges pertaining to software preservation and born-digital access in education and cultural heritage organizations
  • Knowledge of and experience with governance modeling, sustainability planning, theory of change development/logic modeling, strategic planning, program evaluation, group visioning and/or recalibration of mission-vision-values
  • Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills 
  • Curious and willing to research and constantly learn

Compensation

Compensation is $75,000/year, to be invoiced monthly. Because this position is a 1099 contractor, benefits are not provided. As stated at the top of this job posting, if SPN meets its projected revenue goals in 2025, this position would continue past December 2025 and have the option to shift to a W2 employee with benefits at that time. 

The person hired in this role will also be provided with a one-time technology stipend up to $2,000 to set up their remote workspace.

Application

Please submit the following materials to hr@educopia.org:

  • Current resume
  • Cover letter that directly connects your past experience and interests to the responsibilities and qualifications of the SPN Program Manager position description and qualifications
  • 3 professional references (name, relationship, email, phone number)

Timeline

We will begin reviewing applications on Monday, September 30, 2024 and we will continue to welcome applications until the position is filled.

Work Environment

SPN and Educopia are geographically distributed teams, and this position will work remotely. SPN is an international community of practice and therefore this role will require scheduling flexibility in order to meet synchronously with members in varying time zones across the globe. Daily communication is done via Slack, Zoom, GSuite, and email. 

About Educopia

Educopia’s long-term mission is to connect diverse knowledge communities with resources, power, and each other. Through pursuit of this mission, Educopia is helping to shift the information landscape towards equity, interdependence, and alignment for greater impact. Educopia’s primary areas of activity include applied research, fiscal sponsorship, and consulting. For more information about our organization, please visit http://www.educopia.org.

Educopia Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer, Educopia welcomes all qualified applicants. We also believe that traditional hiring and recruitment practices disproportionately impact the most marginalized people in society in negative ways, including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, trans and intersex people, people with disabilities, immigrants, and LGBTQIA people. Because we believe that collective action is most powerful in creating change when it is informed by many different lived experiences, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.