St. Louis Urban Debate League Program Director

Organization Overview

The St Louis Urban Debate League (SLUDL) serves up to 200 middle and high school students and coaches in approximately 15 St. Louis City public schools by providing extra-curricular policy debate programming and debate-related opportunities. SLUDL empowers student debaters by developing skills that enable success beyond the classroom and after high school. With support from the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) and the Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS), SLUDL was founded as an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2008 and will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. SLUDL is preparing to increase SLPS participation and to extend its services to underserved North St. Louis County schools.

Position Overview

The Program Director is responsible for SLUDL’s day-to-day operations and program management with an emphasis on equipping and enabling coaches to run thriving debate programs. With a passion for both competitive policy debate and student and teacher development, the Program Director will advocate for debate among students, coaches and administrators. Flexible enough to evolve with changes in the wider debate culture, the successful candidate will also share SLUDL’s philosophy that debate can and should play an important role in developing student leadership and growth overall.

Job Description

• Plan and execute annual calendar of events, including one to two training workshops, six to 10 tournaments, and professional development sessions and meetings for coaches.
• Identify, develop, train, and mentor coaches making them as self-sufficient as possible.
• Curate and create program resources and curriculum materials for coaches.
• Periodically attend student practices to assess, review, monitor, and/or support coaches.
• Manage coach incentive compensation and stipend payment systems.
• Recruit and train tournament staff, judges, and other volunteers.
• Build and maintain relationships with key players in the debate community such as local colleges, county debate programs, MSHSAA, NAUDL, NSDA Eastern-MO District, etc.
• Communicate with SLUDL’s stakeholders through various channels including social media, web site updates, e-mail blasts, and special events.
• Advocate for debate with principals and administrators to secure school participation.

Qualifications

• A bachelor degree or higher.
• Minimum of two years policy debate experience – as a coach or competitor – preferred. Familiarity with college forensic culture is a plus.
• Experience teaching high school and/or working in an urban education environment is strongly preferred.
• Ability to engage, interact effectively with and earn the respect of all constituencies in the SLUDL community, including district and school leaders.
• Ability to work with students and teachers effectively.
• Working knowledge of SpeechWire tournament software is strongly preferred. Working knowledge of any internet-based software is acceptable.
• Experience in non-profit administration is a plus.
• Superior written and oral skills.
• Ability to think strategically and develop solutions to practical challenges.
• Strong work ethic and ability to follow through with integrity, competence, and the highest ethical standards.
• Collaborative working style and entrepreneurial spirit.

Compensation and Work Conditions

The Program Director will report to the St. Louis Urban Debate League Board of Directors.

Part-time (25-30 hours per week, Aug. through May). Schedule varies throughout the debate season.

The St. Louis Urban Debate League does not provide insurance or other benefits.

Must have dependable transportation and ability to transport equipment and supplies for tournaments. Position requires capability to set up tournament equipment and supplies. Local travel required. Some out-of-town travel may be required.

The St Louis Urban Debate League is an equal opportunity employer.

Ideal start date: By Aug. 1, 2018

To Apply, submit your resume and cover letter to SLUDL@urbandebate.org.