Director Of Technology
AnnieCannons is seeking a Director of Technology to take on an exciting opportunity to grow and support our Coding Training Program. The successful applicant will have a keen understanding of the technology field as well as methodologies for technical training. The Director of Technology will support our instructors develop curriculum and craft new ways for evaluating and updating our curriculum. Additionally, this position will help oversee our engineering managers and product managers who build and maintain software for experiential learning opportunities for our students.
The ideal candidate will have a passion for our nonprofit mission and our aims to grow our programs to serve more survivors. They are up-to-date on trends in the industry and can help continue to elevate our training. They are collaborative, driven, and enthusiastic about setting up structures and campaigns to help scale our work and support our staff. They are a strong communicator who can balance empathy and accountability in interactions and expectations. They will be committed to strengthening the impact of our programs and maintaining relevant, robust performance metrics that bolsters the sustainability of the organization.
Who We Are
AnnieCannons is a nonprofit organization with a mission to train, prepare, and connect individuals who have experienced human trafficking to sustainable careers in tech. Our training program is designed to economically empower survivors through in-demand technology skills training, job readiness support, and work pathways into the technology industry. We believe that by linking survivors to meaningful careers and incomes, they will have the means to gain economic power, achieve financial independence, and permanently break the cycle of poverty and vulnerability that leads to exploitation.
In 2023, we launched our redesigned coding training program that is 100% remote and offered at no cost to our students. Our modular course design gives students the critical agency they deserve to move between classes of their choosing at their own pace. Our team and our students are spread across the continental U.S. and enjoy both synchronous and asynchronous scheduling and collaboration.
What You Will Do
The Director of Technology may be based anywhere in the United States or its territories, reports to the CEO, and is responsible for the following:
Leadership
- In partnership with the CEO and the training team, set program strategies and plans to ensure training goals are achieved.
- Support the development of new modules, projects, and learning pathways for our students.
- Work with the CEO and the Director of Development to communicate key program updates for external stakeholders.Â
- Oversee the growth of technical partnerships with organizations who are supporting AnnieCannons activities.
Curriculum Development and Teaching Methodologies
- Identify the learning needs and goals of the target audience and analyze existing curriculum materials and resources.
- Define clear learning objectives and outcomes, and help to build appropriate instructional methods and strategies.
- Work with our instructors to create and gather educational content relevant to today’s technology market, and ensure content aligns with curriculum objectives and standards.
- Develop assessment tools, and assessments align with learning objectives and provide fair evaluations.
- Consider pedagogical approaches, such as active learning, group work, and pair programming in the context of online learning.
- Collect and incorporate feedback from educators, learners, and stakeholders.
- Ensure that the curriculum is inclusive and culturally responsive, taking into account diverse learner backgrounds and needs.
Technical Oversight
- Support product management staff in developing project plans, timelines, and project priorities that allocate resources effectively.
- Monitor project progress and milestones, and implement project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum).
- Oversee the engineering process to ensure high-quality deliverables.
- Mitigate project risks and resolve issues as they arise.
- Implement quality control and testing processes.
- Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies.
- Evaluate and recommend new tools and technologies for engineering projects.
- Help to design and implement experiential learning opportunities for students in advanced classes.
Personnel Management & Professional Development
- Supervise technical teams to ensure central strategy is implemented and achieved
- Create individualized professional development plans for the program team (e.g. teaching instructors, engineering manager, product managers) and help each team member to improve skills, build capacity and enhance their performance.
- Organize regular program meetings, training, and designated opportunities to build capacity and grow skills for individual and group team members.
- Ensure all team members adequately understand program goals, work toward established objectives and meet milestone timelines.
Who You Are and the Keys to Success
To be successful in this job, you will excel in four areas:
Leadership and strategic planning experience and skills
- Strategist’s mind: You quickly grasp the subtleties of complex issues and identify patterns in challenges. You come up with insightful, pragmatic, equitable, and sustainable ways to tackle common challenges and produce positive change. You have a successful track record of taking a concept from idea to implementation.
- Vision and goal setting: You adapt to the evolving needs of the organization and think 3 (or 30) steps ahead to develop solutions that achieve goals in their realm.
- Innovative and resourceful: You consistently overcome challenges and leverage resources to creatively solve problems. You propose solutions to issues without much guidance (but aren’t afraid to ask questions). You proactively ask for help, anticipate problems, and course-correct where needed.
Technical skills and capacity
- Field experience: You have experience developing web applications and mobile applications. You are strongly proficient in JavaScript, Node.js, and the browser, with an understanding of the React.js framework, current web technologies, API systems, and RESTful backend web systems.Â
- Management experience: You have provided support for engineering team members that requires a combination of technical knowledge, leadership skills, and project management expertise to ensure the successful execution of engineering projects and the development of a highly effective engineering team.
Training experience
- Curriculum development: You have developed learning objectives, lessons, projects, and/or a technical curriculum, or created and evaluated materials for training developers.
- Teaching experience: You have experience teaching adult learners or coaching and mentoring junior engineers. You understand and can explain complex programming topics and theories to beginners in an easy-to-learn manner.
Subject Area Knowledge and Understanding
- Knowledge and familiarity with equity and inclusion principles: You recognize ways that race and other identities intersect in the work, especially with communities we serve. You are comfortable talking about identities such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, or gender in plain, specific terms. You understand the historical context for racial inequity and its present-day implications.
- Familiarity with the implications of human trafficking: You are able to articulate the implications of human trafficking on individuals and the subsequent barriers they experience. You are willing to promote survivor safety, stability, support, agency, and identity through our messaging and partnership building.
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence: You are able to reflect on and describe the impact of one’s own identities - and those of others - in a given situation, decision, or process. You can demonstrate awareness of growing edges and are able to hear, reflect, act on, and learn from feedback about identity and equity.
What Else You Should Know
This is a full-time remote position. The beginning salary ranges from $85,000 to $92,000, with exact salary depending on experience. AnnieCannons offers excellent benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage; a retirement savings plan; a generous leave policy; and a community wellness program.
AnnieCannons is an equal opportunity employer who celebrates and promotes diversity, with a commitment to an inclusive and respectful environment for all. We make a particular effort to recruit and encourage candidates to apply who have been affected by human trafficking or exploitation or are at greatest risk of being trafficked including Black, Indigenous, and people of color; queer, transgender, and nonbinary people; and people with disabilities.
We also strive to ensure that our hiring process meets your needs. If there are accommodations that would help you, please email  jobs@anniecannons.com [1].
