Careers

Position Title: Literacy Manager
FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt
Reports to: Director of Community Impact
Supervises: Reading Mentors, I READ Volunteers, potentially Paid Parent Leaders / Ambassadors

Literacy Manager

Now Hiring: Literacy Manager
Hourly Rate: $24–$26 (based on education and experience) + Full Benefits

Are you passionate about literacy and education? Do you thrive on connecting with people and building community? If you're ready to make a lasting difference in Winnebago County, we want to hear from you.

United Way of Rock River Valley is launching a new role—Literacy Manager—to help lead and expand our efforts to increase childhood literacy across the region. As part of our dynamic Community Impact Team, you'll take the lead in developing and managing a county-wide reading mentor program, building meaningful engagement with parents of young children, and overseeing our rapidly growing book distribution efforts that are transforming home libraries. You’ll also represent United Way at school literacy fairs, book drives, and community outreach events.

This role is hands-on, people-focused, and deeply rewarding. Yes, there may be a box of books to lift here and there—but more importantly, you’ll be lifting up an entire community.

We're on a mission to raise childhood literacy rates in our region from 32% to 75% by 2034. Be part of the team that makes it happen.

To Apply:

Email your cover letter (highlighting how your experience and education align with this role), resume, and three professional references to HR@unitedwayrrv.org.

We can’t wait to meet you—and work together for a brighter, more literate future.

Job Summary

The Literacy Manager is expected to demonstrate a high standard of ethical business conduct, to function with minimal supervision and serve as a core member of the Community Impact team; the Literacy Manager ensures that United Way is fulfilling its focus on literacy initiatives with best practices, building community relationships and engaging stakeholders.

Duties & Responsibilities

Literacy Project Management: The Literacy Manager works in tandem with the Director of Community Impact (DCI) on the “United for Literacy” initiative and any future literacy initiatives. Duties and responsibilities associated with this initiative include:

• Collaborate with all organizations working on this initiative (funded or not) in ways that are determined to have the greatest impact in providing services and effective interventions to enhance literacy for children ages birth to 5 years old
• Develop, with DCI, a reading mentor program that involves Winnebago County schools in partnership with local businesses and/or faith communities.
• Develop, with DCI and consultants, a meaningful way to engage parents of young children as parent leaders to help promote literacy and encourage and support other parents in their role in developing early literacy skills for their children.
  • Literacy manager will manage the team of parent leaders.
  • Literacy manager will, in conjunction with parent leaders, develop the community engagement schedule of parent leaders.
• Oversee affiliate duties for Dolly Parton Imagination Library. These duties include
  • Approving registrations
  • Responding to inquiries by registrants via email or phone
  • Content development of monthly newsletters to DPIL registrants
• Oversee Community Book Donation Drives
  • Work with volunteers to organize and sticker donated books
  • Work closely with community donation organizers
  • Responsible for ‘book fairs’ to distribute donated books back to the community
• Lead efforts in community and school engagement through , but not limited to
  • Literacy fairs
  • Back to school nights
  • Community events
  • Maintaining the calendar of United Way community involvement
• Assist CDI with United for Literacy book distribution programs
   

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, preferred, in a field of study that directly supports the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Skills and Experience:

• Three to five years early childhood/elementary education experience preferred
• Three to five years experience in work that fits the duties of this role
• Ability to work nights and weekends at community events
• Ability to pass criminal background check and fingerprints to work in schools
• Maintain Illinois Mandated Reporter of Child Abuse and Neglect status
• Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality
• Knowledge of trauma informed practices
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• Leadership skills
• Ability to provide consistent and complete communication to ensure stakeholders are informed and engaged
• Proven ability to develop processes and procedures in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions, using creative problem solving for complex situations
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work in order to meet critical deadlines
• Ability to work with diverse groups and personalities
• Requires confident self-expression, impromptu and structured presentation skills

Core competencies:

• Non-Profit Aptitude: Must posess the capability, desire and flexibility to successfully work in the non-profit culture.
• Behavioral Skills: Excellent listening, analytical, conceptual, planning, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Collaborative: Must have the ability to work with and through peers, colleagues and volunteers to get results in a win/win manner.
• Dedication and Drive: A focus on the organizations mission requires dedication and the passion for the mission to fulfill the wide range of management and external commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills: A high degree of interpersonal skills required to smoothly interface and represent UWRRV with numerous constituencies.
• Strategic: Ability to translate the national United Way’s purpose and mission into strategies and plans that fulfill UWRRV’s objectives, and develop strategies and plans that will achieve the short term goals that lead to the long term success of the organization.
• Ethical: Personal values and behavior must be beyond reproach.
• Results Oriented: Well organized, self-disciplined, and able to focus to get the desired results.
• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that positively contribute to the success of the organization, donors, and benefactors.
• Judgment: Ability to assimilate a wide array of information and focus on the key issues. Ability to deal with broad issues and detailed facts.
   

Working Conditions

United Way is the leader and trusted partner in improving lives, tackling key community issues and making the community a better place for all. Work is carried out with the intent of always delivering on the mission of the organization. The environment is generally represented by normal office conditions but can vary with organizational demands.

Physical Requirements:

• Able to lift boxes of books (up to 35 pounds), move them from the ground to shelves, put on carts, lift in and out of vehicles and stack them, as needed. Be able to bend, climb stairs, kneel, push, reach, squat, stand and walk
• Set up display booths at family literacy nights, fairs, etc., and take them back down and load materials in and out of vehicles
• Ability to use your own vehicle for transporting books, attending events, taking supplies to events, etc. You will be reimbursed for all work travel. Must have a valid drivers license and full coverage of vehicle insurance.
• Good vision and hearing acuity (with adaptive aids if necessary)
• Manual dexterity and frequent repetitive hand/arm movements utilizing computer keyboard
• Constant sitting when working on the computer
   

Disclaimers

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. The employee will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by the employee's supervisor.

Requirements are representative of the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to perform this job successfully. The incumbent will possess the abilities or aptitude to perform each duty proficiently.

United Way of Rock River Valley is an equal opportunity employer.