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Associate, Programs

Role Summary:

Forward is seeking an early-career operational specialist who is passionate about building and leading strong operational systems in a mission-driven context. This person should reside in Arkansas, expect a hybrid work setting, and occasionally travel in-state, including to rural and Delta regions, to fulfill program roles and responsibilities.

About Forward Arkansas:
Forward Arkansas (‘Forward’) is committed to reimagining learning to improve all students’ outcomes. By supporting great teachers and leaders in developing and scaling innovative practices, Forward aims to help all kids achieve success in the classroom, career, and life. As a statewide education nonprofit, Forward works to accelerate the transformation of Arkansas’s PreK–12 system, helping partners bridge the gap between policy and implementation to ensure excellent outcomes for every student. Founded in 2014 as a public-private partnership between the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Arkansas State Board of Education, Forward recognizes that lasting educational change must be built alongside, not just for, the educators, families, and communities across the state. Over the past several years, Forward Arkansas has grown its credibility, sharpened its strategic focus, and established itself as a trusted, nonpartisan partner to the Arkansas Department of Education, state leaders, school districts, educator preparation programs, and philanthropy. Forward Arkansas operates as a nimble, high-impact intermediary with a focused core team augmented by project leads, fellows, coaches, and national consulting partners, successfully harnessing grassroots innovation to deliver statewide systems change.

About the Programs Team:
The programs team at Forward is responsible for the development, execution, planning and leadership of all Forward programming, which has included cohorted communities of practice, convenings, web-based offerings, and other programs supporting teachers, schools, districts, and education preparation programs across the state. Our current and recent cohorts have focused on Outcomes Based Contracting, Creating Conditions for Learning Success, and Educator Preparation Transformation. You can learn more about some of the programs Forward has launched here.

About the Role:

Exceptional candidates should be energized about and skilled in the following competencies:

Operational Excellence

  • Manage all operational systems and execute on operational tools relative to the work of the Programs team
  • Leverage strong instincts about operational solutions in the programmatic context, and take initiative to roll out and manage those solutions

Administrative Expert

  • Leverage technical expertise in Google Suite (required)
  • Comfortable acting as a key administrative support in meetings (tracking tasks, embedding learnings in our ecosystem, processing next steps, etc)
  • Exceptional candidates will also have technical skill and background in Salesforce, Constant Contact, and Asana
  • Technical curiosity about emerging technologies or tools that could strengthen Forward’s work and impact

Collaborative Teamwork

  • Act as a team player, being quick to respond and solutions-driven when thinking about operational supports for programmatic work
  • Influence others and manage up to ensure operational tasks are not stalled and barriers are addressed
  • Support the seamless execution of virtual and in-person convenings, webinars, and gatherings

Solutions-Driven Problem-Solving

  • Demonstrate a willingness to learn, grow, and develop in technology tools
  • Proactively support programmatic work through key operational functions (back-end event support, drafting communications, managing file systems and communications channels, etc)
  • Track progress, updates, and dependencies across multiple priorities, with an eye toward prioritization and “keeping the main thing the main thing”

Who You Are

Highly qualified candidates should have:

  • 1-3 years of operational experience preferred
  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Content knowledge relevant to Forward’s mission and vision preferred (educational or nonprofit background)
  • Technical expertise in Google Suite (required)
  • Technical expertise in Salesforce and Constant Contact (strongly preferred)
  • Technical skill in task management tools or systems and other efficiency-driving technology tools

Additionally, candidates who would thrive in this role are:

  • Exceptional task managers who have strong personal organization systems
  • Comfortable operating in ambiguity and moving nimbly between priorities
  • Focused on finding solutions to complex challenges
  • Confident influencing others and managing up to support completion of next steps
  • Seeing all the threads across various priorities and keeping a pulse on what’s most critical in the moment
  • Proactive doers who love checking off a checklist

All Roles at Forward Require:

  • Commitment to improved educational outcomes for students in Arkansas
  • Deep alignment to Forward’s mission and vision
  • Willingness and ability to travel throughout the state (and occasionally nationally)
  • Residency in the state of Arkansas
  • Authorization to work in the United States

Application Process:

  • Applications will be accepted HERE and reviewed on a rolling basis beginning on April 20, 2026, and the role will remain open until we have extended an offer.
  • While the entire process is subject to adjustment, applicants should expect at a minimum: an initial screening conversation, a group interview with members of the Forward team, and a 1:1 conversation with the Senior Director, Programs.

Compensation and Benefits

  • Compensation for this role is expected to range from $60,000 - $70,000. Final compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience. The position also includes a comprehensive benefits package.

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