We Are Hiring: GiGi University Instructor

If you are interested in this position please email your resumé to our Executive Director, Veronica Cruz, [email protected]

Founded in 2003, GiGi’s Playhouse Inc.’s mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome and send a global message of acceptance for all.  We profoundly change lives through national campaigns, educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community.  All programs are free and are therapeutic or educational in nature. Each one of our programs is designed to work on specific skill development, including speech and language, literacy, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills.  GiGi’s Playhouse currently has over 60 locations across North America and is growing by several locations annually.  

Job Description

The GiGi U Program Instructor facilitates the implementation of the GiGi University program at the playhouse, which includes directly supporting 8-12 individuals with Down syndrome leveraging the career program philosophy of “Confident U. Healthy U. Whole U,”. The GiGi University Program Instructor ensures these programs operate effectively and also engages with the community to increase acceptance, opportunities, and career success for adults with Down syndrome.  Effective operation of the programs includes making sure they are properly staffed with skilled and trained volunteers. The instructor must create and follow structured curricula that provide a high quality, outcome-driven program according to the program model developed by the National Program Team.  A flexible schedule is a must, as the GiGi U Program Instructor may need to work on lesson plans and data collection outside of program hours. 

Goals of this role include: 

• Continually increase the number of families served in GiGi University 

• Maximize measurable achievements and progressions through GiGi U as measured by participant progress trackers and assessments. 

• Maximize progressions on the learning certifications for individuals in GiGi U by supporting participants’ development of skills and abilities. 

• Showcase the skills and abilities of our adult participants in the community. 

Reports To: Executive Director

Location: Role is 100% in-person at our Southfield Location

Essential Job Functions:

GiGi University  

• Assist parents, caregivers, and applicants in understanding the application and selection process, and guide families into the program most aligned with their skills and motivations. 

• Manage alongside the program director the interview and selection process for accepting new students into the program, providing feedback to applicants and insights into the decision process. 

• Facilitate the instruction of GiGi U working directly with participants to build individual development plans and overseeing skill development throughout the program.   

• Plan and execute end of session celebrations after every session, continually assessing students with program trackers.. 

• Program Planning, Quality Control, and Continuous Improvement 

• Develop and implement lesson plans across a range of subjects, including communication, nutrition, and other adult daily living skills. Demonstrate the ability to adapt and differentiate instruction to meet the diverse learning needs, abilities, and goals of program participants. 

• Train, manage, and support program volunteers to ensure they are executing the program with high fidelity and quality. 

• Work with director of programs to define long term (6-12 months) program plan, including key dates, targeted attendance, and volunteer needs for each session of each career development program. 

• Build relationships with and communicate progress and expectations with participants’ parents and caregivers regularly. 

• Help ensure the Playhouse operates per Standards of Execution for Programs, continually striving to achieve Center of Excellence status. 

• Properly maintain the Playhouse’s career program resources in the portal and Playhouse drive. 

• Program Data and Impact 

• Ensure proper documentation and tracking of all volunteer hours, program participation hours, and program impact results, progress trackers, and certifications, including reporting on trends. 

• Report on the impact of programs for donors, and marketing purposes, through aggregated participant progress data, success stories, and powerful pictures of programs in action. 

Competencies:

The GiGi University Instructor must enjoy working within an entrepreneurial environment that is mission-driven, results-driven and community oriented.  The following competencies describe the ideal candidate: 

• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.  

• Leadership: Includes staff and key volunteers in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; takes responsibility for subordinates’ activities; makes self-available to staff. 

• Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively and professionally with families, participants, local and national office staff, board members, committee members, volunteers, and donors. Ability to work collaboratively within the community; expand networking opportunities for GiGi’s Playhouse.  Exhibits good listening and comprehension. 

• Communication Exceptionally strong written and oral communication skills with ability to express ideas and thoughts verbally; writes clearly and inspirationally; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; keeps others adequately informed; selects and uses appropriate communication methods.  

• Initiative:  Proactively anticipates needs and works to solve issues before they arise.  Takes prompt action; is a total self-starter. 

• Planning /Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes daily program volunteer tasks; develops realistic action plans. 

• Problem Solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Resourceful; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics considering all perspectives.  

• Adaptability and Calm Under Pressure: Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation and gives feedback to program coordinator; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events. Maintains stable performance when under heavy pressure or stress.  

• High Standards:  Expects personal performance to be exceptional; improves processes to continually improve operations. Applies all standards of GiGi’s Playhouse including using person first language. 

• Use of Technology: Adapts to new technologies; Demonstrates required skills; Keeps technical skills up to date.  Troubleshoots technological problems; Uses technology to increase productivity. 

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Education and/or Experience:  At least three years of relevant educational instruction experience and/or training.  

• Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, compose and interpret instructions and complex correspondence.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints.  Ability to effectively present information to top management and/or boards of directors. 

• Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should be very comfortable using a broad array of programs, including advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote).  Ability to work proficiently in (or quickly learn) a database program (Salesforce) to manage interactions and transactions. 

• Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to walk; sit and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to stand; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include ability to adjust focus. 

• Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This is an in-person position. 

GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values:

GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the following core values: 

• Enthusiasm:  Bringing positive, high energy to our work 

• Best of All:  Always looking to improve in all that we do.  Challenge yourself every day. 

• Get It Done:  Making things happen and blasting through barriers when needed; figure it out. 

• Believe:  Believe in ourselves, believe in our mission, believe we can achieve all that we set out to achieve 

• Locally Concerned, Enterprise Minded:  To best serve our local communities, we share our location’s best practices and have the humility to leverage the collective learnings from across the GiGi’s network. 

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

If you are interested in this position please email your resumé to our Executive Director, Veronica Cruz, [email protected]