Tutoring Program School Onboarding/ELA Specialist - Austin Area

Job Profile: Tutoring Program School Onboarding / ELA Specialist – Austin Area
Job Title: Tutoring Program School Onboarding / ELA Specialist – Austin Area
Company: Papaya Tutor
Service Location: Austin Area
Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Annual Salary: $50,000–$65,000 USD base + performance bonus (first-year earnings target: $80,000+ USD)

About Papaya Tutor

At Papaya Tutor, our philosophy is simple: “Do what you can, in your position, to make a difference.” Our mission is to innovate to empower students through high-quality, accelerated learning for all. We aim to be the number one choice for school tutoring, creating a future where every student has fair access to personalized learning and the tools they need to thrive.

We connect students with exceptional, often bilingual tutors to offer personalized support that breaks down socioeconomic and linguistic barriers. If you are passionate about educational equity, bilingual support, and helping districts meet STAAR goals, this is your place.

Position Summary

We are seeking a proactive, organized School Onboarding / ELA Specialist with a deep passion for education to join our team in the San Antonio area. This role is fundamental to the success of our school partnerships.

You will be the bridge between Papaya Tutor and the schools — ensuring a smooth onboarding experience, strong communication with administrators, and high-quality ELA virtual instruction support for our tutors and campuses. The ideal candidate has experience in school-based programs (Teach For America, ACE, City Year, instructional coaching, or campus intervention roles) and thrives in a dynamic environment that combines implementation, fieldwork, and instructional support.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead the Onboarding Process

• Manage the end-to-end integration of new schools into Papaya’s tutoring program.
• Serve as the main point of contact for your assigned campuses.
• Ensure a positive, organized, and timely experience from day one.

2. Planning and Coordination

• Work directly with principals, interventionists, and coordinators to design the implementation schedule.
• Define tutoring days/times, student groups, and teacher participation.
• Align tutoring with campus goals (MTSS, Tier 2/Tier 3, SSI, TELPAS, STAAR).

3. Logistics and Preparation

• Oversee all logistical aspects for each launch: rosters, tech access, parent letters, campus testing days, and substitute plans.
• Ensure schools have the right devices, headsets, rooms, and supervision.

4. Technical Assurance

• Confirm that all students and teachers have access and connectivity to the platform.
• Troubleshoot basic issues on-site and escalate complex ones to Support/IT.

5. Relationship Building

• Build strong, trusting relationships with school and district staff in Partnetship schools and surrounding districts.
• Represent Papaya in a professional, student-centered way.

6. Field Visits

• Travel regularly to assigned schools to oversee implementation, model sessions, support coordinators, and collect feedback for continuous improvement.

7. ELA Program Support (NEW)

• Support the improvement of Papaya’s virtual ELA program by:
• Reviewing and helping adapt ELA/reading lessons to Texas standards (TEKS, STAAR RLA).
• Supporting tutors with strategies for vocabulary, comprehension, writing responses, small-group ELA instruction, and EL/bilingual learners.
• Creating or curating quick “plug-and-play” ELA lessons, exit tickets, and reading passage activities to increase instructional quality across tutors.
• Providing feedback loops to the Academic Team on what campuses need (ex: RLA, reading fluency, 6–8th writing, TELPAS-style tasks).
• Joining virtual sessions occasionally to observe and coach tutors on engagement, pacing, and ELA-specific best practices.
• Helping align tutoring to district curriculum maps, benchmarks, and STAAR goals so we can show growth to principals.

Candidate Profile (Requirements)

• Mission-Driven Experience: Experience in education-focused organizations (Teach For America, instructional coach, reading interventionist, bilingual/ESL support, after-school or academic support programs) is highly valued.
• Academic Background: Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• ELA/Reading Instruction Knowledge: Familiarity with Texas ELA/Reading standards, STAAR RLA, and/or literacy intervention for upper elementary and middle school is a plus.
• Passion for Equity: Commitment to serving students in under-resourced schools and linguistically diverse communities.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple campuses and launches at once.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong communicator — comfortable talking to principals, teachers, and IT staff.
• Autonomy and Resilience: Able to work independently, make decisions, and problem-solve in the field.
• Local & Mobile: Must reside in the San Antonio area and be able to travel frequently to schools. Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.

Working Conditions and Compensation

• Salary: $50,000–$65,000 USD base, depending on experience.
• Performance Bonus: Additional bonus based on KPIs (campus onboarding success, tutor readiness, attendance, ELA quality metrics, renewal support). Target first-year earnings: $80,000+ USD.
• Schedule: This is an exempt role. Expect higher commitment (up to ~50 hrs/week) during launch/STAAR seasons.
• Training & Probation: Role begins with an intensive 2-month training period (paid) to learn Papaya’s systems, tutoring model, and ELA framework. Continued employment is based on successful completion.
• Growth: Opportunity to grow into Regional Academic Lead, District Success Manager, or Program Operations Lead as Papaya expands in Texas.

How to Apply

If you are passionate about bringing high-quality virtual tutoring to Texas students and want to help strengthen our ELA program, send your resume and a brief cover letter explaining why you connect with Papaya’s mission to hhrr@papayatutor.com with the subject line:
“School Onboarding / ELA Specialist – Austin Area”

Job Type: Full-time

Base Pay: $50,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Teaching: 2 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• San Antonio, TX 78213 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• San Antonio, TX 78213: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 50% (Required)

Work Location: In person