Careers
The I’m Determined Center is building a powerhouse team of professionals who will elevate our work and expand our impact.
What We Do
We design experiences that empower youth to embrace their strengths, cultivate self-determination, and make a lasting impact on the world.
How We’re Structured
The new I’m Determined Center is structured into two complementary teams: Implementation and Innovation. The Implementation team ensures the effective application of proven strategies, providing direct support to educators, students, and families that sustain and grow the practices associated with self-determination. The Innovation team explores new ideas, emerging technologies, and creative approaches to expand and enhance self-determination initiatives.
Together, these teams create a dynamic synergy—forming an infinity loop where innovation fuels fresh possibilities that are tested and refined for implementation, while successful implementation informs and inspires future innovations. This continuous cycle ensures ongoing growth, adaptation, and lasting impact.
About Us
We believe in:
- Centering Youth Voice – Students are not just learners, they are leaders. Their ideas, choices, and agency shape our work.
- Filling Your Cup First – Serve and love yourself so you can bring your best to the work and those around you.
- Adaptive Agility – Embrace change with flexibility, responsiveness, and a solutions-focused mindset.
- Innovation that Fuels Action – Bold ideas drive implementation, and implementation fuels bold ideas—continuous improvement is our norm.
- Competence, Autonomy, and Relatedness – Learning thrives when students and educators feel skilled, self-directed, and part of a supportive community.
About You
We are seeking dedicated professionals who:
- Amplify Youth Stories – Share the voices and journeys of our students through media, resources, and in-person events, making their impact visible.
- Support Families as Guides – Provide care, resources, and encouragement so families can confidently support their children’s growth.
- Empower Educators to Innovate – Give teachers the freedom and tools to reimagine learning and help students build self-determination.
- Believe in Self-Determination – See the world through self-determination-tinted glasses where opportunities for high levels of competence, autonomy, and relatedness thrive.
- Measure What Matters – Track and showcase the real outcomes of self-determined students in creative and meaningful ways.
Open Positions
Associate Director of Implementation
The Associate Director of Implementation will oversee the state-wide development of implementation strategies to sustain and grow student self-determination. This role will lead the implementation team, collaborate with school divisions across Virginia, develop strategies for engagement with educators, youth, and families, and identify new opportunities for self-determination practices.
Regional Ambassador (5 positions)
Regional Ambassadors will serve as I’m Determined’s primary connection to school divisions. They are responsible for building and sustaining relationships while promoting self-determination practices at the regional level. Our Regional Ambassadors will support youth leadership, provide implementation guidance, and offer proactive solutions to the needs of educators and students.
One Regional Ambassador will serve each of the following five regions: Central, Coastal, NOVA, Valley, and Southwest. If you are familiar with Virginia’s Superintendent Regions, here’s how it lines up:
- Region 1 & 8 = Central
- Region 2 & 3 = Coastal
- Region 4 = Nova
- Region 5 = Valley
- Region 6 & 7 = Southwest
Ambassador: Youth Leadership Developer (2 positions)
The Youth Leadership Development Ambassador’s role is to organize youth leadership activities, support the I’m Determined Youth Leaders, and manage evaluation data from youth leadership and self-determination activities. This role also involves building relationships with families to help them support their youth’s self-determination and leadership growth.
Ambassador: Media Strategy and Development
The Media Strategy and Development Ambassador will lead multimedia projects to showcase the impact of self-determination. They are responsible for collaborating with other ambassadors to produce videos and online media resources that communicate the importance of self-determination by highlighting research findings, success stories, and the voices and experiences of Virginia’s youth.
Ambassador: Communication Strategist and Content Creator
The Communication Strategist and Content Creator Ambassador will develop an integrated website and social media strategy to enhance user engagement, encourage creativity, and support self-determined practices. They are responsible for managing and promoting I’m Determined resources, creating campaigns to highlight self-determination, and developing communications plans for outreach to schools, families, and communities.
Ambassador: Research Coordinator
The Research Ambassador will analyze and research longstanding I’m Determined practices and translate them into practitioner-friendly resources. They are responsible for leading research design, coordinating research projects, and engaging with youth, educators, and families to highlight the impact of self-determination in education.
Fiscal Technician
The Fiscal Technician will monitor activities and track costs for the multiple grant awards that the Virginia Department of Education has provided the I’m Determined Center (IMD Center). They are responsible for the accurate disbursement of funds, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and grant guidelines.
All I’m Determined Center positions are considered Administrative & Professional (A&P) Faculty positions, except Fiscal Technician, which is regarded as Classified staff.