Program Manager Jobs in Montclair, NJ (NOW HIRING)

OVERVIEW:
Reporting to the Director of Program, the Program Manager position is a core component of the Year Up United program. This position is responsible for leading and managing a Learning Community comprised of approximately 40-60 young adults, and professional skills coaches, with the ultimate mission of providing high quality service to the students in the community as they prepare for corporate internships and careers in Year Up-related job fields. The Program Manager serves as a bridge between instruction and real-world performance, ensuring learners are not only learning skills, but consistently demonstrating behaviors that signal workplace readiness. The Program Manager will play a key role in supporting and reinforcing Year Up United's applied learning model, ensuring that learners consistently demonstrate work-ready behaviors aligned to internship readiness. Successful outcomes for this role include maintaining 85% retention during the Learning and Development phase and no more than 10% attrition in the internship phase, student satisfaction with the Program, and 75% full time Year Up job outcomes 4 months after graduation.
To be successful in this role, you will bring excellent communication, administrative, and management skills as well as the ability to interface with students, functional departments, and outside stakeholders as we work to achieve our mission. This position will work with our Academic/instructional staff, Student Services, Operations, Placement Success, and Corporate Engagement departments, as well as all Learning Community members to help provide students with individualized support by addressing challenges and understanding when to leverage other resources.
Program staff are expected to work on-site at least three days per week (Monday - Thursday dependent on job requirements).The Program Manager will also interact with students as a professional skills coach, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in creating and sustaining a positive environment, with trust among students, faculty and staff.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Team Leadership
• Train, lead, support and coach a core team of approximately 10 coaches; coach/train staff on Year Up United's Program model, and key elements such as facilitation, the student contract, and professional skills coaching
• Run weekly meetings with Learning Community staff and participate in staff trainings
• Coordinate efforts and schedules while maintaining a positive group dynamic amongst both staff and students
• Work collaboratively with other Year Up United functions to coordinate support for students and ensure alignment across departments
Onsite Support
The Program Manager will play a critical role in supporting and executing the implementation of operational tasks to ensure seamless onsite activity.
Drive Student Success
• Serve as a role model by reflecting and maintaining Year Up United culture and embodying our values and operating principles while preparing students for corporate internships
• Manage, uphold, and track student contracts in a consistent manner to ensure timely and accurate student payment.
• Work in collaboration with the Placement Success team to coordinate intern performance management
• Oversee student performance to ensure seamless transition from learning and development phase to the internship phase
• Work with the Director of Program to oversee student performance evaluation processes
• Balance serving students and ensuring the overall success of the Learning Community by making appropriate decisions that are both student-centered and in line with our Year Up United's mission, vision and values
• Collaborate with Student Services, Academic staff/instructors, Internship Services, Placement Success, and all Learning Community members to identify and respond to student needs; ensure students receive high quality services and individualized support
• Drive the development and management of individualized student performance/professional development plans in coordination with aforementioned stakeholders to ensure student success
• In our co-located college partnership channel (including but not limited to; the Professional Training Corps), s, build and manage relationships with critical college faculty to align around student performance, academic excellence and ensure that the needs of both parties are met and drive a process to share information on an on-going basis
Learning Facilitator
• Facilitate and support applied learning experiences that help learners practice and demonstrate durable skills such as self-management, collaboration, adaptability, judgment, and professional communication.
• Frame applied learning activities (e.g., project kickoffs, inclusive discussions, reflection prompts) to connect skill practice to real workplace expectations and career pathways.
• Observe and assess learner behaviors using established behavioral indicators, reinforcing expectations around professionalism, accountability, feedback, and decision-making under uncertainty.
• Coach learners to reflect on transferable skills, helping them articulate how their applied learning experiences connect to internship performance and long-term career readiness.
• Partner closely with instructional staff and other facilitators to ensure alignment between applied learning activities, behavioral indicators, and readiness assessments.
• Model workplace norms and professional behaviors, reinforcing expectations through consistent feedback, boundary-setting, and accountability practices.
• Support a gradual release of responsibility, encouraging increased learner ownership, peer leadership, and self-directed problem-solving over time.
Learning Community Management
• Manage the day-to-day and annual operations of the Learning Community, including the calendar, and staff assignments/accountabilities
• Ensure all activities are planned, organized, and executed with high quality
• Plan and run new student orientation; in collaboration with the Admissions team, oversee student transition into the program, coordinate orientation activities and ensure that students become acquainted with resources, staff, and program expectations
• Develop and maintain healthy and high functioning relationships with other functional areas of the organization that are critical to success in serving students
• Represent the Program Manager perspective when working with various functional areas at Year Up United, including but not limited to Enrollment, Placement Success, Corporate Engagement, and other partners.
• Identify students and interns for events; track student involvement with onsite guests, help prepare students for donor/outreach meetings, graduation, etc.
• Collaborate with Development team on stewarding mentor relationships
• Understand learning community-related data and synthesize/report out on trends (ex. contract, student performance)
Learning Community Member
• Serve as a coach for a small number of students
• Participate in and sometimes facilitate weekly group sessions with students
• Participate in staff meetings and trainings
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Previous work in student affairs, first year orientation, college guidance counseling, residence life, multiculturalism/diversity or related higher education roles
• Extensive work with Year Up United's target population in high stakes environments with clear performance outcome measures
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and to administrate multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, prioritizing and delegating as needed
• Interest in working a fast-paced, dynamic, complex start-up and/or entrepreneurial environment
• Coaching ability and high comfort level in having one-on-one coaching conversations with staff and students alike
• Sense of vision, prudence, and purpose using collaborative/servant leadership style to direct the overall vision of team
• Proven ability to make good, proactive decisions in potentially emotionally charged situations and/or in the absence of complete clarity; comfortable taking risks
• Ability to build strong professional relationships with others across the organization
• Sound judgment, maturity and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong background in facilitation of small and large groups
• A passion for working with urban young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up United
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers
Salary Range: $68,000 - $80,000
#LI-Hybrid
WORKING AT YEAR UP UNITED:
Starting January 5, 2026, employees are expected to work on-site at least two days per week (Monday through Thursday dependent on job requirements). To be eligible for employment, candidates must live and work in a state (or an approved proximate state*) where Year Up United operates. For a list of eligible locations, please visit: https://www.yearup.org/job-training/locations
*Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates are: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Year Up United has established salary ranges for each of our sites, which allows us to pay employees competitively, equitably and consistently in different geographic markets. For roles in which the location is listed as flexible, the range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Salary offers take into account a candidate's skills, experience, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.

** This is an exempt role (paid on a salaried basis). **
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Year Up United is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults-no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country-a gap that Year Up United is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up United's intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up United has directly served more than 40,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up United's nationwide presence includes Arizona, Austin, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.
Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up United is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:
Year Up United embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discharge, or discipline, are based on meritocracy. We do not permit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/
Year Up United is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Your recruiter can provide details regarding the expected work environment and any physical requirements. Please let our hiring team know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
TO APPLY:
Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.
We respectfully request no phone calls.