Program Manager

Position Description/Mission:

The Program Manager plays a crucial role in planning and delivering innovative, tailored workforce and career readiness programs. This position will assist with program conception and planning and be responsible for implementation, participant support, event and session planning, and other broad administrative duties. Moreover, the Program Manager will contribute to budget creation, collaboration with various internal and external stakeholders, and program assessment and evaluation. Finally, the Program Managers will ensure the steady and continuous adherence of all programs to TWC’s values of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in a way that enhances participants’ experience, learning, and workforce readiness.

TWC is a majority remote organization: for most employees, employment with TWC will not be contingent on physical presence in an office space. However, TWC does have some physical space in Washington, D.C. This is a hybrid role expected to work in Washington DC regularly.

TWC will not sponsor an employment visa for this position at this time.

Program Management, Administration, and Assessment

• Oversee and actively manage the administration of a portfolio of short-term and/or semester-long TWC programs.
• Manage all components of in-person or virtual program delivery including but not limited to session design and facilitation, speaker outreach and coordination, room/space reservations, and materials creation and distribution.
• Manage program budgets, track and submit program expenses including the vetting of external contractors and contributors, and report budgetary constraints to the Director of Programs.
• In collaboration with the Senior Manager of program Innovation, create tailored sessions, workshops, learning experiences, educational pathways, and/or curricula that align with program goals.
• Work with the Data Strategy and Governance Lead to administer all program assessments and evaluations. Schedule and collaborate on data-driven post-program debriefs and compose program reports when necessary.
• Develop a communication plan for program participants. Engage with participants via Canvas and other available technological platforms before their arrival and throughout the program.
• When applicable, review and grade assignments, deliverables, and other educational milestones.
• Incorporate DEI strategies and themes into program delivery by ensuring a diversity of speakers, vendors, external contributors, and educational sources. Monitor and assess the experience of BIPOC and other participants of marginalized backgrounds.

Participant Support and Conduct

• Serve as first point of contact for all program participants and support participants’ experience throughout the duration of the program.
• When applicable, assist program participants address/solve issues that arise at their internship sites. In collaboration with the Employer Relations Managers, identify “points of friction” and conduct targeted mediations between participants and their internship site supervisors.
• Assist participants in finding accurate information about the program and TWC through support, problem solving, and liaising with the appropriate internal staff member.
• Work with Director of Programs to manage participant conduct issues in adherence to TWC’s code of conduct.
• Advise, guide and/or mentor participants on issues pertaining to professional development, career readiness and design, navigating the workplace, and much more.
• Utilize data and best practices to implement support systems for participations of marginalized backgrounds.

Other Responsibilities

• Collaborate with key staff to create program goals, strategize learning pathways, identify internal and external stakeholders, conduct targeted outreach, and more.
• When needed, provide information, case reports, and timelines about participants to other TWC departments including Housing & Community Life, Recruitment and Admissions, Employer Relations, Finance and others.
• When possible, collaborate with Housing and Community Life and/or Senior Manager, Alumni Engagement to leverage the wider TWC community

Required Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.

• Master’s degree required
• 1-3 years of experience in educational or workforce readiness program management. Proven experience with session design, facilitation, and/or training.

Preferred Education/Qualifications and Experience:

• Knowledge of best practices in career readiness education and professional development
• Some experience with advising, coaching, or mentorship

Competencies required to perform the job successfully

• Communication/Interpersonal Skills
• Customer Satisfaction
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Initiative
• Self-awareness
• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Understanding of trends pertaining to one or more of the following: workforce readiness, college-to-career pipelines, the future of work, or experiential education.
• The ability to own the full scope of a program and contribute from program design to administration.
• Skilled team player with the ability to collaborate with colleagues to achieve program goals.
• Ability to manage and oversee multiple programs simultaneously while meeting program goals, timelines, and budgetary constraints.
• An understanding of the basic tenets of, and a commitment to, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the ability to demonstrate DEI in future work.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

The Washington Center’s Values guide our mission work in every regard–internally and externally.

• Equity & Inclusion
• Learning
• Connection & Collaboration
• Integrity
• Impact

Equipment Used to Perform the Job which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position: 

• Cloud-based technologies 
• Standard office equipment including a computer,
• Job-related software

Additional Information - We Take Care of Our People

Our Mission is to create flexible, immersive pathways to enhance the pipeline of diverse talent and build more equitable, inclusive workplaces and communities. Whether you’re looking to launch a new career or grow an existing one, TWC is the type of organization where you can balance rewarding work with a great life. Your age is only a number. It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of college or your children are; we need you for what you can do to better the lives of students.

We strive to have parity of benefits across the organization and while regulations differ from place to place, we believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do.

• Competitive pay based on your experience
• Health coverage for you and your family in all locations
• Ability to work in a remote or hybrid environment
• Generous number of vacation days each year with company closure that last week of the year between Christmas and New Year
• Half Friday’s day restoration and development
• One day per year use toward volunteer projects you love
• Embracing parenthood with a max of 15 extra days of parental leave
• Recognize all Federal Holidays

Physical Abilities are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of this job. These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The Washington Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is TWC's policy to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Provisions in applicable laws providing for bona fide occupational qualifications, business necessity, or age limitations will be adhered to by the organization where appropriate. 

  The Washington Center stands in solidarity with all marginalized communities. We believe communities are strengthened by the inclusion of and equity for all people. Racism, hate, and violence have no place in our society, and we condemn all such acts. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist and anti-hate organization. 

  We commit to continuously striving for diversity, equity, and inclusion through ongoing education, reflection, and awareness. As an organization nearing five decades in existence, we recognize we have work to do. At The Washington Center, each person brings unique and varied lived experiences that inform our thoughts, actions, and decision-making processes. We aim to create an inclusive, safe environment for our staff, students, and all stakeholders, where everyone’s differences are honored, every perspective is valued, and everyone is safe to bring forth their authentic selves.