Program Director (New York)

Are you ready to directly impact the lives of first-generation college students and champion economic mobility for all?

America Needs You (ANY) fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students. We do this by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development. ANY operates sites in New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. Visit www.americaneedsyou.org to learn more information.

The ANY Fellows Program is an intensive two-year program for high-achieving, low-income, first-generation college students. The program has four components: intensive career development, one-on-one mentorship, robust networks, and holistic support. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and California in 2016, growing from serving 50 students to nearly 600 students annually. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a new virtual program designed to help 10,000 first-generation college students navigate their careers. Visit https://americaneedsyou.org/firstgenu/ to learn more.

New York Program Director

(full-time, hybrid, based in New York City, NY)

Are you ready to directly impact the lives of first-generation college students and champion economic mobility for all?

About Us

Did you know that only 21% of low income, first-generation college students in the U.S. graduate within six years? Those who do graduate have a median household income 27% lower than their peers. While there are a multitude of college access programs for high school seniors and job assistance programs for low-wage earners, there are few programs that ensure first-generation students stay in school and build the skills necessary to prepare for long-term careers. This is where America Needs You (ANY) comes in. ANY fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012 and in Illinois in 2015, growing from serving 50 students to nearly 600 students annually. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a new virtual program designed to help 10,000 first-generation college students navigate their careers. Visit https://americaneedsyou.org/firstgenu/ to learn more.

Position Description

The NY Program Director will be a key leader on the management team and an integral player as ANY continues to strengthen its growth strategy in New York. The NY Program Director will be responsible for maintaining program quality, its proven effectiveness, and short-term impact outcomes.

The NY Program Director will supervise a program team of full-time Career Success Coordinators and manage a cohort of 300 Fellows – low-income first-generation students and their respective Mentor Coaches. The Director will lead the program team to ensure achievement of all programmatic goals; manage tracking and analysis of program data; drive programmatic strategy and development; support foundation grant reporting; and collaborate on business engagement and strategic partnership initiatives. The Director will manage will lead the Mentor Coach Recruitment process for the NY site. The Director will help develop and maintain formal partnerships with colleges, universities, and corporations with the aim of securing recruitment and in-kind support.

The NY Program Director reports directly to the NY Executive Director. The position is based in New York and is currently hybrid, requiring in-person attendance at the office at least once a week, in-person attendance at monthly Saturday workshops, and in-person attendance at other work-related events/meetings, as needed. The NY Program Director will drive all programmatic outcomes, increase the number of Fellows served and ensure program goals below are met:

1. Workshop Attendance (80%)
2. Annual Student Internship Attainment (90%)
3. Transfer Rate (95%) from Community Colleges
4. Match Retention (75%)
5. Fellow Program Persistence (90%)
6. Fellow College Persistence (90%)
7. Fellow and Mentor Coach Recruitment (150-170 Fellows and 150-170 Mentor Coaches a Year)

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Is committed to ANY’s mission of supporting ambitious, first-generation college students
• Possess facilitation, advising, career counseling and event planning skills
• Is passionate about improving outcomes for first-generation college students

We Offer:

• A warm, collaborative work environment with a rich culture of support and feedback
• A generous benefits package (health/dental insurance, 403(b), FSA, four weeks' vacation, etc.)
• Connections to an expansive professional network

Key Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision to a team of full-time Career Success Coordinators and manage a cohort of over 400 Fellows and Mentor Coaches
• Ensure quality and consistency of the program’s services and deliverables
• Manage the Fellow recruitment and internship processes while developing and maintaining formal partnerships with colleges, universities, and corporations in partnership with the NY Executive Director
• Manage/support Mentor Coach Recruitment and collaborate with the national staff on volunteer recruitment, engagement, and management
• Ensure workshops and other events run smoothly and create a positive and challenging learning environment for Fellows and Mentor Coaches
• Manage the team’s preparation for Saturday workshops; facilitate workshops, as needed
• Manage all aspects of Fellow experience including application and selection, onboarding, matching, program tracking, case management and dismissals/re-matching
• Identify high-impact engagement opportunities for external stakeholders and coordinate guest speakers and panelists, liaising with the National Development and Communications teams as needed
• Collaborate with the NY Executive Director to grow formal partnerships with colleges, universities and corporations to secure recruitment and in-kind support (such as use of facilities for workshops)
• Work with the National Program Director to ensure compliance with quality standards as it relates to curriculum, program operations and data
• Research internships and communicate opportunities to current Fellows
• Ensure that all partner recruitment events, and internship opportunities are marketed to NY Fellows
• Enable Career Success Coordinators and Mentor Coaches to prepare Fellows for internship placements
• Work closely with the Development team to provide internship data/updates to corporate partners and donors
• Ensure effective use of the New York team budget and identify in-kind support opportunities
• Additional projects and duties as determined

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 3-5 years of people management experience required
• Excellent project management skills and comfort in balancing multiple priorities and deliverables effectively
• Leadership presence and the ability to mobilize small and large groups to action
• Results-oriented with a commitment to outcomes-driven performance
• Outstanding relationship management skills and ability to communicate and work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including college students, volunteers, university partners, and corporate supporters/internship providers
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (strong proficiency with Excel required) and knowledge of web-based and social media technologies
• Excellent public speaking, writing, and editing skills
• Strong background in career development and mentoring, and corporate training experience working with college-aged youth preferred

To Apply

Please apply here and submit a cover letter and a resume. Please note that your application will not be considered without a cover letter. No phone calls please.

Salary for this position is in the mid-$70k range, commensurate with experience.