THE ROLE
The Senior Program Manager manages HomeWorks' Program Department, leading the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of scholar programming. Grounded in HomeWorks' mission and Theory of Change, this role develops meaningful learning experiences that foster critical thinking, identity development, leadership, and scholars' connections to their communities.
As the sole staff member within the Program Department, the Senior Program Manager is responsible for both program planning and hands-on execution. This includes researching and developing HomeWorks' four-year curricular framework, designing and facilitating programming, coordinating volunteers and external partners, managing program operations, and evaluating program effectiveness. The Senior Program Manager works closely with other departments, particularly Residential Life and Academics, to integrate programming into the overall scholar experience and prepare staff and facilitators to deliver it.
Working closely with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and organizational leadership, the Senior Program Manager translates organizational priorities into departmental plans, manages day-to-day implementation, and provides recommendations to strengthen curriculum, program quality, and scholar learning experiences.
Program Planning & Department Management - 20%
- Develop and implement annual departmental plans aligned with HomeWorks' mission, Theory of Change, organizational priorities, and SMART goals.
- Track departmental performance indicators to assess program implementation and scholar learning outcomes, using data and feedback to identify areas for improvement.
- Develop departmental budget proposals, monitor program expenses, and manage spending within approved budget allocations.
- Maintain departmental systems for project management, documentation, data tracking, and reporting, including Asana and Salesforce.
- Participate in cross-department planning and relevant leadership meetings, providing updates on departmental progress, challenges, outcomes, and recommendations.
Curriculum Design, Development & Facilitation - 35%
- Research, design, and develop HomeWorks' Identity-Driven Leadership (IDL) curriculum and enrichment programming, aligned with the organization's Theory of Change and scholar learning outcomes.
- Research and apply educational theories, pedagogical approaches, and youth development practices to strengthen curriculum design and promote critical thinking, inquiry, and active learning.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of HomeWorks' four-year curricular framework, including core programming areas, scholar competencies, learning outcomes, and annual scopes and sequences.
- Develop lesson plans, facilitator guides, activities, reflection tools, and supporting materials to translate curricular goals into scholar learning experiences, maintaining organized and accessible curriculum resources.
- Design and coordinate enrichment opportunities, including field trips, guest speakers, workshops, internships, and community engagement experiences that support curricular goals and scholar interests.
- Directly facilitate scholar sessions, workshops, and other program activities as needed, using engaging, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate facilitation practices.
- Support consistent facilitation practices by providing Residential Life staff, volunteers, and external facilitators with training, materials, guidance, observations, and feedback.
- Evaluate curriculum and enrichment programming using scholar feedback, facilitator observations, participation data, and learning outcomes, incorporating findings into future program design.
Program Operations & Implementation - 30%
- Develop and maintain the annual program calendar and block schedule in coordination with Residential Life, Academics, and other relevant departments.
- Develop and manage project plans for departmental programs and initiatives, outlining deliverables, timelines, responsibilities, and key milestones.
- Coordinate program logistics, including facilitator schedules, materials, space reservations, transportation, permission forms, purchasing, and communication with relevant stakeholders.
- Manage the day-to-day implementation of scheduled programming, addressing challenges and coordinating with other departments to ensure activities run effectively.
- Ensure program activities follow HomeWorks' scholar safety expectations, risk-management practices, organizational policies, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Maintain program attendance, participation, and implementation records, and develop procedures and workflows to support departmental operations.
Volunteer & Community Partnership Engagement - 15%
- Maintain and strengthen external partnerships that support HomeWorks' curricular priorities, scholar development, and program needs.
- Coordinate with Residential Life, Academics, and Operations on core program partnerships, including mental health services, tutoring, and transportation, to support program alignment, scheduling, communication, and evaluation.
- Recruit and build relationships with tutors, guest speakers, facilitators, community organizations, and external partners who contribute to scholar programming.
- Manage volunteer screening, onboarding, orientation, scheduling, and placement in accordance with organizational policies and requirements.
- Prepare volunteers and external facilitators to lead programming by providing training, materials, guidance, and ongoing support.
- Maintain volunteer and partner records, gather feedback, and identify opportunities to strengthen engagement and collaboration.
What Success Looks Like In The First Year
In the first year, the Senior Program Manager will have strengthened the planning, implementation, and evaluation of HomeWorks' programming while making meaningful progress in curriculum development, enrichment opportunities, and departmental systems.
Program Planning & Department Management
- Develop and implement departmental work plans aligned with HomeWorks' annual SMART goals and organizational priorities.
- Track and report on program implementation, scholar participation, and learning outcomes to inform departmental planning and improvements.
- Manage program expenses within approved budget allocations and maintain organized departmental projects, documentation, and data in Asana and Salesforce.
Curriculum Design, Development & Facilitation
- Make substantial progress in developing priority components of HomeWorks' four-year curricular framework, including scholar competencies, learning outcomes, and progression across grade levels.
- Develop and implement annual curriculum scopes and sequences, lesson plans, and supporting materials for priority programming.
- Research and incorporate pedagogical approaches that promote critical thinking, inquiry, reflection, dialogue, and active learning into curriculum and facilitation practices.
- Prepare staff, volunteers, and external facilitators to implement programming through training, materials, guidance, and feedback.
- Collect and analyze scholar feedback, participation data, and learning outcomes to identify opportunities for curriculum improvement.
Program Operations & Implementation
- Successfully plan and implement priority departmental initiatives, including Justice Learning, field trips, guest speakers, internships, community engagement experiences, and Summer Bridge.
- Maintain a coordinated annual program calendar and block schedule, with clear project plans, timelines, and responsibilities.
- Maintain accurate program participation and implementation records, with documented procedures for recurring program operations.
Volunteer & Community Partnership Engagement
- Maintain effective coordination and communication with Residential Life, Academics, and Operations for core program partnerships.
- Strengthen relationships with existing program partners and coordinate volunteer and external facilitator engagement for priority programming.
- Identify and develop partnership opportunities that expand scholars' access to enrichment, leadership, and community engagement experiences.
THE PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
HomeWorks operates an after-school boarding program during the academic year, with scholars participating in structured programming, enrichment activities, and academic support afterschool.
The Typical Programming Schedule Runs From Mondays - Thursdays
Time
Activity
3:45 - 5:30PM
Scholar Programming & Enrichment
5:30 - 6:30PM
Dinner
6:30 - 8:30PM
Study Hall & Tutoring
The Senior Program Manager is primarily responsible for designing, coordinating and implementing programming during the 3:45 - 5:30PM block, working closely with the Residential, Academic, and Enrollment & Engagement departments to ensure alignment across the scholar experience.
THE TANGIBLE GOODS
- Location: Lawrence/Trenton, NJ
- Typical Working Hours: HomeWorks Trenton values work-life integration and is working towards establishing this culture, through actively fundraising for a bigger team, automizing procedures through AI and building culture around our values. However, as a grassroots non-profit startup with a small team, we are realistically still working long start-up hours, and there will be weeks where you are expected to work longer hours and have availability to work evenings and weekends as necessary.
- Salary range: $70,000-$75,000
- Benefits:
- Medical, Dental, Vision
- 401(k) plan
- Life Insurance
- Long-Term Disability
- Employee Assistance Program
- Paid Time Off: 10 days
- Winter Break Organization-Wide Closure: Approximately 8 additional paid days off during HomeWorks' annual winter break closure
- Professional development and leadership growth opportunities
- A rewarding career that positively impacts our amazing scholars
- Start Date: January 4, 2027
- Application Link: https://form.jotform.com/262917034623153
