Director of Programs

Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 58,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid vacation and sick time

Paid holidays

Job summary

PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND IMMERSION OF REFUGEES (PAIR) is seeking a Director of Programs to lead design, implementation, and evaluation of refugee youth programs across Houston. The role reports to the Deputy Director and oversees managers for Global Learners, Global Leaders, Higher Ed, and Volunteer programs.

The position requires a year-round schedule with some evenings/weekends. The Director will drive program quality, secure resources, and coordinate with grant-writing teams while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience with youth program quality models and best practices.
• Knowledge of or prior work with refugee/newcomer populations preferred.
• Strong written and oral communications skills; proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Experience supervising teams of staff or volunteers.
• Must be willing to travel to school and community sites; own vehicle and insurance required.
• Background check with fingerprints required.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage program models, goals, and quality guidelines.
• Supervise Program Managers and Volunteer Coordinator; provide coaching and performance feedback.
• Coordinate strategic planning, budgeting, and grant reporting; ensure program compliance.
• Collaborate with communications and development teams for stories and grant narratives.
• Monitor program performance using data and coach on improvements; conduct regular observations.
• Foster partnerships with schools, community centers, and funders; communicate progress to stakeholders.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Volunteer management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce

Airtable

Job description

JOB CLASSIFICATION:

Full-time, 40 hours/week

REPORTS TO:

Deputy Director

SCHEDULE:

Mon-Fri, 40 hours/week. Day-to-day schedule may be flexible depending on programming commitments. This position requires occasional evening and weekend work.

OVERVIEW:

PAIR supports refugee youth as they navigate American society, reach their academic potential, and become community leaders.

The Director of Programs sets the vision and strategy for all PAIR programs, ensuring they align with the organization’s mission and contribute to its overall goals.

1. Global Learners: a school-based after-school and mentoring program for refugee and newcomer students attending middle school at one of 4 partner sites in the Greater Houston area.
2. Global Leaders: a school-based after-school and mentoring program for refugee and newcomer students attending high school in one of 3 partner sites in the Greater Houston area.
3. Global Scholars: a community-based mentoring program aimed at increasing graduation rates and post-secondary access for 11th and 12th grade refugee and newcomer students in the greater Houston area
4. Global Ambassadors: a program aimed at increasing refugee and newcomer student post-secondary persistence through individual case management and monthly workshops.
5. Volunteer Program: PAIR requires a team of over 100 volunteer mentors each year to assist in after-school programs, mentor individual students, and act as summer camp counselors.

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director, the Director of Programs is responsible for designing program models and goals, developing program quality guidelines and practices, and overseeing the managers of each PAIR program.

This is a year-round position, starting on October 1, 2026.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Director of Programs will be responsible for the following roles:

Program Design, Management, and Implementation:

• Develop models for each PAIR program, including guiding principles, logic models, and curriculum outlines, ensuring that programs are aligned with PAIR’s mission and values.
• Promote a positive youth development approach in program design and delivery.
• Work with the Program Managers to set yearly goals on program quality, outcomes, and outputs.
• Establish standard policies and procedures for programs, including emergency protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Identify and mitigate potential risks associated with program implementation.
• Ensure program safety for students, volunteers, and staff through process, monitoring, and collaboration with schools.
• Review and update program materials and goals with program managers to ensure effectiveness and update as required each semester.
• Design master program calendar.
• Identify opportunities for program expansion and innovation, staying abreast of trends and best practices in the field.

Administrative & Operational Duties

• Tasks related to scheduling, file management, internal systems, calendars, and day-to-day coordination across teams.

Communications & Marketing

• Collaborate with the program team to collect program photos, success stories, and testimonials from students, volunteers, and staff, for use in PAIR communications and marketing
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure consistent messaging and branding in grant-related communications.

Data, Reporting & Evaluation

• Conduct program quality observations and develop improvement strategies with the input of the Program Managers.
• Create quality frameworks for each program and train program teams on the implementation of the framework.
• Monitor and evaluate program performance, using data to assess impact and identify areas for improvement.
• Visit programs regularly for observations and coaching.
• Secure a “mentoring best practice” culture, guided by MENTOR’s “The Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring” resource.

Finance, Budgeting & Resource Management

• Develop and manage program budgets, ensuring responsible financial stewardship, throughout each fiscal year.
• Review monthly expense reports submitted by the Program Managers.

Grant Writing & Reporting

• Support the development team by providing data and narratives for use in grant proposals, applications, and reports.
• Monitor and evaluate grant-funded programs to ensure they align with the agreed-upon objectives and outcomes.
• Collaborate with program staff to collect data, stories, and impact metrics for grant reporting purposes.
• Ensure compliance with grant regulations related to program delivery and outcomes

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships

• Maintain positive relationships with PAIR’s program partners, including school sites, community centers, and other partners organizations, funders, and government agencies.
• Effectively communicate program progress and impact to PAIR’s Board and key stakeholders.

Strategic Planning

• Serve as a member of the leadership team, contributing to organization-wide strategy and planning.
• Participate in the organization's strategic planning process, providing programmatic input and ensuring that programs are well-integrated with the organization's overall direction.

Supervision & Team Leadership

• Directly supervise and manage Program Managers, including the Program Managers for Global Learners, Global Leaders, and Higher Ed programming; and the Volunteer Coordinator, providing guidance, support, and performance feedback.
• Maintain a regular meeting schedule with direct reports; check in throughout the year on program and professional goals.
• Approve timesheets, mileage reimbursements, and time‑off requests for direct reports.
• Collaborate with the Program Managers to provide training, coaching, and reflection sessions for direct service staff.
• Foster a positive and collaborative work environment for program staff.
• Hire and train direct service staff, with input from the Program managers

Record-keeping and documentation

• Work with the program team to ensure that all required student forms and records are collected and stored safety and confidentially
• Ensure that all student and attendance data is tracked using the Salesforce database
• Ensure that all volunteer data is tracked using the Airtable database

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Experience working or volunteering directly with young adults
• Knowledge of or previous work with refugee and newcomer populations, preferred
• Experience with youth program quality models and best practices
• Experience with logic models and assessment tools
• Experience supervising teams of staff or volunteers
• Experience facilitating community partnerships
• Strong written and oral communications skills and proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, and databases
• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM
• Candidates will be required to undergo a background check with fingerprints
• Must have own vehicle with valid driver’s license and insurance; must be willing to travel to school and community sites and transport students in rented vehicle when needed

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• This position has a starting salary range of $58,000 - $62,000. Starting salary will be determined based on relevant years of experience, qualifications, demonstrated leadership experience, and the scope of prior responsibilities.
• Monthly cell phone stipend of $25 and mileage reimbursement for position-related driving at the federal standard mileage reimbursement rate for required travel in excess of mileage incurred for regular commute
• Full time employees are eligible for health, dental, and vision insurance.Short-term disability and life insurance are paid in full by PAIR on behalf of full-time staff.
• Full-time employees are eligible for twenty-two days of paid vacation time and ten days of sick time annually, and paid organization holidays.