Manager, Programs (Next Generation)

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k match

Paid time off

Hybrid work schedule

Flexible work policies

Job summary

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation in New York, NY seeks a Manager, Programs (Next Generation) to drive program delivery for the Next Gen portfolio and ensure operational excellence. The role manages key systems, coordinates across grantees, and represents the program externally.

Cross-functional collaboration with Communications, M&E, Policy and Legal teams is essential, with a strong emphasis on research, strategic planning, and relationship management in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.

Qualifications

• Six (6) or more years of experience in program or project management.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Familiarity with CRMs and website management systems.
• Ability to forge productive working relationships with managers and colleagues at all levels.
• Experienced researcher with strong analytical skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Experience in communications or public affairs, or cross‑functional work with communications teams.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear messages.
• Demonstrated interest in fiscal policy.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and manage multiple projects.
• Proactive, with urgency and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Growth mindset.
• Excellent oral and written communication with editing and proofreading skills.
• Creative and strategic thinker with intellectual curiosity.
• Flexibility and adaptability; comfortable with ambiguity.
• In-person presence in accordance with hybrid schedule (Mon/Tue/Thu in office).

Responsibilities

• Manage key grantee and vendor relationships; track objectives and progress.
• Coordinate across Peterson departments (Communications, M&E, Policy, Legal, Grant Operations, Finance).
• Coordinate grantee collaboration and working group activities.
• Evaluate programmatic outcomes; manage assessments, renewals, and learning processes.
• Establish and maintain rapport with grantees.
• Support the communications plan and keep the website up-to-date.
• Develop impact matrices and measurement plans; track KPI achievement.
• Support CRM utilization and ongoing development.
• Plan and execute program events, conferences, and convenings.
• Support grant and vendor contracts and compliance processes.
• Collaborate with legal on participant information and disclosures.
• Ensure deadlines and timelines are met.
• Contribute to strategic planning and follow-up documents.
• Research trends and opportunities; draft concepts and recommendations.
• Draft executive memos and research reports as needed.

Skills

CRM familiarity

Relationship building

Analytical skills

Written communication

Project management

Research skills

Public affairs experience

Message simplification

Deadlines & multitasking

Growth mindset

Oral communication

Creative problem solving

Ambiguity tolerance

In-person hybrid schedule

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM software

Website management systems

Job description

Skip to content Home About the Peterson Foundation Careers Careers: Manager, Programs (Next Generation)

Careers: Manager, Programs (Next Generation)

LOCATION: NEW YORK, NY

About the Peterson Foundation

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation ("Foundation") is working to secure a healthy, growing economy by addressing America’s long-term fiscal and economic challenges. The Foundation partners with leading decision-makers in government, policy, academia, media, business and issue/constituent groups to build support for solutions to put America on a sustainable fiscal and economic path. As a non-partisan organization, the Foundation engages in grant‑making, partnerships and research to educate and involve Americans from a variety of perspectives.

Department Summary

The Programs Team develops and implements strategic programs and initiatives, collaborating across the organization and with external partners and grantee organizations to advance the Foundation’s mission in both traditional and emerging areas of engagement. The team manages grant‑making portfolios and identifies, funds and scales new ideas and approaches to achieve organizational goals. The Programs team also oversees two major programmatic portfolios: Next Gen Leaders and Effective Democracy.

• The Next Gen Leaders portfolio carries this work into the future through the Up to Us Leadership Network, the nation’s leading talent pipeline for fiscal leadership. By equipping college students with advocacy, policy, and leadership skills, the Network prepares the next generation with the tools and community to address the nation’s long‑term fiscal challenges.
• The Effective Democracy portfolio strengthens policymaking and institutions by supporting secure, transparent, and trustworthy election administration and equipping elected leaders with the knowledge, skills, relationships, and political space needed for collaborative, solutions‑oriented policymaking.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director, Programs, and working in coordination with the Senior Manager, Programs, the Manager supports program implementation for the Next Gen portfolio and drives operational excellence. This role is responsible for maintaining key systems day‑to‑day, managing program delivery across select grantees, and maintaining our CRM system. The Manager collaborates with cross‑functional teams and represents the Next Gen program in selected external settings.

This role is cross‑functional and interdisciplinary, involving a blend of grants, partnerships, and internal efforts. Key responsibilities include:

Up to Us Leadership Network — Grant Support

• Support the management of key grantee and vendor relationships and day‑to‑day operations with a detailed focus on tracking program objectives, deliverables, and progress across the Up to Us Leadership Network external partners and internal Foundation teams.
• Collaborate across Peterson Departments (Communications, M&E, Policy, Legal, Grant Operations, Finance).
• Support the coordination of grantee collaboration and working group activities.
• Evaluate programmatic outcomes, including managing assessments, renewals, and learning processes.
• Establish and maintain excellent rapport with grantees.

Up to Us Leadership Network — Project Management

• Communications: Support the management of the communications plan, including ensuring the website is up‑to‑date and in‑line with overall strategy.
• Metrics and Evaluation: As needed and relevant, support the development of impact matrices and measurement plans; track data collection processes and KPI achievement.
• CRM: Ensure CRM utilization and maintenance standards and support ongoing development of the system, as needed.
• Program Events: Support the planning and execution of program events, conferences and convenings.
• Grant and Vendor Contracts: Support grant compliance materials and facilitate the approval process.
• Legal: Support collaboration with legal team on participant information collection and disclosures, trademarks and other issues.
• Time Management: Ensure deadlines are met and project timelines established.

Research and Ideation

• Contribute to strategic planning for programs, track internal brainstorming, and draft follow‑up documents concerning recommendations, action plans, processes, and updates.
• Research and synthesize trends, gaps and opportunities for engagement and intervention and assist in developing concepts and strategic recommendations.
• Draft executive memos and research reports to communicate findings and recommendations, as needed.

Requirements

• Six (6) plus years of experience in program or project management, professional services or related area.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Familiarity and comfort with CRMs and website management systems.
• Ability to forge productive working relationships with managers and colleagues at all levels.
• Experienced researcher with strong analytical skills and impeccable attention to detail.
• Experience in communications or public affairs, or in working cross‑functionally with communications colleagues.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and transform complicated issues into understandable messages.
• Demonstrated interest in fiscal policy.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and have the organizational skills to prioritize and manage numerous projects at once as they evolve and change.
• Demonstrated ability to be proactive, take initiative, have a strong sense of urgency, and thrive in a fast‑paced and entrepreneurial environment.
• Growth mindset.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with clear, concise, and accurate writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• A problem solver with critical, creative, and strategic thinking and intellectual curiosity
• Flexibility, adaptability, patience, and comfort with ambiguity.
• This role requires an in‑person presence in accordance with the organization’s hybrid schedule of working in the office three days per week (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday).

Salary and Benefits

We anticipate that the starting base salary range for this position will be $95,000 to $110,000, plus eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus. A final decision on the successful candidate’s starting salary will be based on a number of factors, such as skills, experience, qualifications, education, and the location in which the job will be performed. In addition, we offer an extensive benefits package to support our employees, including comprehensive health insurance, a substantial 401k match, paid time off, a hybrid work schedule and other flexible work policies.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply to our organization. We offer a welcoming community that respects each individual and fosters a diverse set of experiences, perspectives, skills and ideas. We are committed to building a workplace in which every team member can thrive personally and professionally and contribute to our mission.

Careers

We seek employees who are creative and motivated, and who share our commitment to addressing our nation's most pressing challenges.

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