Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives

University Of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Michigan seeks a Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives to oversee Wolverine Pathways sites, starting with Grand Rapids and expanding to Saginaw and beyond. You will coordinate site recruitment, curriculum design, and community partnerships while supporting undergraduate mentors and near-peer coaches.

Hybrid work with in-person events weekly, strong communication skills, and the ability to supervise staff across sites are essential as WP grows its southeast region and remote

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 3-5 years of relevant admin/management experience.
• Experience in program management, college advising, mentoring, or youth advocacy.
• Experience with evaluation, surveys, and descriptive analysis.
• Ability to supervise staff and travel to remote sites as needed.
• Ability to work Saturdays and evenings; in-person summer programming.
• Willingness to coordinate with multiple stakeholders (schools, partners).

Responsibilities

• Sustain relations with school partners to execute WP programming.
• Develop and execute student recruitment initiatives in collaboration with school and community partners.
• Manage site admissions and design and implement strategies to retain scholars.
• Coordinate summer curricular and co-curricular offerings for remote-specific programming and educational opportunities, and recruit and prepare instructors, community partners, and WP staff to execute this programming.
• Design and manage annual site-specific orientation and graduation ceremonies.
• Conduct formative and summative assessments to support continuous improvement.
• Lead expansion coordination with on-campus partners (I2A, CEO, Provost's Office, Access and Opportunity, Development).
• Co-lead with the Associate Director two major annual events: Alumni Celebration and Commitment Day.
• Advise for Grand Rapids and Saginaw sites; support remote scholars and staff.

Skills

Program management

College advising

Youth mentoring

Assessment design

Supervisory skills

Spanish language

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

SalesForce

CANVAS

Mail Merge

Badgr

Job description

The Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives (PMSI) manages Wolverine Pathways (WP) Grand Rapids site (currently serving ~25 scholars) and will serve as the primary liaison for sites that are designated as part of Wolverine Pathways' expansion efforts, beginning with the fielding of a site in Saginaw (first class of 20-25 scholars to be admitted in fall 2027). PMSI also assists with executing programming for WP's southeast region, serving as the Associate Director's administrative support for fielding select events and opportunities and supporting the professional development of undergraduates who serve as near-peer mentors for WP scholars.

In managing remote sites, the PMSI's responsibilities entail sustaining robust collaborative relations with school partners; cultivating material and community resources to enable and improve program execution; managing student recruitment and retention efforts; coordinating the content and curriculum for site-specific online courses, residential academic summer camps, and at-site in-person learning opportunities; designing and implementing at-site annual events; serving as the primary advisor for early remote sites (i.e., Grand Rapids and Saginaw); overseeing, mediating, and supplementing the advising of future remote scholars who exceed advising capacity; and executing assessments (formative and summative) to support continuous improvement.

The PMSI also represents WP in routine collaborations with the Center for Educational Outreach (CEO) and Intend to Attend (I2A) to sustain programming at remote sites and to support and evaluate the progress of expansion efforts.

WP seeks a self-starter with excellent written and verbal communication skills and the capacity to engage and collaborate with varied age-cohorts, audiences and constituencies.The ability to attend to detail, plan with clear logic and timetables, and engage in big-picture thinking are also essential, as is the ability to coordinate and supervise the work of others.

With time, experience, and knowledge of WP programming and supervision, PMSI may transition from functional to administrative supervision of the Alumni Relations Fellow and undergraduate staff/near peer mentors central to their administration of duties.

WP is a hybrid work environment with required in-person days weekly, for annual events, Saturday programming, and summer enrichment.

Responsibilities*

Administrative Oversight, Planning, & Management 55% - 65%

Remote Site Management

• Sustain and nurture relations with school leaders, counselors, and liaisons to ensure the effective execution of WP programming
• Develop and execute student recruitment initiatives in collaboration with school and community partners
• Manage site admissions and design and implement strategies to retain scholars
• Manage dis-enrollment and withdrawal processes
• Coordinate summer curricular and co-curricular offerings for remote-specific programming and educational opportunities, and recruit and prepare instructors, community partners, and WP staff to execute this programming
• Design and manage annual site-specific orientation and graduation ceremonies
• Conduct formative and summative assessments to support continuous improvement
• Cultivate community, alumni, and campus partners (including I2A) to help secure resources (e.g., funding, donations, swag) and opportunities (e.g., internships; professional development workshops; supplemental residential and virtual educational opportunities) that would enhance WP programming and scholar engagement

Expansion Co-Coordination

• As primary liaison for WP's expansion efforts, will participate in or represent WP at meetings organized to enable the effective collaboration of on-campus partners (e.g., I2A, CEO, representative from Provost's Office, the area of Access and Opportunity, and Office of University Development) in pursuing a staged and sustainable implementation of WP's expansion efforts

Cross-Site Administrative Support

• Co-lead with the Associate Director two major annual events: Alumni Celebration and Commitment Day

Academic/College Advising and Coaching 25% - 35%

• Serve as the primary advisor for current and emerging sites (Grand Rapids and Saginaw)
• Oversee the primary advising of remote scholars at future sites
• Supplement and extend the coaching and advising provided by college prep instructors, college application advisors, and college essay coaches as needed to maximize college preparation for remote site participants, including meeting one-on-one and in small or large group settings as is appropriate to the needs of the scholar(s) and their families and the grade or cycle of programming/advising
• Support scholars in their educational planning and progress and in identifying and pursuing co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities (within and outside of WP) that capitalize on scholars' interests, inclinations, and ambitions
• Monitor scholars' academic progress consistent with WP's mission and objectives and follow up with scholars and families as needed to ensure WP's receipt of requisite documents for supporting and guiding the college preparation and application process (e.g., academic transcripts, SAT scores, extracurricular engagements, outcomes of advising sessions and next steps)
• Monitor and facilitate scholar referral and utilization of tutoring services

Program Operations & Logistics 5% - 15%

• Provide administrative, planning, and operations support to Associate Director as warranted for designing and facilitating WP programming and developing capacity of undergraduate staff/near peer mentors (i.e., Path Leaders)
• Coordinate transportation and housing/accommodations for WP staff contributing to in-person programming at remote sites
• Manage and supervise the transportation needs and inclusion of all remote scholars participating in WP field trips (e.g., to Dearborn and Flint campuses) and in on-campus day (e.g., 10th Grade College Prep Conference; Themed Conference) and residential opportunities (e.g., Senior Overnighter, I2A coordinated residential opportunities, academic summer camps)
• Additional duties as assigned by the Associate Director to support 7th - 12th programming, including in-person summer programming

Required Qualifications*

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of relevant experience (including administration/management)
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience in program management and college advising/coaching or youth mentoring and advocacy. Guidance counseling, college coaching, and/or life coaching
• Knowledge of or experience with program evaluation and assessments, survey development and descriptive analysis, qualitative interviewing and analysis, and/ or program assessments
• Experience or capacity for functional supervision
• Able to work on Saturdays and evenings, and also travel to remote sites when warranted
• Available for in-person summer programming throughout the month of July, except July 4, and during the first week of August.

Desired Qualifications*

• Knowledge or experience with Excel, Mail Merge, SalesForce, Badgr, CANVAS
• Proficiency in Spanish

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.The review and selection process maybegin as early as the eighth day after posting.Thisopening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.