Senior Program Manager

HomeWorks Trenton; Trenton (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) plan

Life Insurance

Long-Term Disability

Paid time off

Winter break paid days off

Professional development

Growth opportunities

Job summary

HomeWorks Trenton, Inc. seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead the Program Department, shaping four‑year curricular frameworks, enrichment opportunities, and scholar learning experiences.

You will plan, implement, and evaluate programming, coordinate volunteers and partners, and ensure alignment with our mission and Theory of Change while working closely with COO and other departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education, youth development, social sciences, or related field or equivalent professional experience.
• 7-10 years of experience in education, youth development, or nonprofit programming.
• Experience researching, designing, facilitating, and evaluating educational programming.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Experience working with youth and collaborating with staff, volunteers, and community partners.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to educational equity, youth leadership, and asset-based approaches.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement departmental work plans aligned with annual SMART goals and organizational priorities.
• Track program implementation, scholar participation, and learning outcomes; use data to improve.
• Manage program expenses within budget allocations.
• Maintain project management systems (Asana, Salesforce).
• Coordinate partnerships with Residential Life, Academics, Operations and external partners.
• Design, facilitate, and evaluate curriculum and enrichment programming.

Skills

Program design

Curriculum development

Project management

Youth engagement

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in education, youth development or related field

Tools

Asana

Salesforce

Job description

ABOUT HOMEWORKS TRENTON

HomeWorks Trenton, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that combines the public school education with a boarding school experience to equip high school girls in marginalized communities to achieve economic freedom and become community leaders. By providing a space to explore and define their experiences, cultures, and identities, HomeWorks offers our scholars a chance to see that their ideas, visions, and presence are valid and relevant in this world.

HomeWorks team has been recognized by The State of New Jersey, Princeton University, McKinsey & Company, Echoing Green, Comcast, Hollister, TRESemmé, Camelback Ventures, Barclays, Vital Voices, The Rachael Ray Show and more.

www.homeworkstrenton.org

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, and community engagement experiences.
• 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:

• 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.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in education, youth development, social sciences, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least 7-10 years of experience in education, youth development, or nonprofit programming, including curriculum development, program coordination, or management.
• Experience researching, designing, facilitating, and evaluating educational programming, with an understanding of pedagogical approaches that foster critical thinking, inquiry, and active learning.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience working with youth and collaborating with staff, volunteers, and community partners.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to educational equity, youth leadership, and asset-based approaches to working alongside young people.

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
• 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

THE CULTURE

Every organization has its particular brand of crazy. We just try to be up-front about ours.

INTENTIONALITY: We are passionate, determined and Type A folks.

• We know what each scholar will be doing exactly 3 years from now at 4:30pm on Tuesday. That is because we have spent thousands of hours talking to industry experts and community members to intentionally create our program for our scholars. Every decision is intentional.
• We work efficiently, are ruthless in getting things done. We roll up our sleeves and get down to sweep the floors.
• We are obsessive about documenting everything so that we can replicate and scale what we are doing to expand our impact. Everything– from lesson plans to field trip procedures– will be added to manuals, put in the shared drive, documented on Salesforce, Asana and more.

EMPATHY: We believe that everyone on our team is a leader.

• This means that we take ownership for our own projects. We are deeply committed to a growth-mindset culture and take accountability when we make mistakes.
• We believe that our biggest strength comes from having a team with a rainbow of personalities, working styles, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures — and the ability to challenge one another while ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
• Our Co-Founders are our scholars, parents, teachers and community leaders. We work closely with our community to understand how best to grow and build HomeWorks and to invest in our community.

COMMUNITY: We believe deeply in our mission, and are intentional in living our values of intentionality, empathy and community in all we do.

• This work - from picking up scholars from school, to construction management for our new campus, to building house culture and planning our development strategy - is more than just work. It is our fight for justice. We are creating a space where our scholars can reclaim power over their cultures, identities and experiences.
• We center our scholars and the community, and show up fully in the work. Every day.
• We believe in the power and magic of our community in Trenton. By staying within the community, we are fostering a sense of Trenton pride within our scholars.