STEM Programs Manager (The Tech Challenge)

The Tech Interactive; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

The Tech Interactive in San Jose, CA seeks a STEM Programs Manager to lead the implementation of STEM programs for learners from low-income and historically marginalized communities. You will manage contractors and volunteers, support product lifecycle of The Tech Challenge, and coordinate a cross-functional team to build impactful products and services.

Collaborate with R&D, instructional designers, and partnership managers to ensure solutions are aligned with The Tech’s educational philosophy,

Qualifications

• 5+ years in design thinking, project-based learning, or learning sciences.
• Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related experience.
• Experience leading large programs and managing staff/volunteers.
• Ability to translate learner needs into product requirements.
• Strong communication across diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Co-design and manage the product roadmap for STEM products and branding.
• Translate educator and student needs into clear requirements and user stories.
• Define success metrics for learner engagement and satisfaction.
• Manage program budget and resources.
• Develop partnerships with schools and education orgs to support recruitment.
• Collaborate with R&D, instructional designers, and partners to ensure accessible, evidence-based learning designs.

Skills

Design thinking

Project management

Learning science

Adult learning theory

Stakeholder communication

Staff/volunteer management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM field

Tools

Asana

Trello

Job description

Since opening in 1998, The Tech Interactive has been an integral part of the San Francisco Bay area and is proud to serve families and young people through hands-on activities, experimental labs, and design challenge experiences.

Here at The Tech our mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone! We are a team of diverse individuals committed to creating learning experiences that empower young folks to innovate with creativity, curiosity, and compassion. We believe that technology is leading and transforming lives all over the world and we want to help develop the next generation of problem-solvers.

If you join our team, we know you will have a fulfilling and rewarding role focused on giving back to our community, especially those that have been historically marginalized and underserved.

Position Overview

The STEM Programs Manager leads the implementation of STEM programs, products and services that support learners from low-income and historically marginalized communities in becoming problem-solvers with a strong sense of STEM identity. This role manages contractors and volunteers, supports implementation of The Tech Challenge product lifecycle, and coordinates a cross-functional team to build products and services aligned to STEM. The role works closely with counterparts from R&D, product marketing, and operations to ensure products are continually improving and responsive to learner needs. This exempt role reports to the Senior Director of Learning Products.

Responsibilities

Product management

• Co-design and manage the product roadmap for STEM products including product definition and contribute to re-branding
• Translate organization, educator, and student needs into clear product requirements and user stories
• Define success criteria and monitor key performance indicators related to learner engagement, achievement, and satisfaction
• Manage program budget and resource allocation

External Relationships

• Develop and maintain relationships with schools, districts, parent and education organizations, and other stakeholders to support recruitment and collaboration
• Manage and motivate volunteer committees to support successful program implementation

Learner-Centered Design

• Serve as the voice of the learner in product development, leveraging feedback, usability testing, and analytics
• Collaborate with R&D, instructional designers and partnership managers to ensure solutions are routed in evidence-based learning design
• Ensure all products meet accessibility, inclusivity, and usability standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with R&D, partner success, and operations teams to deliver features on time and within scope
• Work closely with The Tech Interactive, implementation partners, and partner education organizations to ensure products align with The Tech’s educational philosophy, pedagogical principles, and learner needs
• Support marketing, training, and adoption strategies to drive learner engagement
• Monitor and evaluate product performance, collecting insights to inform iterative improvements
• Stay informed on industry trends, edtech innovations, and student engagement practices
• Recommend enhancements that better balance learner impact with scalability and efficiency

Requirements and Skills

• 5+ years of experience in design thinking, project-based learning, learning science, and/or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in STEM field, or related experience required.
• Strong knowledge of design challenge learning, adult learning theory, and modern instructional design approaches.
• Experience managing complex programs and/or large scale events required.
• Experience managing staff and/or volunteer roles and responsibilities.
• Experience tracking tasks and timelines using software (Asana, Trello, etc.).
• Ability to synthesize student feedback and data into actionable program and product improvements.
• Excellent communication skills across diverse stakeholders.

Working Conditions and Schedule

• Schedule includes weekend and evening work as programmatic and organizational business needs require.
• This is an on-site role with the possibility of flexibility for working some days at an alternative work location. Flexibility will vary depending on the needs of the job.
• Limited travel (domestic and potentially international) may be required, up to 15%.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) at The Tech

Our success is dependent on building teams that include people from different backgrounds and experiences who challenge each other’s assumptions with fresh perspectives. To that end, we look for a diverse pool of applicants including but not limited to those from historically marginalized groups — women, people with disabilities, people of color, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or nonconforming, veterans, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Tech will provide an equal opportunity in recruitment and employment to all individuals and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.Any applicant with a disability may contact The Tech Interactive to arrange for accommodations. Please contact the Tech [e-mail] call [phone].

The pay range for this role is $80,000 - 92,000 per year, commensurate with experience. Total benefit package includes medical, dental, vision, 403(b) with employer match, vacation and flex holidays, HRA, FSA, commuter benefits and more!