Program Operations Director

Preferred application deadline: January 2, 2023

About Us

Our country's education and workforce systems are inequitable, failing to meet the needs of our country's most marginalized citizens. Historically, workforce education has led to low-wage jobs disconnected from ongoing higher education, which has created significant barriers for career advancement. At the same time, traditional higher education has increasingly become unaffordable for Americans from lower-income backgrounds while also lacking direct connection to the labor market. The consequences of these systemic failures are dire.

At Propel America, we believe a better system should and can exist. We believe high school graduates shouldn't have to choose between forestalling income and accruing significant debt while pursuing a traditional college degree or forestalling education and mobility for low-wage, entry-level work with few opportunities for advancement. Propel is building that better system - a Jobs-First Higher Education - that allows young adults from low-income backgrounds to access an affordable and efficient pathway to a good job that serves as a springboard to a choice-filled life.

By working backward from the needs of established employer partners, Propel America:

• Supports young adults (18 to 24 years old), particularly those from low-income backgrounds, to prepare for living wage jobs
• Partners with training and higher education organizations to offer in-demand credentials that allow students (or “fellows,” as we call them) to earn college credits
• Provides coaching and professional skill development to ensure fellows have what they need to be successful in their job interview, on the first day of work, and a plan for ongoing education and career advancement.

To learn more about Propel America, please visit https://www.propelamerica.org.

The Opportunity

Your mission is to manage program operations in order to enable our fellows to attain a credential, enter the workforce, and succeed in their job. Success in this role requires being able to balance vision with execution, and includes the ability to develop a project plan, partner with others to manage toward that vision, and have the detail-orientation necessary to execute and problem-solve along the way. As Program Operations Director, you will identify issues and opportunities and work collaboratively with program leadership and technology to develop solutions, and implement technology, processes and infrastructure that support our Coaching and Program Implementation team. You'll work to develop scalable solutions and efficiencies while supporting a fun and collaborative culture. You'll work closely with Coaching and Program Implementation team members, (and cross-functionally with Client Services and Technology), to improve efficiency and quality and contribute to building towards a seamless experience for our fellows, team, and organization. In this role, the Program Operations Director will contribute to our team culture and values by supporting operational excellence cross functionally.

As a critical member of the Program team, the Program Operations Director will enter Propel America at an exciting inflection point in our journey. We expect to grow and evolve over the next year offering incredible growth and promotion opportunities for the right individual. Initially, you'll report to the Chief Program Officer with a dotted line relationship to the Vice President, Coaching Service. You will have opportunities to take on projects to streamline Coaching and Program Implementation approaches; your role is critical to enabling our vision and reach of serving increasing numbers of 18-24 year olds over the next 3 years.

Responsibilities

The Program Operations Director responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Program Implementation

• Develop and streamline internal processes, systems, and infrastructure that help power the Coaching and Program Implementation function at Propel. As we develop our systems to support and scale the organization, you will be the operational backbone on the Coaching and Program Implementation team.
• Create project plans and timelines, and manage the execution of key cross-team projects that impact the Propel fellow experience.
• Develop aligned resources and tools, including workflows, how-to guides, and videos, to support Propel staff and Propel fellows in completing key operational tasks.
• Manage and implement all aspects of medical assistant skills lab, including:
  • Hire for qualified skills lab instructors including update scopes of work, post positions on career sites, schedule and conduct interviews with qualified instructors, and manage the contracting process with HR
  • Manage all communications with skills lab instructors once hired and support skills lab communication to fellows
  • Secure contracts for skills lab space
  • Ensure fellow and instructor supplies are delivered prior to each lab
• Manage and implement all aspects of medical assistant externship requirements collection, including:
  • Manage collection systems in collaboration with the operations team
  • Track fellow progress toward deadlines and follow up with fellows as needed
  • Collaborate with success coaches when fellows are in need of support
  • Research and coordinate opportunities to partner with local clinics and testing sites to facilitate fellow requirements completion
  • Problem-solve barriers to requirements completion and implement solutions as needed

Leverage Technology for Impact & Scale

• Support the Coaching and Program Implementation team in the development of key supports across the lifecycle of the fellow experience; with the ultimate goal of fellow persistence through the program from onboarding to point of hire.
• Lead the process of removing or automating operational tasks from the Coaching team by working closely with the Technology team to identify the challenges and opportunities that can be addressed with technology.
• Collaborate across both Coaching and Technology to implement solutions and identify the data necessary to track effectiveness of new solutions.
• Manage content and communication through our fellow engagement platform (Mainstay) to answer incoming fellow questions; triaging support and referring to internal and external resources.
• Continuously reflect on outcomes to increase impact, with an eye toward a positive fellow experience and scalability.

Partner with others

• Work cross-team and cross functionally with program, client services, and operations team members to gather input, plan, and execute on plans and strategies.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to support effects to ensure fellows complete training and get hired into their chosen career field.
• Communicate with Propel staff regarding progress through regular check-ins.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4-7 years of experience working in an operations and/or program management role.
• Demonstrated experience setting up systems and processes that promote operational scale and efficiency.
• Experience using relevant technology and/or strong interest in learning new technology including Asana, Salesforce, website development, Google Suite, and learning management systems (LMS).
• Highly collaborative, experience building relationships cross-functionally.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Refined communication skills; show excellent ability to talk about complex topics in a manner that is easily understood.
• Demonstrated project management experience; can create and navigate complex systems & processes.
• Ability to flourish in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Proven examples of creating intelligent solutions to support related issues.
• Solid problem-solving skills: be able to take a challenge and break it down.
• Have an inclusive work style.
• Commitment to Propel's mission.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Compensation

The salary for this position is dependent on location and experience and between $70,000-$88,000 annually. Propel America offers a competitive total rewards package including coverage of 90% of health insurance premiums, unlimited PTO, and a flexible work environment.

Interested in Applying?

Please submit your application here.The application deadline to apply for this position is January 2, 2023. After this date we do not guarantee review of submissions.

Propel America is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

We encourage candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply.