Senior Program Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Senior Program Manager is a senior people leader responsible for the integrity, quality, and alignment of Drive Change’s Fellowship ecosystem. The role oversees the systems, people, and practices that shape the fellow journey from recruitment through training, placement, and alumni transition.

This is a manager-of-managers role with direct responsibility for program execution. The Senior Program Manager is responsible for Fellowship delivery, classroom culture, recruitment, case management oversight, and day-to-day program coordination, while also maintaining accountability for cross-program alignment and team leadership.

The role is designed for a leader ready to lead through others while remaining grounded in hands-on program leadership. It requires a steady, thoughtful manager who can hold complexity, anticipate challenges, and design systems that support both people and outcomes. The Senior Program Manager balances care with accountability, exercises sound judgment, and intervenes early to address challenges before escalation is required.

The Senior Program Manager reports directly to the Chief Programs & Impact Officer and serves as a primary point of integration and containment for programmatic and people-related issues within Programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership and Integration

Own the overall design, flow, and quality of the Fellowship ecosystem, ensuring alignment across culinary education, classroom learning, and on-the-job training experiences.
Translate program priorities and strategic direction from the Chief Programs & Impact Officer into clear expectations, systems, and operating rhythms for managers and program staff.
Strengthen systems and structures that support consistent execution, including routines, documentation, decision rights, and shared standards across Programs.
Identify gaps, redundancies, and pressure points across Fellowship programming and proactively redesign systems to address them before they become crises.
Ensure fellows experience consistency in communication, accountability, and care across all program touchpoints.

Supervision, Accountability and Team Development

Supervise and support program managers through regular, structured supervision that prioritizes clarity, accountability, and leadership development.
Provide direct supervision and day-to-day leadership of the Fellowship Associate, delegating and overseeing administrative, logistical, and coordination responsibilities.
Set and maintain clear expectations for manager performance, decision-making, communication, and people leadership, and hold managers accountable with care and clarity.
Hold managers accountable for program quality, direct report supervision, data integrity, and follow-through on commitments.
Provide timely feedback and address performance concerns early using coaching, corrective guidance, and clear documentation.
Support managers in navigating complex people issues, including boundaries, conflict, and wellbeing, while ensuring concerns are addressed at the appropriate level.
Support internal leaders through individualized professional development and career growth plans that center aspirations, build leadership capacity, and create clear pathways for advancement.
Monitor workload, capacity, and team wellness across Programs and intervene proactively to prevent burnout, misalignment, or escalation.
Ensure managers are equipped to lead effectively by reinforcing systems, decision rights, and shared standards across the Fellowship ecosystem.
Model and reinforce a culture of feedback and principled pushback grounded in Drive Change’s values, using both to strengthen decisions, improve systems, and support collective accountability.

Real-Time Decision Making, De-escalation and Escalation Prevention

Make real-time Fellowship program decisions with sound judgment, including when to adjust plans, respond to emerging issues, and shift resources to protect fellow experience, team capacity, and program quality.
Use de-escalation and conflict management skills to address interpersonal and programmatic challenges in the moment, maintaining safety, dignity, and clear boundaries.
Monitor trends in attendance, engagement, persistence, and team functioning, identify early warning signals, and take timely corrective action at the systems level.
Serve as the primary point of containment for programmatic and people-related issues within the Fellowship program, intervening early to resolve challenges and reducing the need for escalation to the Chief Programs & Impact Officer.

Recruitment and Fellow Selection

Manage and oversee the recruiting, application, and interview process for Fellowship cohorts, setting strategy, timelines, and standards.
Direct and support the Fellowship Associate in day-to-day recruitment coordination, scheduling, communications, and materials preparation.
Plan and deliver quarterly Fellowship information sessions and ensure consistent presence at community-based organizations and partner sites to strengthen the candidate pipeline.
Lead interview processes end-to-end, including evaluation criteria, decision-making structures, and final selections.
Oversee fellow onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure clarity, equity, and consistency.
Lead the planning and execution of Fellowship graduation events, including vision, structure, and coordination across internal teams and partners.

Fellowship Experience and Delivery Oversight

Collaborate with the Chief Programs & Impact Officer to advance program vision and ensure alignment between curriculum, fellow experience, and organizational outcomes.
Develop, implement, and continuously refine Fellowship curriculum with emphasis on workforce readiness, character development, critical thinking, and self-advocacy.
Integrate education on mass incarceration, justice system involvement, and legal rights into the Fellowship experience.
Practice and model healing-centered engagement in classrooms and group settings, maintaining clear expectations around attendance, accountability, and participation.
Support fellows in developing essential professional and life skills, including punctuality, communication, consistency, and workplace readiness.
Lead coaching conversations with fellows navigating personal challenges alongside program expectations.

Case Management and Fellow Support

Serve as a primary point of contact for fellows’ case management needs during the Fellowship period.
Develop individualized support plans in partnership with fellows, balancing care, accountability, and clear expectations.
Assess and address barriers related to employment, housing, transportation, mental health, substance use, childcare, legal concerns, and other stabilizing needs.
Coordinate referrals and warm handoffs to external service providers and maintain relationships with community organizations and city agencies.
Ensure consistent follow-up and early intervention to support fellow persistence and completion.
Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential case management documentation in Drive Change’s CRM.
Use case management data to identify trends, inform program improvements, and support internal and external storytelling.

Career Pathways and Alumni Alignment

Ensure strong coordination between Fellowship programming and employment pathways, including job readiness, placement, and retention.
Oversee alumni transition structures that ensure clear handoffs from Fellowship to alumni status, continuity of support, and alignment with career pathways, employment, and ongoing engagement.
Ensure alumni-facing roles and supports align with program goals, organizational capacity, and team wellbeing.

Data, Outcomes, and Continuous Improvement

Partner with the Chief Programs & Impact Officer to ensure program data is accurate, timely, and meaningful.
Collect, track, and analyze program data related to recruitment, attendance, participation, persistence, and outcomes.
Ensure accurate and consistent data entry and reporting in Drive Change’s CRM.
Translate program data into clear narratives that support internal learning, program improvement, funder reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
Present program updates, insights, and trends to internal teams and leadership.

Cross-Department Collaboration

Collaborate with the Operations and Drive Change Foods teams to ensure coordination and shared understanding across departments.
Support Development by contributing program insight and readiness for reporting, site visits, and proposals.
Represent Programs internally with clarity and externally with integrity.

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES NEEDED

Bachelors in Social Work, Human Services, or equivalent lived and work experience
5+ years of progressive experience in youth development, workforce development, human services, or a closely related field, with increasing scope and responsibility over time
3+ years of experience managing staff, including demonstrated responsibility for performance management, coaching, and team development
Demonstrated experience leading other leaders, senior staff, or cross-functional teams with accountability for program quality, staff performance, and outcomes
Proven ability to oversee complex, people-centered programs that require coordination across multiple functions, roles, and timelines
Strong judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risk, prioritize effectively, and intervene appropriately in high-stakes or emotionally complex situations.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to provide clear direction, deliver feedback with care, and navigate difficult conversations with steadiness and respect
Experience working with justice-impacted or system-impacted communities, or deep familiarity with trauma-informed and healing-centered practice, strongly preferred
High level of comfort with data, systems, and tools used to manage programs and teams, including Google Workspace, Excel, project management or CRM platforms such as monday.com, and related tools used for reporting and coordination
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, sometimes competing priorities while maintaining clarity, follow-through, and sound judgment.
Comfort working in a highly relational, in-person environment that requires presence, consistency, flexibility, and emotional intelligence
Willingness and readiness to work in a growth-stage organization, including the ability to build structure, refine systems, and lead through change without relying on rigid playbooks
Alignment with Drive Change’s mission and values, including a commitment to reimagining criminal justice, building ethical and people-centered systems, and honoring food and hospitality as tools for dignity, connection, and opportunity

Role is best suited for

Experienced managers ready to lead with both vision and accountability.
Someone who thrives balancing direct service alongside systems-level thinking.
Someone with strong discernment and with complex decision making capacity.
A proactive, systems-oriented leader.

SALARY & WORK SCHEDULE:

The salary range for the Senior Program Manager is $88,000-$95,000 per year. This position is full-time, in person position, Monday-Friday. The general office hours are 9am-5pm. Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required, with comp time provided. The office location for this position is Brooklyn, New York.

BENEFITS

Competitive Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance with employer contributions
Access to Employee Assistance Program, including therapy, family planning, travel and entertainment discounts, legal and financial services and more
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Parental Leave
401K plan
Stipend for professional development opportunities
Healing Centered Engagement certification and other internal paid training opportunities
Family meal provided most days

Drive Change is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, or current employment status.

Drive Change values diverse experiences, including with regards to educational background and justice system involvement. We depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

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