Operations / Administration Program Manager, STEM Classes and Camps
Job Description
Reporting to the Greater Boston Senior Program Manager, you will be a key member of the regional program team that ensures that all of our STEM classes and camps are delivered to our high-quality standards. With the guidance and support of the Senior Program Manager, you will lead particular programs (such as camps or school partnerships), geographies within our region, and/or particular parts of the program team’s efforts (such as recruiting and training teachers); your responsibilities will change and grow as you develop, with the intent of preparing you for more senior program roles. This is an ideal opportunity for a strong ambitious program manager with a passion for and background in STEM education to make a meaningful difference in the lives of hundreds of young people in the state.
About Empow Studios
At Empow Studios, we educate children ages 7-17 in coding, engineering, and digital arts with a focus on fun, discovery, and building a life-long passion in STEM. We have won more awards for excellence, and offer more programs, in more locations, than any other STEM education provider in Massachusetts.
The Greater Boston office provides:
- STEM summer camps at 20 locations throughout Massachusetts
- School-year STEM programs for students after school, on weekends, and during school breaks both directly and through partnerships, in more than 50 locations in the state
- Support to schools and educational institutions via teacher training, our online learning platform and STEM curriculum, field trips to our centers, and comprehensive delivery of their entire STEM program
Empow’s pedagogy sits at the intersection of project-based learning and technology-mediated instruction; we help students explore STEM, find their passions, accelerate their learning, and build their long-term engagement. Our proprietary project-based learning management system enables us to provide learners a great deal of independence in the classroom, getting just-in-time individualized support as they tackle increasingly complicated projects, which allows our instructors to focus on inspiring, coaching, facilitating collaboration, and supporting students’ social and emotional needs.
This past year we brought in the leadership team and investment capital needed for national expansion of our award-winning programs.
What You Will Do
Run high quality programs
- Plan and manage program operations to ensure that our programs run smoothly: schedule classes and teachers, ensure compliance with regulations, and manage inventory of program materials
- Lead specific elements of our program delivery by type (e.g., camps, classes, schools) or region across multiple key program functions (e.g., recruiting, training, customer service, and evaluation).
- Manage and coach instructors to implement with fidelity Empow’s defined pedagogy, curriculum, and program design
- Review program metrics and student progress; identify risks and proactively solve problems to ensure high quality results for each student, teacher, and school
Build strong relationships with families and schools
- Educate potential and current customers about the range of Empow programs; help them find the programs that best meet their needs
- Ensure strong communications with families including instructor progress reports and tailored recommendations
- Ensure that instructors build strong mentor relationships with their students
- Manage relationships with school partners, ensuring that our instructors, technology, curriculum, and support staff are working together to achieve stated goals; proactively identify and solve problems
- Address customer concerns quickly and effectively
Maintain a strong, engaged team
- Collaborate with the Senior Program Manager to hire and retain an exceptional team of instructors and site directors
- Train and coach instructors leveraging materials and resources provided by our national office
- Help ensure that working at Empow Studios is an amazing experience
Characteristics of an Ideal Candidate
At Empow Studios, we believe a diverse team leads to diversity in thinking, making our products better for students, families and schools. If you read this job description, feel energized by what you see here, and believe you could bring passion and commitment to the role, but you aren’t sure you meet every qualification, please apply! Above all, we are looking for the right person!
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- At least two years’ experience as an instructor, camp director, or program manager
- Passion for STEM and familiarity with much of the breadth of the technologies covered in Empow’s STEM curriculum
- Proven project management skills including strong attention to detail and experience tracking and managing components of multiple projects simultaneously
- Willingness and ability to proactively identify and offer solutions to potential challenges
- Demonstrated ability to lead a team to achieve outstanding results
- Ability to work through resistance and advocate internally for needs of self and team
- Desire to provide quality customer service and help families and partners find the Empow programs that best meet their needs
- Dedication to personifying that values at the core of Empow’s culture through nurturing and cultivating fun, creativity, collaboration, individuality, and discovery
- Interest in and dedication to building authentic relationships, providing coaching and support to both staff and students, and ensuring families receive their best-fit education experience for their children
- Actively seeks out opportunities for rapid growth including targeted and supported stretch assignments
- Able and willing to review program quality and support program delivery which will require working some early evenings and weekends, and driving to locations throughout the Greater Boston area
- A BA/BS degree or higher in education or a STEM field or appropriate equivalent experience is required
