Design Manager, Impact Fellowships

Watson Institute

14d • $65,000 - $75,000 • Remote

About The Position

Watson Institute powers transformative Fellowships in partnership with leading corporations and foundations to support highly promising entrepreneurs and leaders from underserved backgrounds. The Fellowships provide proven entrepreneurship and leadership skills training, committed mentorship, community development stipends, long-term Alumni support, and access to a global community of peers, mentors, and opportunities. In partnership with Google, JPMorganChase Foundation, Walmart.org, Wells Fargo, Ford Philanthropy, SAP, Truist Foundation, BMO, Comcast, Western Union, and several private foundations, Watson Institute’s programs will reach over 2,400 rising leaders this year. Alumni of Watson Institute’s Fellowships have raised over $190 million, created over 2,300 paid jobs, and impacted over 11 million people around the world through initiatives they have helped lead. 93% of Watson Institute alums are employed, continuing their education, or building a venture. 85% of Watson Institute Alumni use a skill they learned while in a Watson Institute-powered program up to 12 years later. Watson Institute’s Alumni have been selected to Y Combinator, the Echoing Green Fellowship, and 11 have been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 lists. Alums continue their education at Harvard University, New York University, and Princeton University, among others. Design Manager, Impact Fellowships – Mission Statement The mission of the Design Manager is to lead 1. The recruitment of a vibrant and engaged community of Preceptors, Mentors, and Entrepreneurs in Residence to coach and support our Fellows, 2. Build and maintain systems to guide Program Manager/Leads to recruit a limited number of Preceptors, Entrepreneurs in Residence, and Mentors for each Fellowship 3. Analyze program data to drive continuous improvement and support the growth of our ecosystem members, and 4. Create and manage scalable systems for organizing design resources and talent databases. The Design Manager must have strong interpersonal skills, analytical capabilities, systems-thinking mindset, a passion for supporting our Fellows' impact and growth, and strive for 'moonshot' level individuals to join our network while ensuring operational excellence through data-driven insights and efficient resource management.

Requirements

• A deep-seated passion for building community and Watson Institute's mission to develop innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs to solve the toughest challenges facing the world.
• A natural inclination to build relationships and partnerships in the local community in order to strengthen Watson Institute's presence.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data visualization, survey analysis, and translating data into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Systems thinking with proven experience building and implementing scalable organizational systems, including database management and resource organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present data-driven insights to diverse stakeholders.
• Excel mastery, email wizardry, rapid follow-up, data analysis, and experience with database or CRM systems.
• Experience with Google Workspace administration, including Drive organization, folder structures, naming conventions, and permissions management.
• Ability to excel under pressure without sacrificing quality while switching between people-focused tasks (recruitment, community building) and systems-focused tasks (data analysis, resource management).
• Comfort working across both relationship-building functions and analytical functions, balancing interpersonal skills with technical capabilities.
• Experience in project management, from conception to delivery, with particular attention to detail and process documentation.
• Excellent time management and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and priorities simultaneously.
• Previous experience working in a team environment with cross-functional collaboration.
• Previous experience combining at least two of the following: community building, recruitment, data analysis, program evaluation, or systems management.

Responsibilities

• Global Community Building: Create a robust recruitment strategy that includes attending events, workshops, meet-ups, cold outreach, and other networking opportunities to facilitate meaningful connections. This strategy should include a mix of both in-person and virtual engagements to recruit ‘Moonshot’ Preceptors, EIRs, and Mentors to the Watson Institute community.
• Preceptor & EIR Hiring: Lead hiring process for all Impact Fellowship Preceptors and EIRs, and strive to welcome aboard ‘moonshot’ level Preceptors and EIRs. Ensure that hiring timelines are developed/met on schedule and that open positions are filled with top talent. Shortlist and conduct exploratory calls to screen highest quality ‘Moonshot’ Preceptors, EIRs to the Watson Institute community. Lead the interview process to test for the highest quality candidates. Uphold excellent written communication skills when communicating to all incoming candidates. Coordinate with the Operations Team, who will support with job descriptions for Preceptors and EIR’s. Coordinate with the Operations Team, to create, send, and track contracts. Coordinate with the Operations Team, who will manage compensation tracker for EIRs and Preceptors.
• Measurement & Evaluation: Conduct comprehensive data analysis on all fellowship survey responses (mid-program and end-of-program) to identify trends, insights, and opportunities for program improvement. Analyze survey data on a rolling basis and synthesize findings into actionable recommendations for the Design Team, Program Implementation Teams, and VP of Programs. Create data visualization dashboards and reports that clearly communicate key metrics, fellow satisfaction scores, and program performance indicators to stakeholders. Develop and implement a feedback loop system that shares analyzed survey data and constructive recommendations with Preceptors and EIRs to support their professional growth and improve facilitation quality. Conduct comparative analysis across different fellowship cohorts and programs to identify best practices and areas for standardization or customization. Maintain a measurement & evaluation calendar to ensure timely analysis and report delivery to key stakeholders, including quarterly trend reports and annual comprehensive program reviews.
• Systems Management: Design, build, and maintain a comprehensive talent database system that tracks all Preceptors, EIRs, and Mentors, including their LinkedIn profiles, locations, areas of expertise, past engagement history, and availability for future programs. Create and manage an organized, scalable system for all design resources, including Preceptor Guides, Preceptor Kits, Syllabi, reading materials, Deliverables, Workshop Decks, and curriculum handbooks, to ensure easy access and version control. Serve as the primary owner of Watson Institute's Google Drive organization for the Programs and Design teams, implementing folder structures, naming conventions, and permissions systems that enable efficient collaboration and resource retrieval. Develop and maintain a resource management system that tracks which materials are being used in which programs, identifies outdated content, and flags opportunities for content refresh or consolidation. Create tracking systems to monitor the usage and effectiveness of design resources, gathering informal feedback from Program Managers and Preceptors about which materials are most valuable. Design and implement an intake and archive system for design resources, ensuring that new materials are properly cataloged and outdated materials are systematically retired or updated.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary according to experience: $65,000.00-$75,000.00.
• Annual Happiness Fund that increases with time and seniority.
• Unlimited vacations (3 weeks required vacation time per year).
• Healthcare benefit via Thatch (ICHRA provider), where employees have the option to apply this amount towards their choice of medical plans, with the option to add vision and dental plans.
• Automatic 3% contribution to your retirement account.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees