Head of Program Design

Braven • New York, NY

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

Braven is seeking a Head of Program Design to lead the evolution, quality, and integrity of all program experiences offered to students, volunteers, and staff. This role is crucial for achieving Braven's ambition of serving a large number of students over the next decade. The Head of Program Design will translate research findings and field feedback into high-quality, pedagogically sound program assets and learning sequences that can be delivered at scale across various campuses. The position requires a strong understanding of adult learning best practices, a commitment to human-centered design, and the ability to simplify and scale program delivery. This role is part of the Product team and reports to the Chief Product Officer.

Requirements

• BS/BA degree
• 10+ years of experience designing clear, engaging, purposeful, and culturally competent learning experiences
• 3+ years of experience managing a team toward outcomes

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or other certification in learning design, instructional design, or a related field
• Expert practitioner in human-centered design and adult learning science
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining a program or curriculum library that serves multiple delivery teams or contexts
• Experience designing human-centered learning experiences that scale through technology
• Experience designing training for program facilitators, including facilitation guides and design rationale
• Experience managing old, evolving, and piloting new designs simultaneously
• Exceptional written and verbal communicator with strong design instincts
• Competent in synthesizing multiple data types (observations, user interviews, research, feedback, quantitative data) to drive design improvements
• Deep alignment with Braven's core values and mission, with experience working with student populations similar to Braven's Fellows
• Proven track record of building and growing high-performing teams, including talent development and scoping new roles
• Strategic thinker capable of balancing single experience quality with the full student journey coherence
• Skilled at working across teams and influencing without formal authority
• Experience contributing to organizational strategy as a senior leader, including cross-functional collaboration at the leadership team level
• Proficient in learning management systems and content editors (e.g., Canvas, Articulate)

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve the entire program experience continuum, from the Accelerator course to post-graduation support.
• Maintain a multi-modal library of program experiences (workshops, learning modules, facilitated sequences, etc.) to build student skills, networks, experiences, and confidence.
• Create and pilot new program assets based on feedback from program staff and higher education partners.
• Translate research findings into concrete design decisions, ensuring program delivery aligns with evidence-based practices.
• Maintain and refresh program assets based on stakeholder feedback, student outcome data, and shifts in the college-to-career landscape.
• Ensure program designs are scalable and adaptable to new technology realities and feasibility constraints.
• Act as a continuous learner of Braven's products to stay informed about the field and emerging trends.
• Define, ensure execution of, and evolve Braven's standards for high-quality program design.
• Ensure all program experiences are grounded in adult learning science, cultural competence, and reflect a deep understanding of Braven's student population.
• Stay current on external trends in career readiness research, employer expectations, adult learning, digital tools, and higher education career preparation.
• Design and deliver ongoing training for program staff and volunteers to ensure confident and effective facilitation.
• Design and deliver training on design intent to help facilitators understand the 'why' behind program structures.
• Integrate training and staff enablement into new program development from the outset.
• Lead conversations with staff about future programmatic experience evolution.
• Lead, develop, and grow a team of designers responsible for the full scope of program design work.
• Manage the team's agility to handle business as usual, flex, and innovate.
• Contribute design expertise to cross-functional decisions as a member of the Product Leadership Team.
• Partner with Research, Data, Program Delivery, and Operations to ensure design decisions are evidence-based and implementable.
• Engage directly with the field through online and on-site visits to inform perspective.
• Focus on program simplification, identifying essential design elements and areas of accumulated complexity.
• Partner with teams to identify design changes that unlock scale and distill program architecture.
• Help scope and grow the Design team as the organization scales.
• Contribute to organization-wide strategy and steward a healthy culture as a member of the 'One Braven' leadership team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation time
• Org-wide holidays
• Week-long shutdowns in July and at the end of the calendar year (minimum 19 days per year)
• $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• 401K contribution match up to 5% of base annual salary
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employees and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• One-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior