Manager, Program Initiatives

EMERGE Scholars • Houston, TX

6d • $58,000 - $70,000

About The Position

The Opportunity: In the United States, only 25% of high-achieving students from low-income communities apply to the nation's most selective colleges and universities. At EMERGE, we believe that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Grounded in this belief, EMERGE empowers and prepares high-performing students from underserved communities to attend and graduate from selective colleges & universities across the nation. The Manager of Program Initiatives will support the planning, execution, and management of events and oversee the Program Team's day-to-day operations. This role often has a dual focus on both operational management and event execution. It requires strong operational oversight and a significant number of event-specific responsibilities, such as managing event logistics, vendor relationships, event promotion, and guest engagement. The ideal candidate for this role is a professional who has a passion for college access and college success work, is an excellent relationship cultivator, and is a strong planner with attention to detail and time management skills. They should be positive, adaptable, and have strong ownership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required.
• 3–5 years of relevant professional experience, ideally in:
• Program operations or event management (planning and executing large-scale events, logistics, vendor coordination, budgets, etc.).
• College access or success programming, education, or nonprofit program management.
• Cross-functional coordination (working with teams like Development, Marketing, and Finance).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills.
• Open-office environment
• Sitting at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.
• Role requires walking, standing, hearing, and talking.
• Ability to lift/carry and push/pull up to 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Salesforce, Common App, & Naviance highly desired
• Bilingual highly desired (Spanish or Vietnamese)

Responsibilities

• Manage logistics of events from start to finish, including planning, marketing, and execution
• Research event venues, vendors, and resources
• Coordinate volunteers and vendors for events.
• Ensure the smooth delivery of event-specific logistics, which could include things like venue selection, registration, and on-site event management
• Work together with the budget manager for events and initiatives to inform and track against program budgets
• Ensure all events are in compliance with financial procedures and policies
• Research all available applicant boosters for access scholars
• Engage in data analysis
• Build a database and catalog of all boosters alongside Director of Program Initiatives
• Build a communication plan
• Collaborate with Directors and external partners
• Create a project plan for all boosters
• Create and execute a family engagement plan
• Support with STE planning and execution
• Ensure day-to-day activities of the Program Team are executed consistently, which may include managing office supplies, organizing meetings, and overseeing administrative duties
• Maintain inventory of materials and supplies, manage equipment needs, and ensure adequate staffing for operations.
• Ensure all spaces, storage, and facilities belonging to the Program Team are up to standard, clean, safe, and fit for purpose
• Ensure the Program team has adequate supplies and equipment Data Analysis and Program Improvement
• Update databases with scholar information
• Track scholar engagement with application boosters and events
• Analyze data to track progress toward goals and determine the effectiveness of application boosters and events
• Research and innovate to improve application boosters and events
• Draft, send, and track large-scale communication for events and application boosters
• Communicate with volunteers for events
• Communicate with vendors for events and application boosters
• Work closely with other staff members such as development, marking, and finance teams to align efforts with organizational goals
• Build relationships with corporate sponsors, community partners, and other stakeholders to support the nonprofit’s initiatives and events

Benefits

• We offer Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.
• We provide Short-term and Long-Term Disability insurance, along with Life Insurance.
• We offer Parental Leave
• We have a 403b plan that employees can opt into.
• Each employee has 27 Paid Time Off days for the year. EMERGE is closed for 18 holidays and 12 Wellness Fridays.
• Eligible employees are awarded a $500/year stipend for role-relevant professional development opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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