Program Success Manager & Career Coach

National, Remote 

Start Date: September 26, 2022

Reports to: Designated Senior Program Success Manager & Career Coach

Merit America Overview

Merit America is a national nonprofit that has been named by the New York Times as “a glimpse of the hybrid future of training programs for the disadvantaged.” Our fast and flexible programs are designed to work for underemployed and unemployed adults who can learn while they balance work and personal obligations. We combine on-demand online learning with coaching and peer support (delivered in-person or virtually) to create an effective, scalable model.  Our goal is to build the most impactful, large-scale education-to-employment program in the country, and​ we have the ambitious goal of reaching ​10,000 learners annually and driving $1B in aggregate wage gains by 2024.

Today’s challenge is about more than getting Americans back to work: it is about creating pathways to higher-paying, more resilient careers in order to build a more equitable future.

Role Overview

The Program Success Manager & Career Coach (PSM & CC) holds a variety of responsibilities related to cohort-based program management within a career track (e.g., IT Support, Java Development, Data Analytics). The role is primarily focused on coaching learners - a major driver of our program success - and is  ideal for those seeking to make a meaningful direct impact on the careers and lives of underserved members of our country.  The PSM & CC plans and delivers career coaching and facilitates professional skill development through personalized coaching sessions in addition to cohort-wide and small group programming to ensure participants are job-ready post-graduation. 

Key Responsibilities

 The responsibilities of the PSM & CC will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plan and deliver career coaching and professional skill development through personalized coaching sessions, in addition to cohort-wide and small group programming, to ensure participants are job-ready post-graduation.
• Monitor learners’ progress in online courses through an online portal and proactively reach out to offer support when learners are struggling
• Build a positive and supportive cohort culture through ongoing communication via Slack, e-mail, and events  
• Identify and analyze opportunities and challenges affecting learners and serve as the point person to curate and share information on learners’ behalf.
• Capture program insight and learnings and implement adjustments to improve the program and learner experience
• Design and implement workshops, training programs, activities, and guest speakers complementing core program events (e.g., mock interviews) for learners to support their career development

Skills & Competencies

At Merit America, we believe that if you can excel in the job, you should get the job - so we hire for skills, instead of specific experience or education requirements. Below are the skills that are relevant for thriving in this role:

Required

• Strong knowledge of professional skills such as resume & cover letter writing, interviewing, communicating professionally, etc., including interest and previous experience with career coaching, tutoring, education, counseling, youth development, non-profits, or other mission-driven work
• A growth mindset
• Able to provide personalized support to meet individual learner needs
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Desire to work directly with underserved populations; outstanding ability to understand and empathize with people of diverse backgrounds
• Able to step up and run autonomously in ambiguous, quickly changing environments
• Exceptional operational and organizational skills, and the ability to manage your own schedule and balance multiple demands

Preferred

• Experience with Salesforce or other CRM platforms
• Proficient with Google workspace (Google sheets, docs, etc)
• Experience leading/presenting to large groups of people in the virtual setting
• Commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing personal and professional development
• Prior experience in workforce development, edTech, or equivalent training programs

Role Logistics

• Timing: Full-time position.  Start dates are typically 1-2 months after posting but we hire on an ongoing and rolling basis for this position; we maintain applications on file and will reach out if there is a potential fit. 
• Compensation: $65,000 with a comprehensive benefits package, including:
  • Unlimited vacation time 
  • Flexible remote work policy
  • Office closure during 10 federally recognized holidays
  • Two-week office closure at the end of the year/start of the new year, inclusive of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays
  • Health, dental, vision, life, short-term, and long-term disability
  • 4 months of paid parental leave
  • 401(k) retirement plan 
  • Flexible Spending Account – pre-tax health & dependent care
  • Health Reimbursement Account employer-funded Benefit Card
• Location: Our model is designed to be flexible to accommodate the needs of program participants who are working adults. Candidates should be comfortable working remotely within the US, and traveling for in-person events and professional development when safe again to do so. 
• Schedule: This is not your typical full-time 9-5 role, as Program Success Managers maintain flexible schedules that include some time during the traditional workday and a few evenings per week to accommodate learner schedules. 

Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.

We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Authorization to work in the United States is a precondition of employment. Merit America does not sponsor employment visas.