Program Manager

Job title:

Program Manager

Department:
Programs

Reports to:

Vice President, Programs

Date:
August 2026

Pivotal supports young people in and from foster care to realize their educational and career goals and ensure their equitable access to opportunity. We envision a community in which every young person gets the education, career, and life they want for themselves. In support of this vision and mission, Pivotal provides highly individualized academic and career-oriented services to current and former foster youth at the secondary and post-secondary levels.

Pivotal also works with community stakeholders to effect systemic change in the opportunities offered to scholars from the foster care system.

Pivotal is a dynamic, fast-growing organization that challenges staff to reflect and grow to remain ever more responsive to our scholars, providing the highest quality services. Our approach is data-driven and evidence-based.

At Pivotal, we acknowledge and celebrate the power in diversity. Our collaborative culture promotes innovation and benefits our team, the scholars we serve, and our community as a whole. Pivotal is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

The Program Manager leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs that support PIVOTAL's scholars. This position oversees grant-funded initiatives, career readiness programming, college access experiences, and strategic partnerships while ensuring program goals, reporting requirements, and community impact objectives are achieved. The Program Manager collaborates across teams and with external stakeholders to expand opportunities for scholars, strengthen partnerships, drive continuous improvement, and advance PIVOTAL's mission through high-quality, data-informed programming.

• Own the successful execution of multiple county and grant-funded programs by ensuring contract deliverables, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations are met accurately and on schedule.
• Lead the development of compelling, data-informed reports, narratives, and presentations that communicate program outcomes, organizational impact, and return on investment to funders, partners, and leadership.
• Establish systems for tracking program performance, outcomes, and scholar engagement, using data and feedback to drive continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
• Anticipate, identify, and resolve operational and programmatic challenges to ensure effective service delivery and achievement of organizational goals.

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of college tour experiences that increase scholars' exposure to post-secondary opportunities and support college readiness goals.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with colleges, universities, and educational stakeholders to expand access to meaningful educational experiences for scholars.
• Design college exploration opportunities that align with organizational priorities and support scholars in making informed decisions about their educational pathways.

• Oversee the organization’s Career Coaching Program, driving program design, implementation, participant engagement, and outcome achievement.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with employers, workforce development organizations, and career readiness providers to expand career exploration and employment opportunities for scholars and alumni.
• Develop and execute recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies that maximize participation and successful completion of career coaching and workforce development programs.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and participant outcomes, implementing enhancements that increase program impact and participant success.

• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the PIVOTAL Alumni Council to foster alumni engagement, support programmatic goals, strengthen alumni networks, and identify opportunities for mutual collaboration and impact.
• Cultivate and steward strategic partnerships with community organizations, educational…