Manager, Career Pathways (Program Manager)

Who We Are

Heights Philadelphia (“Heights”) is an economic mobility catalyst committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty in Philadelphia by creating pathways to educational and workforce success for all young people, especially Black, Latino, and first-generation-to-college students from low-income communities. These pathways are the foundation of a more equitable and prosperous future for the city.

Heights serves more than 3,500 students from middle school to career with staff embedded in 25 schools across the School District of Philadelphia and partnerships with 13 colleges and universities. Through advising and enrichment, pathways to careers, partnerships, and community, Heights transforms opportunities for success by equipping students with the tools to pursue careers that lead to

The Opportunity

The Manager, Career Pathways is responsible for coordinating and managing career pathway programming that supports high school and college students in developing the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed for postsecondary success, workforce readiness, and long-term economic mobility.

This role manages the day-to-day operations of assigned career pathway programs and works closely with the Career Team, students, school-based staff, employers, and internal colleagues to ensure high-quality program delivery and a positive student experience.

The role is responsible for student enrollment and orientation, participation tracking, program logistics, workshop design and facilitation, and ongoing student support.

You Will Help Us Achieve

• The design, implementation, and continuous improvement of high-quality career pathway programs that prepare students for postsecondary success, workforce readiness, quality employment, and long-term economic mobility;
• Increased student participation in career-connected learning experiences, including career exploration, workforce readiness training, internships, experiential learning, postsecondary opportunities, and employment pathways;
• Strong partnerships with schools, employers, industry leaders, postsecondary institutions, and community organizations that expand student access to career development opportunities, professional networks, and workforce experiences;
• A student-centered, outcomes-driven approach that strengthens career readiness, technical and durable skills, professional competencies, and equitable access to opportunity for all students.

What You’ll Do

• Deliver group and individualized coaching, advising, and support to help students navigate career exploration, postsecondary planning, internships, and workforce opportunities.
• Coordinate program logistics, including scheduling, participant communication, attendance tracking, transportation arrangements, meal and snack provision, and event preparation.
• Support the coordination of internships, job shadowing experiences, employer visits, guest speakers, and other experiential learning opportunities.
• Maintain regular communication with participating students and school-based staff regarding program expectations, schedules, goals and activities, and progress.
• Monitor student participation and maintain accurate program records, case notes, and data entry within organizational systems.
• Collect student surveys, review and store assessments, attendance information, and other program data to support reporting and outcome tracking.
• Assist with the preparation of program reports, student success stories, presentations, and other materials as requested.
• Participate in team meetings, professional development activities, and organizational events.
• Managing year-round and summer programming. This includes hiring and supervising part time staff, coordinating and creating schedules for staff and students, ordering supplies, communicating with families and staff, and managing toward identified outcomes.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor's Degree required
• Minimum of 5 years professional experience with a preference for this experience in the field of youth development, workforce development or a related field
• Experience working with middle school students, high school students, college students, young adults, or career seekers preferred.
• Experience facilitating workshops, group activities, or student programming preferred.
• Strong organizational, communication, student engagement and digital skills required.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, activities, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience with data entry, student tracking systems, and program administration preferred.

Who You Are

• Passionate about helping young people discover their strengths, prepare for college and careers, and achieve long-term economic mobility.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, student-centered environment and enjoys balancing direct student engagement with program coordination and operational responsibilities.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple programs, priorities, and deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality.
• Builds positive relationships with students, families, colleagues, schools, employers, and community partners and communicates with professionalism and empathy.
• An engaging facilitator and coach who enjoys leading workshops, mentoring students, and creating meaningful learning experiences that build confidence and career readiness.

In addition to your experience, expertise and strengths, you must meet PA State background check requirements [PA Criminal, PA Child Abuse and FBI Fingerprint Check] at hire and every five years thereafter. You’ll also need to adhere to COVID safety guidelines as required by the Department of Human Services and/or the School District of Philadelphia.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary for this position, which depends on prior work experience and our assessment of your demonstrated fit for the role, will likely be between $59,000-65,000. Heights offers competitive base salaries based on the Philadelphia market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time.

We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.

Heights offers a full benefits package designed to support employee wellness. This includes:

• Generous medical, dental & vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, which cover 90% of costs for employee coverage
• Paid time off including 17 personal days, 6 sick days, 12 federal holidays and 2 floating holidays, and two (2) week-long office closures, one at the end of the calendar year and another in spring.
• Twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave to support new parents
• Provision of a technology stipend to offset internet and cell phone costs
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• Semi-monthly staff gatherings and resources for targeted professional development opportunities
• 401(K)-retirement savings plan with an employer matching contribution

Work Arrangements

Heights Philadelphia currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work from home, in our Center City office, and on-site with school partners, as determined by the staff member's or team’s responsibilities. We also prioritize time together as an organization through our staff convenings and professional development - living in our value of succeeding together.

This role is required to report in person for a minimum of 2 days per week, one of which is Wednesday for all office-based staff. Additional reporting days may be necessary depending on priorities and schedule(s) for assigned career pathway programs.

Join the Team!

At Heights Philadelphia, we cultivate a culture of support. We love students. We do what we’ll say we do. We are lifelong learners. We succeed together. We are committed to maintaining a diverse staff - who reflect our students, their lived experiences, and our city. We are invested. And we invest in students to make a better Philadelphia for everyone.

If you are excited by our mission, highly skilled in your field, and eager to continue learning and growing, we invite you to apply. Visit our careers page to submit your resume. A cover letter is not required, however the application does require you to submit brief responses to a few prompts. These are directly connected to your related background and experience.