Program Manager

Who We Are

Spark the Journey is a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and a community of support for young adults to chart their own paths to achieving college and career success. Formerly known as Capital Partners for Education (CPE), Spark has been working with talented young adults in the Washington, DC metro region for over 30 years and currently serves over 400 mentees annually. Spark the Journey's unique mentorship approach fosters long-lasting relationships between mentors and mentees as young adults choose to pursue the education, career path, or personal goals they want to achieve—with a community of support behind them.

About the Role

The Program Manager for Virginia Programs is the primary Spark point of contact for Northern Virginia's Community College's Woodbridge campus and is responsible for proactive case management and relationship support for approximately 100 mentor–mentee pairs. This role will lead on-campus and virtual engagement, coach mentees and mentors to promote skill building, and collaborate closely with Spark's internal teams to continuously improve the program model.

This position is based on NOVA's Woodbridge campus and requires in-person work on campus at least three days per week, with regular outreach to students and mentors both on campus and in the surrounding Woodbridge community. Start date is as early as January 5, 2026.

The Program Manager reports to the Associate Director of Programs. As the program grows, this role may evolve to include direct supervision of additional program staff.

Responsibilities

Strategy, Partnership, and Program Leadership

• Serve as the primary liaison between NOVA's Woodbridge campus and Spark the Journey, maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with campus partners and Spark staff.

• Provide leadership in the development, implementation, and oversight of site-specific program goals, work plans, calendar, and communication in alignment with Spark's overall program model.

• Collaborate with Spark's Data and Systems team to build and improve systems to track program data and standardize case management processes.

• With the Program Data Manager, analyze progress toward program outcomes and make data-driven decisions to continually improve program impact and delivery.

• Provide feedback and insights to Spark's Curriculum and Training teams to strengthen workshops, resources, and overall program design based on student and mentor needs.

Case Management and Direct Support

• Manage a caseload of approximately 100 mentor– mentee pairs through regular check-ins, coordinated programming, and targeted support.

• Monitor mentee academic, social/emotional, and developmental progress and partner with mentors to address challenges by connecting them to resources.

• Use surveys and data reports to tailor outreach and support

Program Improvement and Collaboration

• Provide regular feedback and insights to Spark's curriculum and training team to strengthen workshops, coaching content, and resources.

• Partner with the data and systems team to improve data collection, case management tools, and program dashboards.

• Contribute to the development and refinement of program goals, calendars, and communication plans as the program evolves.

Operations and Culture

• Demonstrate fiscal and financial responsibility by following Spark policies tracking and managing expenses to ensure they do not exceed the annual budget.

• Support efforts to define and cultivate a culture that reflects Spark values, fosters innovation, and promotes collaboration and inclusivity.

• Other duties as assigned to promote case management, program execution, and professional development.

Team Supervision (Future / As Program Expands)

• In the event of program expansion, this position may supervise Program Coordinators and provide coaching, guidance, and performance feedback.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human development, psychology, sociology, social work, education or other social sciences/human services field

• At least three years working with young adults from low-income communities facing barriers to college completion. Experience can include:

• College transition, persistence, and/or career transition; college or career counseling

• Mentoring or coaching experience with youth and/or adults (including athletics)

• Relationship facilitation, ideally between people from diverse backgrounds

• Program and workshop design and curriculum development

• Experience navigating college bursar's office, financial aid, federal work-study, FAFSA completion, private scholarships

• Classroom teaching

• Ability to empower others to own projects and reach goals

• Ability to take initiative, both individually and as part of a high-performing team

• Strong organizational and time management skills

• Excellent interpersonal communication and relationship building skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• Experience with data management systems, preferably Salesforce

We are not able to sponsor employment visas for this position. Applicants for this position should be legally able to work full time in the United States for 12 months.

Physical Requirements

This position is primarily sedentary, but involves moving around at occasional off-site events. The person in this position will need to respond to emails, chat messages, and audio/visual communications, and may need to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with internal team members, access files, and use office machinery such as a copier/printer.

How You Will Be Compensated

The salary for this position is between $62,000-$70,000 annually. If you receive an offer, it may be anywhere within this range depending on the skills and knowledge brought to the role.

To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, Spark uses a non-negotiable salary system. Our goal is to offer a competitive salary that also meets our equity guidelines. Rather than negotiating, we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with Flexible Spending