Program Director

THE ROLE

The Program Director will oversee the execution of HomeWorks’ program operations while fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and excellence among the team. This role is responsible for managing program logistics, enhancing team dynamics, and co-building a positive and cohesive organizational culture. The Program Director will drive initiatives in personnel training, team development, and cultural alignment across all aspects of program delivery, including curriculum design, residential staff management, scholar recruitment, community outreach, and volunteer engagement. This position will ensure the effective implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of HomeWorks’ programming, equipping scholars to thrive while upholding the organization’s values and mission.

Leadership and Culture 

• Build a strong, results-driven program and team culture aligned with HomeWorks’ mission, values, and strategic objectives.

• Foster a collaborative and supportive team dynamic that ensures staff feel confident, motivated, and empowered to achieve success.

• Inspire and lead by example, modeling intentionality, adaptability, and accountability in decision-making, problem-solving, and day-to-day operations.

• Establish open communication channels and promote trust among staff, scholars, and families to maintain a cohesive community.

• Proactively address challenges in program or team culture, ensuring alignment with HomeWorks’ values and fostering long-term growth.

Staff Management & Development 

• Lead hiring efforts for residential and program-related roles, including recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and training.

• Supervise and support program and residential staff, providing clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

• Conduct regular one-on-one check-ins and performance reviews to deliver constructive feedback,  provide tools and resources for improvement, and celebrate accomplishments.

• Create and implement staff training programs focused on skill development, program execution, and fostering scholar success.

• Encourage a team-centered and growth mindset culture by emphasizing collaboration, shared accountability, and mutual support.

• Encourage staff to take initiative, solve problems, and contribute to program improvements while maintaining alignment with HomeWorks’ mission and values.

• Manage and coordinate team responsibilities using project management tools like Asana to oversee, delegate, and track progress on tasks and projects.

Program Operations

• Oversee all aspects of program operations, including residential logistics, transportation, meal plans, program schedules, and scholar safety, ensuring smooth day-to-day functioning.

• Strategize, implement, and assess core internal programs and curriculum such as academic study hall, social justice and global learning, climate and culture building, mental health counseling, college access, family engagement, and alumni support, ensuring alignment with the organization’s Theory of Change.

• Ensure program activities, including field trips, workshops, and special events, are planned and executed end-to-end while adhering to legal guidelines and internal policies.

• Develop and implement effective scholar recruitment strategies, including school outreach, community engagement, and family involvement, to maintain strong enrollment.

• Create and maintain program manuals, calendars, and standardized procedures to ensure consistency and scalability in operations.

• Serve as the primary on-call administrative contact from Sunday evenings to Friday mornings, providing the residential staff support to address operational, scholar, and family emergencies with efficiency and care.

• Adapt and respond to challenges or new projects as they arise, ensuring alignment with HomeWorks’ mission and values.

Relationship Building & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with scholars, families, volunteers, and community partners to ensure a holistic and effective support system.

• Partner with community organizations, local schools, and other stakeholders to enhance programming, secure resources, and expand opportunities for scholars.

• Collaborate with HomeWorks leadership to identify, cultivate, and strengthen strategic partnerships that advance the organization’s mission.

• Recruit, onboard, and sustain long-term relationships with volunteers, ensuring their roles align with program needs and their contributions are valued.

• Act as a representative of HomeWorks in the community, participating in outreach efforts, presentations, and events to increase visibility and support.

• Regularly communicate with stakeholders to provide updates, gather feedback, and foster ongoing engagement and commitment.

Program Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Regularly assess the effectiveness of the program, utilizing feedback from scholars, families, and staff to drive improvements.

• Maintain records of all aspects related to program operations on Salesforce, track progress, and keep C-suite leadership informed with detailed reports and presentations on program progress, team performance, and emerging needs.

• Write and submit detailed grant reports, gathering necessary data and insights for effective reporting.

• Identify and address potential challenges to program delivery, ensuring that necessary adjustments are made to meet evolving needs.

THE TANGIBLE GOODS

• Location: Lawrence/Trenton, NJ

• Typical Working Hours: HomeWorks Trenton values work-life integration and is working towards establishing this culture, through actively fundraising for a bigger team, automizing procedures through AI and building culture around our values. However, as a grassroots non-profit startup with a small team, we are realistically still working long start-up hours, and there will be weeks where you are expected to work longer hours and have availability to work evenings and weekends as necessary. 

• Salary range: HomeWorks Trenton values our employees highly and acknowledges the importance of salary in recognizing and compensating for the value that employees create. We are continually growing in our ability to compensate employees as highly as we want to, and are actively fundraising in order to do so. Joining HomeWorks means being part of a deeply mission-driven and community-oriented organization that invests in development of staff as both people and professionals. We are, however, a young non-profit, and want to be transparent about what you can expect. In your first year, expect a base salary of $70,000-$80,000.

• Benefits: 

  • Medical, Dental, Vision 

  • 401k plan 

  • Life Insurance 

  • Long Term Disability 

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Paid Time Off: 10 days

  • Work Desktop 

  • Professional development and leadership growth opportunities

  • A rewarding career that positively impacts our amazing scholars

• Start date: ASAP (by April/May)