Manager, Program Strategy

The Organization: Merit America

The American economy is broken. Today, 53 million working adults–nearly half of the U.S. workforce–do not earn a living wage. These talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time boot camp programs don’t offer enough flexibility, and online courses don’t have the structure or support to translate learning into a new career. The result? Talented workers, disproportionately people of color and women, get stuck in low-wage roles with no way to build a better life for themselves and their families.

Merit America is a national nonprofit that creates pathways to family-sustaining careers for Americans stuck in low-wage work. Our fast, flexible solutions are built for working adults: We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify in-demand, high-paying tech careers. We then work with industry-recognized partners to train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching. Finally, we support our learners in their job search, helping them connect with a broad constellation of local and national employers such as JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to land higher-earning, family-sustaining jobs, driving an average wage gain of $24k three months or more after completing the program. Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to join the middle class through merit, not money. We’re on track to generate $1B in wage gains by 2025.

Role Overview

The Manager, Program Strategy is a senior individual contributor role that combines hands-on program design work with strategic execution and cross-functional project leadership. You will design and develop curriculum and program models while also serving as a "project quarterback" for high-priority initiatives—ensuring ideas move efficiently from design to operational reality across Merit America's career tracks and program offerings.

This role does not include direct people management but requires strong cross-functional influence. You will report to either the Director of Program Design or the Director of Program Innovation and collaborate frequently with teams across Program, Product, Coaching, Operations, and Admissions.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Manager, Program Strategy will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Program Design & Curriculum Development

• Design, curate, and maintain high-quality curriculum resources across learning tracks, ensuring alignment with industry standards and learner needs
• Partner with the coaching team to streamline the learner experience through clear objectives, instructions, and feedback mechanisms
• Work with third-party content providers to ensure content relevance, scalability, and alignment with industry needs
• Regularly update and refine curriculum based on learner feedback, data, and industry trends
• Develop and implement program models that enhance the learner experience, focusing on innovative and scalable delivery methods
• Create resources and training for internal stakeholders to support effective program delivery

Program Strategy & Execution

• Own execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives, including new track launches and major program updates.
• Develop and manage project plans, timelines, dependencies, and risks to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Ensure program execution aligns with Merit America’s “North Star” learner experience and organizational priorities.

New Track Launches & Program Rollouts

• Lead coordination of new career track launches across curriculum, coaching, and operations.
• Partner with Program Operations to translate program designs into clear rollout plans, tools, training, and documentation.
• Support post-launch evaluation and iteration based on outcomes and operational feedback.

Research, Innovation, & Experimentation

• Conduct and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research on learner needs, workforce trends, and program effectiveness to inform strategic decisions.
• Support the design and monitoring of pilots and experiments, translating findings into scalable recommendations.
• Embed inclusive excellence principles into research, experimentation, and program design.

Evaluation, Quality, & Communication

• Analyze ongoing learner feedback and program data to assess current effectiveness and inform strategic decisions
• Ensure curriculum, coaching strategies, and program models align with industry standards and design intent
• Partner with Program Designers to maintain quality and consistency across program offerings
• Synthesize program progress, learner insights, and outcome data into clear reports and recommendations for leadership to support decision-making and prioritization.

Skills and Competencies

We recognize that some individuals from underrepresented backgrounds may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet 100% of the listed qualifications.  Please don’t let that discourage you from applying! We value the unique skills, experiences, and perspectives that each applicant brings, and we encourage you to apply if you believe your background demonstrates the required skills and competencies:

Must Haves for all roles at Merit America: 

• Committed to Merit America’s mission to pave pathways to family-sustaining careers, break the poverty cycle, and create upward mobility for low-wage workers
• Demonstrated history of embodying our values, which inform our work and drive our organization's culture
• Shared sense of responsibility and ownership for our collective work in making a positive impact on the community we support, true to our value of Win & Lose Together
• Committed to continuous learning and growth in advancing inclusive excellence and closing gaps across lines of difference
• Passionate about fostering a workplace culture that embraces and values individual differences, aligned with our core value of inclusivity

Must Haves for this role:

Program Design & Curriculum Development

• Experience designing, developing, or building curriculum or learning experiences
• Learner-centered mindset with focus on effective, engaging educational experiences
• Ability to iterate based on data, feedback, and industry trends

Strategic Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Influence

• Strategic project leadership across complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Experience developing and managing project plans, timelines, dependencies, and risks
• Strong cross-functional influence without formal authority
• Systems thinking across curriculum, coaching, operations, and learner experience

Data-Driven Analysis & Communication

• Ability to synthesize data, research, and feedback into clear recommendations
• Experience conducting research and evaluating program effectiveness to inform strategic decisions
• Clear written and verbal communication for senior leadership audiences

Adaptability & Change Management

• Comfort operating in ambiguity and supporting change management

Nice to Haves for this role:

• Experience launching new programs or products from concept to operational reality
• Prior work in education, workforce development, or social impact sectors
• Experience with inclusive excellence frameworks and equity-centered program design
• Knowledge of workforce development trends and industry certification pathways
• Familiarity with agile project management methodologies
• Background in research design or program evaluation
• Experience coordinating training and documentation for operational rollouts

Other Logistics 

• This position is full-time: 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
• Location: Remote
• Salary: $115,500

Our goal is to have competitive and equitable compensation.  We have a market-based compensation approach, which means we benchmark each role from reputable data sources. We compare our benchmarks against similarly sized non-profit organizations with comparable annual budgets and geographical areas. We pay the same rate for the same roles and adjust to comply with statutory mandates.