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SalaryThe 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. And these talented workers have few options to advance: college is too long and expensive, full-time bootcamp 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 and 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 work with a broad constellation of local and national employers like JPMorgan Chase and Infosys to place learners into 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 primary mission of the Program Success Manager & Career Coach(PSM & CC) is to focus on coaching and supporting Merit America's learners so that they have what they need to succeed in our program and beyond. This role is ideal for those seeking to make a meaningful, direct impact on the careers and lives of citizens who have been historically marginalized and excluded.
The PSM & CC holds a variety of responsibilities related to cohort-based program management within a career track (e.g., IT Support, Java Development, Data Analytics, UX Design). The PSM & CC also plans and delivers Career Coaching and facilitates professional skill development through personalized coaching sessions, in addition to large- and small-group programming, to ensure participants are prepared for a new career in tech. The PSM & CC is an exempt role and will report directly to the Senior Program Success Manager & Career Coach.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the PSM & CC will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Cohort Management (45%):
- Foster a positive and supportive environment throughout learners' cohorts.
- Build relationships with learners and support their individual needs during the program by providing regular check-ins, offering guidance and motivation, and celebrating their successes.
Monitor learners' progress in online courses through an online portal and proactively reach out to offer support when learners are struggling.
- Identify program insights and lessons, making necessary adjustments to enhance both the program and learner experience.
Career Counseling (55%):
- Deliver live and asynchronous personalized Career Coaching by identifying areas for improvement, providing constructive feedback, and guiding learners toward tech career readiness.
- Lead dynamic and interactive coaching sessions, catering to both one-on-one, large-group, and small-group settings, to deliver essential professional skills training and hands-on practice.
- Identify and assess opportunities and challenges faced by learners, acting as the central contact to gather and disseminate relevant information that could be helpful to them.
Skills and Competencies
We know that women, people of color, and individuals with disabilities are often less likely to apply to a position if they don't match 100% of the job qualifications. Don't let that be the reason you miss out on this opportunity! We encourage you to apply if you can demonstrate many of these skills and competencies. Below are the skills that are relevant for thriving in this role:
Must Haves:
- Strong knowledge of professional skills such as resume & cover letter writing, interviewing, communicating professionally, etc., including interest and previous experience with Career Coaching, tutoring, education, counseling, youth development, non-profits, or other mission-driven work
- Be energized by our organizational mission - to provide a pathway to family-sustaining careers for Americans without college degrees
- Proven history of living within our values
- Sense of deep personal responsibility for our collective success
- Demonstrates a willingness to look beyond the obvious to find new information, focus on continually seeking new knowledge and skills, and develop our existing capabilities.
- Able to tailor their support to the individual needs of learners
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills
- Outstanding ability to understand, empathize with, and a desire to support people of diverse backgrounds, particularly those identified in Merit's mission
- Able to step up and run autonomously in ambiguous, quickly changing environments
- Exceptional operational and organizational skills, and the ability to manage your schedule and balance multiple demands
Nice to Haves:
- Experience with Salesforce or other CRM platforms
- Proficient with Google workspace (Google sheets, docs, etc)
- Experience leading/presenting to large groups of people in the virtual setting
- Commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing personal and professional development
- Prior experience in workforce development, edTech, or equivalent training programs
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)
- To support adult learners in various time zones with different work schedules, PSMs should occasionally be available for 1:1s and/or squad sessions in the evenings. While only some PSMs will be assigned to evening squad sessions for some cohorts, we rotate schedules and try to accommodate preferences, so all PSMs should expect occasional evening availability.
- Location: Remote
- Salary: $71,925
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.
We take care of our employees by providing the following perks and benefits:
- 4-day work week (Fridays are an operating day if there is a holiday closure during the week)
- Medical, Dental and Vision insurance (100% Paid Employee Only Coverage)
- Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account
- Dependent care Flexible Spending Account
- Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit
- Education reimbursement & personal development stipend
- Short and long-term disability
- Unlimited vacation (after a 90-day introductory period)
- Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits (after 1 year of employment)
- 11 federally recognized holidays
- 1 week office closure in July (week of July 4th)
- 2 week holiday office closure in December/January
- 401(k) retirement plan with automatic Merit contribution
- Employee Assistance Program | Talkspace | Sanvello
- Discount perks at work program
- Phone/technology stipend
- Home office setup stipend
Remote Work & Sponsorship
Candidates must reside within the 50 states or District of Columbia and have full authorization to work in the 50 U.S. states & the District of Columbia (international work abroad, including the U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other islands are excluded). In addition, Merit America doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Building an inclusive, high-performing team that is diverse across lines of personal identity is integral to our success and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
This means we do not discriminate against any job applicant or employee because of their race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment.
We actively strive and evolve to develop and maintain workspaces that are fully inclusive. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.
Still excited about our work? You can learn more about our work in this video we made with our founding partner, Google.
E-Verify Statement
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the I-9 Form.
