Senior Program Manager, College Success

The Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF) is committed to promoting equal

opportunities for Latinx students to excel in higher education and realize their career aspirations

for social and economic advancement. As a 501(c)(3) organization, we offer a range of

programs and education initiatives, including comprehensive support services for

postsecondary enrollment and persistence, career pathways preparation, and educational equity

advocacy.

Since 2019, we have supported over 1,000 LEAF Scholars and their families throughout their

college journey. In 2024 alone, we served more than 500 LEAF Scholars and over 90 LEAF

Mentors, along with more than 200 families. A remarkable 85% of our students persist in

college, considering that fewer than 20% of low-income Latinx students nationally persist in

earning a college degree within six years. Our comprehensive support system includes

scholarships, workshops, peer mentorship, parent engagement, and college partnerships, which

all work together to increase the enrollment and retention rates of Latinx students. With our

unwavering commitment, we aspire to empower and uplift our community's next generation of

Latinx leaders.

Position Overview

The Senior Program Manager plays a pivotal leadership role at LEAF, overseeing one of its core

program areas—Career Exploration & Discovery, College Success, or Family Engagement &

Advocacy. This role is responsible for driving program strategy, ensuring high-quality

implementation, and leading a team to achieve strong outcomes for Latinx and first-generation

students and families in East San José.

Reporting to the Director of Student Success, the Senior Program Manager, College Success,

ensures that their program area contributes to LEAF’s broader mission: to improve the economic

and educational outcomes for underrepresented students and their families. This role requires a

balance of strategic thinking, team leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and a deep

commitment to equity and student-centered design

The Senior Program Manager, College Success supervises a team of Coordinators, Associates,

Interns, and Volunteers, collaborates with cross-functional teams, and cultivates strong

community and institutional partnerships to sustain meaningful, high-impact programming. This

role requires deep cultural competence, strong project and people management skills, and a

commitment to equity-centered program design.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Strategy & Leadership

• Manages the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of one of LEAF’s core program areas, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and community needs, in partnership with the Directors and Senior Director.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable work plans, deliverables, and outcome measures.
• Codify systems, curriculum, and tools to ensure consistency, quality, and scalability.
• Monitor program milestones and make data-informed decisions to improve effectiveness.

Program Delivery & Relationship-Building

• Oversee the planning and facilitation of student and/or family workshops, events, and enrichment activities across virtual and in-person settings.
• Lead curriculum development or refinement to ensure programming is relevant, culturally responsive, and aligned with student/family needs.
• Cultivate trusting relationships with students, families, partners, and community members to support program goals and create a welcoming, inclusive environment.
• Supervise outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure strong participation and representation across all offerings.

Staff Supervision & Team Development

• Supervise and coach program staff, including Coordinators, Associates, Interns, and/or volunteers.
• Manage team goal-setting, reflection, and professional development processes.
• Foster a collaborative team culture rooted in equity, accountability, and shared learning.
• Provide coaching on student- and family-facing engagement, and model effective leadership practices.

Partnerships & Community Engagement

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with schools, colleges, employers, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders.
• Represent LEAF in collaborative spaces, events, and coalitions to expand resources and opportunities for participants.
• Integrate external speakers, mentors, and enrichment opportunities into program offerings.

Data & Continuous Improvement

• Work with the Senior Manager of Data Strategy & Learning and other appropriate leads to oversee data collection systems to track participation, impact, and progress toward goals.
• Work with the Senior Manager of Data Strategy & Learning and other appropriate leads to analyze data and feedback to guide continuous program improvement and ensure accountability to outcomes.
• Contribute to internal learning efforts by sharing insights and lessons with peers and leadership.

Program Operations & Budget Oversight

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Programs to inform and manage program budgets.
• Oversee logistical systems such as scheduling, incentive/stipend distribution, and documentation.
• Ensure compliance with organizational protocols and grant-related deliverables.

Communications & Storytelling

• Work with Communications Manager to share program highlights and participant stories to elevate community voice and amplify LEAF’s mission.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to support social media, newsletters, and public-facing materials that increase visibility and community engagement.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed

by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all

responsibilities, duties, and skills.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
• 5 years experience in education, workforce development, or community organizing preferred
• 3 years of supervisory or program management experience preferred, especially within the non-profit sector preferred
• Experience working within the California Community College system or supporting students transitioning from community college to four-year institutions, strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the East San José Community or previous experience working with low-income, communities of color
• Deep cultural competence and ability to build trust with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and curriculum development abilities.
• Comfort with using data and feedback to inform planning and measure impact.
• Proficiency with Google Suite including Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, etc.
• Familiarity with Canva, Mailchimp, and other graphic design applications
• Bilingual Spanish/English required

A Strong Candidate is able to:

• Manage multiple tasks and groups; manage projects by monitoring milestones and holding team accountable for on-time completion
• Exercise independent judgment in determining course of action for achieving functional objectives; resolve problems with short- and mid-term planning
• Identify risks and guide team towards solutions; influence team and others to achieve goals
• Foster and facilitate collaboration within and across departments
• Adapt communication to the needs of audiences to build sense of shared purpose
• Lead a department or team; may have direct reports; provides needs-based coaching
• Encourage team to seek and share diverse perspectives to inform decision-making and planning
• Seek lessons from other teams to improve team's outcomes
• Serve as an effective ambassador for LEAF; builds connections and maintains relationships with outside partners, funders, donors, and stakeholders

Compensation and Benefits

LEAF offers a generous pay and benefits package which includes:

• $80,000 - $92,000 annual base salary, based on experience and qualifications
• 50% employer-paid medical and dental/vision coverage options
• 401(k) retirement plan with a LEAF match: 100% of contributions on the first 3% deferred, then 50% of contributions from 3% to 5%
• Paid Time Off: 14 paid holidays, 15 days accrued vacation- increases with length of service, 10 days paid sick leave, Winter break between December 24 and New Year.
• Parking and mileage reimbursement
• Cell phone stipend
• Employer-sponsored professional development opportunities
• Optional disability, life insurance coverage options, as well as Flexible Spending Accounts, employee-paid

Work Environment

• LEAF offices are located at 1550 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126. This position is required to work from the office 2-3 days of the week with the option to work remotely the remaining days.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends for workshops, student/family events, or community-based engagement is required.
• Local travel to partner sites and events required

How to apply

Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume at https://www.leafca.org/careers

or careers@leafca.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Resumes without cover

letters will not be considered.

LEAF is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry (including caste), gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, reproductive health status, family caregiver status, political or religious affiliations, or any other characteristic protected by law.