Associate Programs Manager

Overview of Watson Institute

Watson Institute powers transformative Fellowships in partnership with leading corporations and foundations to support highly promising entrepreneurs and leaders from underserved backgrounds. The Fellowships provide proven entrepreneurship and leadership skills training, committed mentorship, community development stipends, long-term Alumni support, and access to a global community of peers, mentors, and opportunities.

In partnership with Google, JPMorganChase Foundation, Walmart.org, Wells Fargo, Ford Philanthropy, SAP, Truist Foundation, BMO, Comcast, Western Union, and several private foundations, Watson Institute’s programs will reach over 2,400 rising leaders this year.

Alumni of Watson Institute’s Fellowships have raised over $190 million, created over 2,300 paid jobs, and impacted over 11 million people around the world through initiatives they have helped lead. 93% of Watson Institute alums are employed, continuing their education, or building a venture. 85% of Watson Institute Alumni use a skill they learned while in a Watson Institute-powered program up to 12 years later. Watson Institute’s Alumni have been selected to Y Combinator, the Echoing Green Fellowship, and 11 have been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 lists. Alums continue their education at Harvard University, New York University, and Princeton University, among others. 

Associate Programs Manager - Mission Statement

The Associate Programs Manager plays a central role in shaping and implementing the student experience at Watson Institute at Lynn University. This individual helps design, lead, and execute high-impact student experiences focused on leadership development, community building, professional growth, mentorship, and experiential learning, ensuring students feel supported, challenged, connected, and equipped to pursue impactful, successful careers.

Student Experience, Facilitation & Community Building (35%)

The Associate Programs Manager will help shape and lead the student experience at Watson Institute at Lynn University by facilitating programming, strengthening student engagement, and cultivating a connected, high-accountability community culture. Responsibilities include:

• Lead and facilitate weekly All Hands on Deck programming, student engagement experiences, and community-building initiatives.
• Build meaningful relationships with students across all cohorts to foster trust, accountability, and connection.
• Help cultivate a positive, inclusive, and high-accountability student culture throughout the program experience.
• Support onboarding, orientation, and transition experiences for new students.
• Design and facilitate interactive sessions focused on leadership, collaboration, communication, and professional development.
• Partner closely with the Student Leadership Committee to strengthen community culture and support student-led initiatives and programming.
• Coordinate volunteering and community engagement opportunities that deepen student connection and impact.
• Maintain consistent communication with students to support participation, accountability, and overall engagement.
• Collaborate closely with the Executive Director to continuously enhance the student experience.

Program Operations & Execution (30%)

The Associate Programs Manager will support the successful execution of Watson Institute at Lynn University’s core programming and student experiences. This individual will help ensure program experiences are organized, engaging, and executed to a high standard. Responsibilities include:

• Lead logistics and operational coordination for core WILU experiences, including Orientation, Summit, Impact Series, workshops, excursions, volunteering activities, and community events.
• Manage calendars, timelines, forms, checklists, and operational systems that support program delivery and execution.
• Coordinate speakers, mentors, photographers, external guests, and event logistics across student-facing experiences.
• Manage student-facing operational platforms, including Google Workspace, Slack, scheduling systems, and program communications.
• Ensure strong execution, responsiveness, and follow-through across all programmatic experiences and operational workflows.
• Support the continuous improvement of systems, processes, and organizational workflows to strengthen program operations and efficiency

Professional Development, Mentorship & Opportunity Ecosystem (25%)

The Associate Programs Manager will help support students’ professional growth by coordinating mentorship experiences, strengthening career development programming, and helping students access meaningful opportunities, networks, and experiential learning connections. Responsibilities include:

• Support students with internship readiness, career exploration, professional development, and goal-setting conversations.
• Host 1-on-1 coaching conversations focused on student growth, opportunities, and professional readiness.
• Coordinate internship tracking and opportunity-sharing systems across the program.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with mentors, employers, and external community partners.
• Support mentor onboarding, communication, matching, and ongoing engagement processes.
• Coordinate mentorship events, networking opportunities, and mentor-related programming.
• Help connect students to meaningful opportunities, experiences, and professional networks aligned with their goals.

Measurement, Feedback & Continuous Improvement (10%)

The Associate Programs Manager will support ongoing program evaluation and operational improvement efforts by helping gather feedback, identify areas for growth, and strengthen systems that enhance the overall student experience. Responsibilities include:

• Gather and analyze student feedback, participation trends, and program evaluation data. 
• Identify opportunities to improve student experience, communication, engagement, and operational systems.

*New responsibilities may develop as the Associate Programs Manager position evolves.

Requirements

Culture Add

In order to thrive as the Associate Programs Manager at Watson Institute, a candidate must:

• Eager to join a team with extremely high standards for quality and excellence, recognizing that demonstrating excellence in partnership building is a direct path to scaling impact and achieving outsized results.
• An exceptional eye for detail. You enjoy spending time with words, style, and formatting in order to make the most compelling product possible. 
• Detail Oriented: You are meticulous and have excellent organizational skills. You are especially attuned to spotting mistakes or inconsistencies in writing and external communications. You take pride in completing your work accurately and on schedule. You have a knack for project management and a love for work plans and checklists. You cringe at missed steps and you are the first to identify a typo or formatting error.
• Intentional: Your working style is about creating order and planning ahead. You think systematically and excel at establishing elegant processes.
• Results-Driven: You bring an eagerness to grow and to roll up your sleeves and contribute. You have a go-getter attitude and a drive to solve all sorts of problems, no matter the size or shape. When something is your responsibility, you find a way to see it through to the end.
• High Integrity: You will be asked to make sensitive and critical judgment calls, and as such, you are known for your integrity and you take that reputation seriously. You always choose to make the right decision versus the easy decision. You know what information is sensitive, and you will protect it accordingly. You are comfortable escalating issues and holding your ground when you think it’s the right thing to do for the organization and mission.
• Systems-minded: Demonstrated experience in building and implementing systems. You are comfortable designing, testing, improving, and smoothly running systems and processes. This could be any system that involves inputs from or serves multiple people and requires consistent and accurate functioning.
• Communication Style: Based on a story from Watson Institute’s early days, ‘Come to the Window’ represents the principles of our communication including:

• • Obligation to Dissent: If you disagree with a decision or direction as an organization, you are expected to bring attention to this challenge because true leaders believe dissent is an obligation.
  • Disagree and Commit: To complement Obligation to Dissent, there are times when we need to Disagree and Commit.  Once all concerns and criticisms are shared, the course of action must be committed to by all involved.
  • No Drama: We prioritize purpose and don’t involve ourselves in the drama created by backroom chatter, hearsay, and unnecessary focus on issues that do not place impact first.
  • Go to the Source: Our culture is defined by direct, honest, and frequent communication. We expect team members to ‘go to the source’ of concerns by speaking up, communicating frequently, and taking issues directly to the individuals involved.

Benefits

Salary and Benefits

• Competitive base salary according to experience: $62,500.00-$65,000.00.
• An Annual Happiness Fund that increases with time and seniority.
• Unlimited vacations (3 weeks required vacation time per year).
• Healthcare benefit via Thatch (ICHRA provider), where employees have the option to apply this amount towards their choice of medical plans, with the option to add vision and dental plans.
• Retirement account through Guideline, with an automatic 3% contribution.

The Vitals

• The Associate Programs Manager is a full-time commitment and reports to the Executive Director.
• This role is based in Boca Raton, Florida, and requires regular in-person engagement. Candidates should reside within a reasonable commuting distance or be willing to relocate. 
• Occasional evening and event-based responsibilities are expected throughout the academic year.
• We accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 
• The start date for this position is August 10, 2026.
• We use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.