Program Director, Strive Houston

Description

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Since 1984, STRIVE has helped individuals facing significant barriers to employment gain access to meaningful careers, economic mobility, and long-term opportunity. Through its proven Five-Pillar Model, STRIVE combines career readiness, occupational skills training, career coaching, job placement assistance, and lifetime support to help participants secure and sustain employment. Over four decades, STRIVE and its affiliates have served more than 90,000 individuals nationwide.

Today, STRIVE operates direct-service sites in New York City, Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, and Northern New Jersey, and plans to open a new site in Houston in spring 2027. STRIVE also supports a growing network of partner-operated programs across the country. The organization has earned national recognition for achieving strong outcomes while serving individuals who face some of the greatest barriers to employment, including housing instability, justice-system involvement, and substance use recovery.

STRIVE is now embarking on an ambitious next chapter. Guided by a multi-year growth plan, developed with the support of The Bridgespan Group, the organization aims to serve 20,000 individuals annually by 2036 through a growing network of direct-operated and partner-operated sites, positioning STRIVE as the nation's leading employment partner for highly barriered jobseekers. Over the next decade, STRIVE expects to serve approximately 110,000 individuals, generating an estimated $1.5 billion in wage gains and transforming economic opportunity for families and communities across the country.

To learn more about STRIVE, please visit www.strive.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

We seek a results-oriented and social justice-minded leader with program, performance, and team management experience to support the expansion of our Houston office. The Program Director will provide leadership to develop and grow the Career Path program, ensure its sustainability, and support STRIVE Houston program participants in successfully developing the skills, attitudes and behaviors needed to realize self-sufficiency and upward mobility.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Hiring, supervising, and supporting a diverse, high-performing program team to serve students and achieve program outcomes (including career readiness and occupational skills training completion, successful job placement of participants and long-term job retention) through disciplined data analysis, coaching, and training and development.
• Continue to grow STRIVE's presence in the workforce development community within greater Houston by cultivating relationships in partnership with Executive Director with workforce boards, funders, local social service agencies, faith-based institutions, parole and probation bureaus and other program referral sources.
• With the support of Houston's Executive Director and STRIVE's Team, develop and support leading the implementation of STRIVE Houston's career pathway program.
• Developing strong partnerships with local organizations that offer supportive services for our participants including benefits access, financial literacy, housing counseling, mental health, and career advancement.
• Researching workforce and labor market data and trends and employer insight to inform the development of sectoral pathways for implementation. Identify and secure training providers to meet program goals.
• Develop Memorandums of Understanding and contracts with partners and vendors.
• Develop and maintain program flow-charts, manuals, systems, and policies and procedures.
• Innovation to meet the dynamic and changing needs of target population and staff.
• Managing invoicing, data collection and program reporting, file maintenance and other operational duties.
• Ensure that STRIVE Houston obtains enough enrolled students to fulfill contract obligations, while reaching retention and advancement milestones as developed by Executive Director.
• Responsible for reporting to program funders and other key stakeholders.
• Use Apricot, student tracking system to run necessary reports and closely monitor data.
• Additional duties as needed.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent professional and/or lived experience required.
• Five (5) years' experience in workforce development or sector-based training
• Experience in or understanding of business development preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of youth development, programming and current issues, trends and best practices in the field
• Familiarity with career-focused education and workforce development programs
• Excellent management and leadership skills; able to motivate staff and implement strategies to meet and exceed service level expectations
• Intermediate skill level of Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment a must; and
• Must have strong and polished interpersonal, written and oral communication skills
• Experience in a start-up company or program preferred

Location: This position may initially be fully remote and will transition to fully in-person, Monday through Friday, at STRIVE's Houston office once a permanent office location is established. The role will also require occasional fieldwork and travel.

STRIVE offers a rich benefits package that includes:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Pre-tax Commuter Benefits Program
• 401k with employer match
• 20 days of PTO (pro-rated for part-time employees)
• Sick leave
• Up to $500 annual professional development reimbursement
• Paid holidays (including week of Christmas)
• Early closing each Friday during the summer

STRIVE considers applicants for all positions without regard to: race; color; religion; gender; national origin; age; sexual orientation; marital or veteran status; the presence of a medical condition, genetic information or handicap, unrelated to performing the tasks of the job; or any other legally protected status.