National Program Director, Samvid Young Leaders

Samvid Ventures

Samvid Ventures (SV) is a philanthropic foundation committed to improving lives and advancing society through innovation in entrepreneurship, education, and wellness. It has staff and board presence in Detroit, New York, and Miami, and a national footprint in its programming.

The SV team values collaboration, intellectual curiosity, creativity, continuous improvement, a commitment to professional growth and development, and maintaining a service orientation in all we do. In its team members, Samvid Ventures looks for individuals who are motivated by excellence, will thrive in an entrepreneurial environment, and have demonstrated a strong impact-orientation through their work.

Samvid Young Leaders

Samvid Young Leaders (SYL) is a scholarship awarded to high achieving, college-bound young women who face significant financial challenges to both assist with financial demands during college and build a foundation of financial capability to serve the young leaders throughout their lifetime. The program offers three core components: funding for critical non-tuition related expenses, a financial capabilities curriculum and coaching, and a supportive cohort-based model. Launched in Detroit in 2020, we are looking to significantly scale this unique and impactful program, changing the trajectories for young women nationwide.

National Program Director Role

The National Program Director will work alongside SV’s leadership team and Board of Directors to build upon a successful scholarship program with core responsibilities of managing an ambitious scale-up while bringing practices of continuous improvement to all aspects of programming.

Responsibilities will include:

  • Program strategy: Understand the board’s objectives in designing this program and ensure these are met and exceeded through thorough and elegant strategy design; regularly revisit strategy to ensure any new data and learnings are informing its shape; continue to build on one’s own knowledge of the space through desk research, conversations with experts and other field-based work; ensure performance metrics fully capture and continue to line up with strategic priorities
  • Strategic scaling: Accurately capture priorities and directives from the board to develop roadmap for program scaling; lead all scaling efforts to bring SYL to approximately five additional cities within the next two years. This will include developing big-picture strategic planning as well as granular, detailed implementation work
  • Program delivery: Drive working team’s execution of program delivery, including the application, review, and selection process for new cohorts; marketing and communications efforts; delivery of all training modules, financial and otherwise (led by partners, once selected); program tracking and evaluation efforts through smart data collection, and continuously identifying opportunities for improvement
  • Relationship building: Authentically and meaningfully engage with program partners (critical to program delivery and success), as well as applicants, current young leaders, counselors and administrators, financial literacy professionals, selection committee members and the SV team and board to ensure needs are met, curiosities are satisfied, and positive partnerships are built and maintained both internally and externally.
  • People management: Directly manage an internal team to support planning, pre-work and program execution; provide coaching and other supports to enhance professional development of team members; manage critical external stakeholders responsible for aspects of program delivery; manage up to SV board and assume full ownership and accountability for program outcomes

Who we’re looking for:

  • Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred
  • Work experience: 10-15+ years; preferably with exposure to college access, and/or financial capability; experience in consulting or other professional training program; experience scaling a program
  • Strong strategic thinker: Structures thoughts in a logical fashion and can communicate takeaways in a clear and concise manner; connects work of program to organization’s larger strategy
  • Exceptional problem-solving skills: Is able to easily define problems and break them into smaller questions; takes initiative in generating ideas and solutions; creates and applies frameworks to problemsolving; anticipates and names risks
  • Excellent execution skills: Can easily work with data, build workplans, assemble and deliver high-quality presentation materials, communicate crisply with leadership and board as well as junior team members
  • Superb carrier of SV culture: Ability to balance bold ideas with a humble attitude, always seeking to learn more; outstanding listening skills, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit; ability to work effectively with diverse concepts, individuals, and organizations; ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures

To apply:

  • Email resume with salary requirement to recruiter@samvid.ventures
  • This position is based in NYC and Samvid Ventures is currently hybrid in-office
  • Please no cover letters