Associate Program Manager, Career Forge Program

If you derive meaning and fulfillment in breaking down systemic barriers for historically excluded students and professionals to access careers with huge potential for upward mobility, this role would be ideal for you. We are actively recruiting a passionate Associate Program Manager to join LabCentral Ignite’s team to lead our signature Career Forge Program.

Career Forge identifies exceptional career-ready people and empowers them with the relevant technical lab-based and soft skills necessary to forge their path into the biotech industry through meaningful career opportunities. You’ll expand Career Forge’s impact as a catalyst for new careers in biotech for multiple cohorts of underrepresented professionals each year. You’ll make all of this and more possible through a program that runs less than 4 intensive weeks and includes upskilling in lab technique, biotech industry engagement, resume and interview prep and presentation skills building, with an established set of supporting instructional, soft skills and funding partners. 

Your role will be part of our growing LabCentral Ignite team. Ignite is uniquely positioned at the intersection of industry, educational institutions, nonprofits, and a community of under tapped talent. By way of programs and initiatives that impact the life sciences talent pipeline – from Kindergarten thru startup entrepreneurship and biotech Boardroom, Ignite is addressing challenges of racial and gender underrepresentation among the talented people who are the engine behind discoveries that are healing, saving, and extending lives. If that type of inclusive change sounds interesting to you, we would love to meet you!

You would be an ideal candidate for this role if you are a results-oriented project manager with excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills. You should enjoy designing or supporting collaborative programming that connect, develop, and support individuals with promising careers seeking to add to the great success of the biotech industry. 

Day-to-day responsibilities

Scale and continue to innovate the Career Forge Program (now in Year 3), bringing creative program design strategies, techniques and tools into practice including program evaluation, participant tracking, and key metrics tracking. 

Engage employers and build real-world career placement for recent college graduates, those with under-estimated educational pathways and adults transitioning their careers in the biotech industry who complete Career Forge

Be an active contributor to the development of tools like our online Job Matching platform, providing advice, and getting feedback from talent participants and hiring organizations

Implement evaluation strategies to assess program effectiveness and areas for improvement, create and execute on related annual OKRs, and produce timely progress reports 

Sustain effective communications and nurture trusting partnerships with an array of stakeholders, including existing and future instructional partners, industry and other sponsors, non-profit training organizations, and educational institutions, as well as internal LabCentral team members who help support Career Forge in various ways

Support the writing of grants, and co-manage any awarded grants and related reporting associated with funding to support Career Forge

Support efforts for promotion, marketing, and communications for the Career Forge Program through direct word of mouth, social media, media interviews, videos, and other means 

Ensure necessary supplies, equipment and learning lab availability for each Career Forge cohort

Desired Competencies and behaviors

Passion for supporting demographic diversification of the biotech industry at all levels

Ability to collaborate effectively amongst a cross-functional team

Ability to work in a team setting as well as independently

Proven interpersonal skills (building and maintaining relationships)

High level of organization, professionalism and ability to complete tasks in a timely manner

Solution-minded, seeking ways to improve efficiency, program delivery and partner experience 

Self-motivated and self-directed 

Desired Qualifications and Technical Skills

This role is hybrid and requires ability to work in Cambridge, MA on in-person days weekly and travel as needed in greater Metro Boston, Massachusetts and other states (expected to be very minimal to start, growing as programs scale to, at most, 10% over time)

Program or Project development & management

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Outlook 

Ability to manage a budget 

5-7 years relevant experience 

Experience in a higher education environment a plus, though not required

Curriculum, program design, recruitment, and interviewing would be a plus, though not required. 

BENEFITS

Medical and dental premiums fully covered, including deductible costs

Long- and short-term disability, life insurance

Unlimited vacation

Three months of fully paid parental leave

401K match up to 6% with immediate vestment

Partial or complete reimbursements towards transportation (parking pass, MBTA, or bike commuting costs)

Gym/fitness/yoga memberships or classes, massage therapy, and cell phone stipend and repairs

Reimbursement for continuing education/training towards your job, student loan reimbursement

Amazing colleagues, inspiring residents, sleek workspaces with tons of snacks, and in-house programming on thought-provoking topics!

ABOUT LABCENTRAL

LabCentral is a Massachusetts non-profit company founded in 2013 as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech start-ups. Operating over 225,000 sq. feet in Cambridge and on the Harvard University campus, LabCentral offers a network of laboratory spaces and scientific communities designed to jumpstart the launch of promising, early-stage life-sciences companies. LabCentral prepares entrepreneurs and scientists to accelerate scientific innovation in service of human health by providing best-in-class operational support, curated events and programming, and access to a diverse network of sponsors. LabCentral is also home to Gallery 1832 which engages the local community to celebrate artistic innovation.

Our mission is to empower the next generation of biotech and life science innovators by creating opportunities that accelerate the development of breakthrough technology and therapies.

ABOUT LABCENTRAL IGNITE

LabCentral launched LabCentral Ignite in January 2021 as a first-and-only-of-its-kind platform focused solely on addressing systemic racial, gender and other underrepresentation in talent across the life sciences and the biotech industry – from labs to leadership, and from the STEM student pipeline to the entrepreneurs advancing life-changing innovations.

Through a range of equity-driven programs, a growing member network of industry, startups, higher ed, VCs and nonprofits, and a budding consortium of Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), Ignite is creating momentum to connect Black, Latinx, women, first-generation college and other underrepresented students and innovators to academic, technical skills-building, assessment, mentoring, job placement and board and leadership preparation opportunities that fuel biotech diversity and inclusively transform careers.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LabCentral is committed to building teams that reflect the fabric of the city around us. We welcome all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, Veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Any other human expressions and experiences not mentioned here are equally welcome. If you require an accommodation, please let us know. Our mission to revolutionize the life sciences starts from within by embracing all perspectives. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.