Program Manager
6 days ago
San Diego
Overview Program Manager is a position that plays an important role in managing various art/media/advocacy projects with youth fellows and participants that are participating in AjA’s programs at different sites. The primary objective of this position is to plan, implement, manage and complete reporting requirements for various programs. The ideal person for this position will have a combination of artistic expertise, technical proficiency, strong interpersonal skills, and a deep commitment to the collaborative art production process, especially with youth. The position plays a vital part in the success of AjA’s programs, which have consistently been centered around social issues and the City Heights community. In addition, this position will provide support for other programs occasionally as a teaching artist, or video/photo editing for student films, program events, and various multimedia projects. Start Date: March 9, 2026 \t Apply by: Feb 23 2026 \t\t\t Position: Non-Exempt Reports to: Executive Artistic Director\t\t Status: 35 hrs/wk (80% in-person, 20% Hybrid) Location: City Heights, San Diego, CA \t\t Starting Salary: $55k-$60k/ year (DOE) ABOUT \t The AjA Project is a 25 year old community based organization headquartered in San Diego, California, that utilizes media arts-based educational programs to transform the lives of refugee, immigrant and marginalized youth. Utilizing media arts participatory methods with visual art elements, AjA’s programs encourage youth to think critically about their identities, increase their social capacities and see themselves as agents of personal and social transformation. The AjA Project has also been putting these stories as public art installations throughout the San Diego community. Since its founding in 2000, AjA has provided long-term, community-based programming for thousands of transitional aged youth, and has shared their visual narratives with over 1 million viewers. Learn more about The AjA Project at . Key Responsibilities Leadership & Strategy • Launch short-term and multi-year programs using both current and new program strategies with program department staff., • Provide leadership, coordination and management of the Program personnel., • Manage community partnerships with organizations, schools, colleges and universities., • Oversee and ensure quality of all program department activities, including program and artistic coordination., • Support training of new instructors on AjA methodology, programs, and responsibilities., • Work directly with program instructors and program department staff to ensure their understanding of program aims, goals, objectives, and deliverables., • Conduct onsite visits to observe and provide critical feedback about classroom activities., • Collaborate with and support instructors to complete and publish a final product and/or an end-of-semester event for each program., • Meet regularly with instructors, assistant instructors and program staff to provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support to ensure programs are meeting aims, goals, objectives, and deliverables. (weekly or bi-weekly, depending on project), • Review all instructor lesson plans on a weekly basis and provide timely feedback and guidance., • Support instructors with classroom management and facilitation needs., • Hold quarterly meetings with all program instructors to build a culture of engagement and to discuss best practices., • Work directly with Executive Director to develop and oversee program budgets., • Oversee the procurement, delivery, storage, inventory, and maintenance of program related images and equipment., • Fill in or find suitable replacement for instructors in the event they cannot instruct any given program session., • Complete instructor evaluations at the close of programs., • Embed qualitative and quantitative measurements and reporting into every program., • Contribute program-related grant reports and work samples to the Executive Director as needed., • Provide an annual report (first week of September) detailing the program activities, strategies, successes and challenges., • Identify and implement best practices for program design, management and delivery, with an emphasis on program innovation and quality., • Review and help modify existing curricula and development of new curricula on an ongoing basis., • Implement quarterly program reviews to assess program quality and areas for improvement., • Ensure partner satisfaction through ongoing communications., • Bachelor’s degree in a related field (education, social sciences, arts, nonprofit management, or similar) or equivalent professional experience., • 3+ years of experience leading or managing youth-facing programs (arts education, youth development, education services, or participatory/community-based programs)., • Demonstrated ability to supervise and support a team (teaching artists/instructors and support staff), including coaching, feedback, and performance evaluation., • Experience designing or guiding curriculum and facilitation approaches that support strong learning outcomes for young people., • Strong partnership skills: ability to build and maintain relationships with schools, community organizations, and other stakeholders., • Strong writing and reporting skills (e.g., grant reporting, program summaries, outcomes for funders/partners, clear communication for general audiences)., • Commitment and demonstrated experience working with diverse communities; ability to lead with cultural humility and care: especially with youth from disinvested communities., • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple deadlines, stay reliable/punctual, and remain calm in time-sensitive situations., • Comfortable using standard workplace tools (Google, Excel, Word) and project management software (Asana)., • Understanding of media arts production workflows (photo/video production and editing processes)., • Ability to travel locally for onsite program support; valid CA Driver License, reliable transportation, and successful completion of fingerprint/background check. Preferred • Bilingual or multilingual (Spanish/English a plus)., • Experience creating and facilitating staff trainings (e.g., instructor onboarding, teaching methodology, classroom management)., • Direct experience in classroom observation and coaching (lesson plan review, facilitation feedback, instructional support). OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Other requirements will include Live Scan, Background Check, TB Testing, Sexual Harassment prevention and Harassment prevention training, staff meetings, and events. 3 MONTH ORIENTATION PERIOD: First three months will be an orientation period, after which there will be an evaluation to determine the candidate’s qualification for the position. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS: This position is hourly, compensated at $30.21~$32.96/hr depending on the experience. This is primarily an in-person position with 80% of employee time at the office or project site required, however remote schedule of up to 20% of employee hours is negotiable. Benefits: 10 paid official holidays, 10 days of accrued PTO per year, and 15 days of paid time off during the office closure period at the end of summer and at the end of the calendar year. Health Insurance: 75% of the insurance cost is covered by employer, 25% co-pay by the employee. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The AjA Project encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientations, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis. TO APPLY: Please send an email with a cover letter and resume/CV to by February 23, 2026