"Career & College Readiness State Program Manager"

Job Details

Salary: The minimum annual (12 months) starting salary for the position is $85,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Outreach Program Manager

Job Summary: The 4-H Positive Youth Development Institute’s Career and College Readiness State Program Manager is a state-level, programmatic leadership position within the Division of Extension Positive Youth Development (PYD) Institute. The Career and College Readiness State Program Manager position is one of three State Program Managers providing comprehensive leadership for the newly developed signature priority area in career and college readiness, focusing on programs that assist youth in transitioning from adolescence to adulthood with the necessary abilities, skills, and mindsets to navigate life’s opportunities and challenges. The Career and College Readiness State Program Manager will provide statewide leadership in research-based program design and direct-delivery of post-secondary youth programs utilizing evidence-based best practices in the field, support colleagues and offer professional development, develop tools for evaluation and communicating impact, and build relationships and collaborations with UW campus partners, technical schools, universities and colleges, industry and other youth-serving organizations.

A successful Career and College Readiness State Program Manager will have a solid background in positive youth development principles, considerable experience in interpreting and applying career and college readiness research into the implementation of youth programming, strong skills in relationship building and fostering positive organizational and team environments, and a desire to grow into a statewide leadership role requiring creative visioning, delegation, effective and positive communication, project management, decision making and inspirational leadership.

This role entails leadership in developing and executing a statewide plan of work for the career and college readiness signature priority area aligned with the PYD Institute’s strategic goals. The position requires extensive collaboration with state specialists, faculty, integrated specialists, and campus departments to leverage expertise and resources effectively. This position will serve as a lead connection to the national 4-H “Beyond Ready” strategic priority and collaborate and contribute regionally and nationally to those emerging efforts. This position will also serve as the programmatic lead for the vision, evolution, outreach, and outcomes of PYD’s premier youth event, Summer Academy. In this role, efforts for reaching not-yet-served youth audiences will be prioritized, including working with Juntos and other whole-family engagement programs.

This full-time, dynamic position reports directly to the PYD Institute Associate Director.

Statewide Location: Division of Extension headquarters are located within Madison, WI but the position location is flexible and will be determined based on programmatic needs, successful candidate’s preferences, and availability of suitable space. Regular travel to Madison to participate in state team meetings and collaborate with others on campus is expected.

Partial Remote: This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). A RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee. This position has the possibility of working up to 2 days (40% time) remote per Extension's Remote Work Policy.

Travel Expectations: It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Read more about UW-Madison Driver Authorization. Applicants are required to: Have a valid drivers license and a reliable source of independent transportation for periodic in-state work travel, and/or comply with requirements for UW-Madison vehicle use authorization.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees. Engages student staff members, AmeriCorps members, LTEs, and others as appropriate in supporting efforts of this position while meaningfully collaborating with the individual’s direct supervisor on this collaboration. May directly supervise non-permanent staff or AmeriCorps members.
• Reviews recommendations for and provides input on the design and development of new outreach programs or services. Provide comprehensive leadership in research-based program design and best practices in post-secondary pathways. Collaborate with state specialists, faculty, integrated specialists, and campus departments to leverage expertise and resources. Work with other specialists to review and provide recommendations for curriculum and training. Report to Wisconsin stakeholder groups regarding the opportunities and needs for career and college readiness programming.
• Monitors the unit or program budget and approves program expenditures. Submit, manage, and allocate relevant statewide program budgets, with support from the PYD Administrative Manager. Collaborate with the PYD Institute Director and Associate Director to identify and seek alternative revenue sources to expand work and decrease financial barriers to participation through grants and philanthropic gifts.
• Determines outreach program needs and the personnel resource allocation plan. Serve as the lead regional and national connection to the national 4-H “Beyond Ready” strategic priority. Build partnerships with technical schools, universities, colleges, and industry.
• Develops and implements operating policies and procedures to promote the outreach program in alignment with the strategic plan. Adhere to, and incorporate in program design, all youth protection, risk management, and financial policies and procedures. Support uniform communication and collaboration with colleagues to ensure applicable policies and procedures are met. Communicates collective impacts and ensures responsiveness to the Division of Extension’s reporting expectations. Submits statewide impact statements and supports colleagues in reporting which summarizes the impact of local efforts which meet the requirements, policies, and established practices of the Division of Extension and partners, including federal Civil Rights requirements. Conducts monthly reviews and approvals of colleague reporting entered in Extension’s planning and reporting portal (Knack) and is associated with Career & College Readiness outcomes.
• Supervises the implementation of outreach-program-focused strategic planning initiatives and objectives. Develop and execute a state Plan of Work for career and college readiness aligned with PYD’s strategic goal, including statewide leadership for program planning, implementation, evaluation and reporting of statewide career and college readiness youth development efforts. Through collaboration with an evaluation specialist, lead evaluation efforts to measure statewide program impact. Lead statewide staff program teams, committees and workgroups, to build capacity and involvement in career and college readiness programming. Support colleagues in program planning and implementation recommendations. Provide relevant professional development for staff, with appropriate application for volunteers.
• Provide leadership for programmatically aligned statewide direct-delivery youth programs. Provide overall, strategic and innovative leadership for the PYD Institute’s “Summer Academy” within the Academy Ecosystem with significant organizational support from state and county PYD colleagues and 4-H statewide leader teams. Lead collaborative teams of county-based educators in the implementation of career and college readiness pathways programming, including the Juntos, and participate in regional and national collaborations.

Department: About Extension: UW-Madison’s Division of Extension serves the people and communities of Wisconsin by addressing local, statewide and national issues, improving lives through research-based education, fostering partnerships and action, and facilitating positive impacts. About the Institute: The Extension Institute of Positive Youth Development prepares the youth of today to become the effective, empathic adults of tomorrow. Our research-based youth enrichment programs like teens in governance build youth and adult capacity and partnerships that help both sides grow. 4-H clubs, camps and afterschool programs give young people the hands-on experiences they need to develop an understanding of themselves and the world.

Compensation: The minimum annual starting salary is $85,000, negotiable based on experience.

Benefits: Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/.

Required Qualifications: 5 or more years of relevant professional service or volunteer/education experience in the field of Positive Youth Development, Post-secondary pathways, Extension Education, or other related field. Experience in the research-base of and developing/managing career and college readiness programs. Proven ability to attract and manage extramural funding. Demonstrated ability to effectively work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience with budget management. Working knowledge of Extension and land-grant universities. Demonstrated ability to create and lead collaborative, professional teams. Experience in coaching, supporting, or mentoring colleagues to promote continued professional growth and competency.

Education: Required: Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Education, Career Development, Childhood & Youth Studies, etc. Preferred: Master’s degree in a related field such as Post-Secondary Pathways, Extension Education, Career Development, etc.

How to Apply: To begin the application process, click the "Apply" button. You will be prompted to upload the following documents: Resume or CV, Letter of Qualifications (cover letter). Please submit a cover letter referring to your work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background as it relates to this position. Your cover letter should communicate your interest in the position and how your skillset aligns with the role. For additional guidance, visit https://extension.wisc.edu/careers/. The application deadline is 11:59pm on October 19, 2025.