Startup Program Manager, Founders School - $200,000/year USD

Traditional high schools define success using grades and standardized test scores. At Founders School, success is defined by companies launched, real problems solved, and students achieving what most adults would think impossible.

We need someone who can challenge, develop, and motivate teenage founders with serious ambition—students building actual companies, mastering AI tools, and pursuing goals that most people defer until much later in life.

If high standards, high ownership, and guiding exceptional young people toward extraordinary results energize you, this role is worth your time.

What You Will Be Doing

• Lead daily execution and maintain momentum across your student portfolio using standups, coaching conversations, and accountability frameworks.
• Run weekly 1:1 coaching sessions and daily check-ins designed to help students navigate obstacles and sustain forward progress.
• Track student performance in FounderOS, spot stalled progress before it compounds, and pull in support resources as needed.
• Build connections between students and mentors, founders, operators, and opportunities that drive accelerated growth.
• Design and facilitate workshops, events, and community experiences that elevate culture and performance expectations.
• Demonstrate practical AI application and support students in embedding AI into their businesses, workflows, and decision-making.
• Accompany students on 3-4 school trips annually.

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Delivering in-depth strategic business consulting as students develop their ventures. That responsibility belongs to FounderOS, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and visiting mentors.
• Tolerating performance that sits below what a student has already shown they can achieve.
• Teaching traditional academic subjects. The academic platform and academic team handle that domain.
• Leading workshops in areas where you lack genuine expertise.
• Offering generic resources or introductions that fail to meet Founders School quality standards.

Startup Program Manager Key Responsibilities

Build the culture, accountability structures, and support systems that empower ambitious student founders to execute consistently, use AI effectively, and reach outcomes that go far beyond what conventional education allows.

Basic Requirements

• 3+ years in leadership roles or high-impact individual contributor positions at startups, growth-stage companies, or similarly rigorous environments.
• Comfort engaging in entrepreneurial discussions and recognizing when deeper expertise should be brought in.
• A standout skill beyond guiding students: workshop facilitation, event design, content creation, community building, relationship development, or another equally valuable capability.
• The presence and skill to hold the attention of ambitious teenagers and build an environment they actively want to join.
• The capacity to give tough feedback in ways that increase both motivation and performance.
• Regular use of AI tools, with concrete examples of how AI enhances your output.
• Availability to work on-site in New York City (relocation assistance available).
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Founded or co-founded a company.
• Background in coaching, mentoring, or running programs for teenagers or young adults.
• An active network of founders, operators, investors, or mentors.
• Experience at an early-stage startup where you juggled multiple roles and built systems from the ground up.

About Founders School

Founders School is a four-year high school built for ambitious students who want to create, build, and solve meaningful problems. The program combines Alpha School's elite academics, real-world experience, and mentorship from world-class entrepreneurs around three commitments to every student: Build a million-dollar business. Identify problems in the world worth solving. Master AI before adults do.

This is a place for people who'd rather build the thing than manage the thing. We're hiring the founding team that builds the dream high school for the most entrepreneurial and ambitious students in the country. Launching in NYC Fall 2026.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Hit the Apply button if you found this interesting and want to learn more. We look forward to meeting you!

Working with us

This is a full-time (40 hours per week), long-term position. The position is immediately available and requires entering into an independent contractor agreement with Crossover as a Contractor of Record. The compensation level for this role is $100 USD/hour, which equates to $200,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly. Consult for more details on this topic.

Crossover Job Code: LJ-5816-US-Paterson-StartupProgram.001