Program Engagement Lead: Special Programs

Program Engagement Lead: Special Programs

At OpenEd, we're opening the world to every learner. With over 100,000 students served and growing rapidly, families trust us as a partner to the most precious thing in their lives, their children. Our vision: a future where education is no longer constrained by geography, rigid models, or outdated systems. Our mission: to give every student customized, world-class education and resources, empowering families and opening millions of doors for learners across the country.

Culture at OpenEd is intentional. It's defined by what we promote—and what we tolerate. Our latest eNPS (employee net promoter score) of 76 places OpenEd in the top.1% of technology companies. Our values aren't just words; they are non-negotiable principles that guide every decision:

• Customer First – Obsessed with delivering value; we fight tirelessly for our learners and families.
• Hard Choices, Easy Life – Face challenges directly, swiftly, and transparently.
• I Did > We Should – Action over theory; bring experiments, not just opinions.
• Learn Out Loud – Share your growth openly; feedback is a gift, ego is the enemy.
• Prioritize Ruthlessly – Excellence in the few critical areas over mediocrity everywhere.
• Fast AND World Class – Speed doesn't compromise quality.
• Strong Opinions, Weakly Held – Advocate passionately, adjust readily.
• Make Others Famous – Elevate your colleagues, partners, and community.

The Program Engagement Lead: Special Programs is the strategic executor of program health, teacher success, and student engagement for their assigned program(s). This is not a teaching role, nor is it purely administrative. This is a leadership role, one that sits at the intersection of data, people, and program execution.

As a member of the broader Student Engagement team, your day-to-day home is the Teacher team. You will work closely with the Director of the Teacher team, attending team meetings and representing the teacher experience in the conversations that shape how OpenEd supports students. While you are connected to the wider Student Engagement team, your primary relationships, priorities, and accountability live within the Teacher team.

At the same time, this role works in close partnership with the Program Administrator supporting the day-to-day operations and growth of your program. Special Programs often operate with unique structures, evolving systems, and program-specific needs, requiring strong collaboration, flexibility, and communication between operational and teacher-facing leadership.

You will drive the health of your program end-to-end by monitoring how students are engaging, ensuring teachers are supported and positioned to succeed, and keeping a forward-looking eye on the risks, deadlines, and state requirements that determine whether your program succeeds.

Depending on the size and stage of the program, you may directly manage teachers or lead teachers. In newer or growing programs, you may initially provide more hands-on teacher support and coaching while helping build sustainable team structures for the future. Your role is not to do everything yourself, but to ensure the right systems, communication, and support are in place so the program can grow successfully.

This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape and support programs that are growing, evolving, or operating differently from traditional models. If you are energized by building alongside a developing program, supporting teachers through change, staying two steps ahead of what's coming, and knowing that the work you do every day ultimately shows up in the experience of students and families, this role is for you.

Your Immediate Impact

• Own Program Health and Student Engagement
  • Work in close partnership with the Program Administrator to ensure strong alignment between program operations, teacher support, and student experience
  • Monitor student engagement and outcomes across your assigned program(s), identifying trends, risks, and opportunities early
  • Maintain real-time visibility into learning logs, gradebooks, and student records, catching gaps before they become problems
  • Post regular student outcome highlights for cross-departmental visibility, ensuring the right people have the right information at the right time
  • Ensure all program documentation and compliance requirements are met, including teacher of record documentation, state-specific reporting, and platform assignments with accuracy and on time
  • Build and maintain approved learning logs and any state-specific compliance requirements administered through the platform
• Lead and Develop Teachers and Lead Teachers
  • Directly manage teachers and/or lead teachers by providing feedback, holding them accountable, and developing them as confident, independent contributors to the success of the program
  • Balance hands-on support with leadership development, creating space for teachers and lead teachers to grow in ownership and confidence over time
  • Identify growth opportunities for teachers and lead teachers, and raise concerns early when performance or support needs attention
  • Maintain an active, visible presence in teacher spaces, using Slack and team channels to spot patterns, clarify expectations, and reinforce alignment between teacher-facing and program operations teams
  • Act as a resource and mentor, providing guidance and feedback that builds confidence across the team
• Be the State and Program Expert
  • Develop and maintain deep expertise in the state standards, compliance requirements, and academic expectations for your assigned program(s)
  • Stay ahead of critical program windows, e.g., testing windows, semester changes, reporting deadlines, and student breaks, and communicate proactively so teachers and lead teachers are never caught off guard
  • Own teacher relicensure visibility for your assigned state(s) by tracking milestones, communicating deadlines, and raising red flags early so teachers feel supported rather than surprised
  • Surface state policy changes, standards updates, and enrichment opportunities that are relevant to teachers and students in your program(s)
  • Represent the teacher experience in cross-functional and state-level conversations
• Spot Risk and Drive Strategic Staffing
  • Identify emerging risks across compliance, performance, licensure, engagement, and escalate early with context, data, and recommendations
  • Maintain awareness of current teacher and lead teacher licenses for your assigned program(s), identifying gaps and recommending license types that would strengthen the program
  • Participate strategically in the interviewing process by providing insight on candidate fit, licensure alignment, and program requirements
  • Partner with lead teachers to ensure a smooth, compliant, and effective hiring process aligned with program goals

Success Metrics

• 100% compliance with program documentation and teacher of record requirements
• Teacher and lead teacher performance goals are met or exceeded on an annual and quarterly basis
• Relicensure milestones tracked and communicated with no last-minute surprises
• Teachers and lead teachers feel supported, informed, and increasingly confident in their roles
• Student engagement data is visible, current, and accessible to relevant stakeholders at all times
• Program operations, teacher support, and student experience remain aligned through strong cross-functional collaboration
• Risks are identified and escalated early, before they become systemic issues

Who You Are

• A program driver who takes end-to-end accountability for the health, compliance, and outcomes of their assigned program, proactively identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities in fast-moving or evolving environments
• A flexible, solutions-oriented leader who is energized by building and improving systems, adapting to change, and helping growing programs operate more effectively over time
• A people developer who supports teachers and lead teachers with a coaching mindset, balancing hands-on support with opportunities for others to grow in confidence and ownership
• A skilled communicator who delivers compelling, well-organized messages to diverse audiences, e.g., teachers, lead teachers, leadership, Program Administrators, and cross-functional partners with clarity, tact, and autonomy
• A relationship builder who uses diplomacy and tact to navigate high-stakes conversations and build trust across teams and functions
• A mission-driven leader who sees program compliance, operational excellence, and teacher development not as administrative tasks but as direct investments in the students and families OpenEd serves

This Role Will Excite You IF:

• You are energized by being the person who makes things happen, and you are the kind of person others can count on to follow through
• You are