Education Program Manager, Alpha - $200,000/year USD

"the Great Educational Equalizer"

— Philosopher Johnathan Bi, on Alpha School

Alpha is hiring.

The best leaders don't measure success by what they accomplish themselves. They measure it by what the people around them achieve.

If you've built high-performing teams, coached people to exceed expectations, and thrive in environments where excellence is the standard, this role offers the chance to apply those skills where they'll shape the next generation.

At Alpha, students don't spend their days listening to lectures. They master academics through adaptive technology while Guides focus on coaching, motivation, accountability, and life skills. As a Lead Guide, you'll build the team that makes this model work—coaching Guides, developing leaders, and creating an environment where students consistently exceed expectations.

This is not an instructional coaching role, and it is not classroom teaching. You won't spend your days reviewing lesson plans or observing lectures because there aren't any. Instead, you'll build a culture of excellence by coaching Guides, leading engaging life skills workshops, and motivating students to achieve ambitious goals. Your success will be measured by the quality of students' experiences, your team's performance, and your ability to maintain uncompromising standards while inspiring others to meet them.

Alpha is building the world's best K-12 experience. That requires leaders who have already proven they can raise others' performance, make objective, data-driven decisions, and embrace bold new ideas rather than protecting outdated traditions. If that describes you, we'd love to meet you.

This role is currently open at select Alpha campuses: Boston, MA; Raleigh, NC; New York City, NY; Orange County, CA; and Santa Barbara, CA.

If you're located in one of these markets—or excited to relocate—we'd love to hear from you. Exceptional candidates outside these locations are also encouraged to apply. As Alpha continues to grow, we regularly match outstanding leaders with opportunities across our expanding network of campuses.

What You Will Be Doing

• As an Education Program Manager, your day centers on coaching Guides to consistently deliver exceptional student experiences while maintaining Alpha's high standards.
• Leading engaging life skills workshops that develop communication, leadership, focus, and other real-world skills for K-12 students.
• Motivating students to achieve ambitious learning goals and maximize progress in their self-directed academic programs.
• Using data, observation, and coaching conversations to improve Guide performance and student outcomes.
• Helping launch and establish new Alpha campuses by building a culture centered on excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Teaching traditional academic classes or delivering subject-matter lectures.
• Writing lesson plans or designing curriculum.
• Lowering standards to make students feel successful instead of helping them achieve real mastery.
• Managing a team from behind a desk without regularly coaching students and Guides firsthand.
• Preserving outdated practices simply because "that's how we've always done it."

Education Program Manager Key Responsibilities

Ensure every student consistently experiences Alpha's three promises by building high-performing Guides, delivering engaging life skills experiences, and maintaining uncompromising standards for student success.

Basic Requirements

• Willingness to work on-site at an Alpha campus (relocation support available): Boston, MA; Raleigh, NC; New York City, NY; Orange County, CA; Santa Barbara, CA
• Bachelor's degree in Education, Psychology, Business, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in education, coaching, learning and development, or a related leadership role.
• Experience leading and developing teams of five or more people, including hiring and making performance-based termination decisions.
• Demonstrated success using data to drive performance improvements.
• Experience working with children ages 5-14 in an educational, coaching, or developmental setting.
• Experience building or launching a new team, program, business, school, or initiative, with willingness to help open a new campus from zero.
• Willingness to work in a school model that rejects traditional lecture-based pedagogy.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Nice‑to‑have Requirements

• Experience coaching youth through athletics, debate, camps, or extracurricular programs.
• Exceptional public speaking and storytelling skills.
• A track record of achieving high levels of academic, professional, or athletic performance.
• Experience motivating teams through ambitious goals while maintaining high accountability.
• A passion for challenging conventional education and helping shape a new model for K‑12 learning.

About Alpha

Join the team building school around student growth

Alpha reimagines the school day around faster learning, stronger mentorship, and more time for students to build real-world skills.

Roles with real student impact:

Alpha hires teachers (guides), operators, admissions experts, school & curriculum leaders, and remote team members.

Education work that pays like it matters:

Alpha offers six‑figure roles for people ready to help build a radically better school experience.

A culture built for builders:

Alpha is fast-moving, ambitious, and student focused. It's for people who want to improve the system, not maintain it.

Alpha is where you can do the most meaningful work of your career.

There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited.

Working with us

This is a full-time, W2 employee position with immediate access to benefits ( All roles are year-long positions. The compensation level for this role is $200,000 USD/year. The payment period is weekly. Consult for more details on this topic.

Crossover Job Code: LJ-5628-US-NewYork-EducationProgr.012