Description

Who We Are

Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is a national non-profit educational organization in the United States, in operation for more than 60 years. Outward Bound’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. While ambitious and bold, our vision is a more resilient and compassionate world, with more endurance in response to change and more courage in the face of challenge.

Outward Bound programs provide increased access for today’s youth to develop social-emotional skills and build their capacity to navigate the future with confidence, compassion, and curiosity. Programs are far-reaching—inside city and suburban classrooms and outside in rugged backcountry settings—lasting anywhere from one day to an entire semester. Outward Bound staff are positive, fun, passionate, mission-driven change makers who uphold a high standard of quality and commitment to our students.

We strive to provide educational experiences that are inclusive and relevant for all participants and are committed to organizational improvement in support of an equitable and just society.

Position Impact

Outward Bound USA aims to support, amplify, and grow the capacity of our regional schools, where students are prepared with 21st-century skills to be ready for work, life, and civic leadership in an evolving world. Our work is guided by an unwavering commitment to our students, equity, adventure, and safety.

Guided by a strategic Vision for Impact 2030 between 2023 and 2030, OBUSA supports this work through targeted initiatives designed to: create new and expanded capacity in regional schools by positioning OB as an educational partner to parents, schools, and corporations; accelerate access to the outdoors for underrepresented communities; provide a leading-edge research and development engine that will continuously improve program outcomes; and cultivate a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains the best outdoor educators and administrative professionals in the US.

Reporting to the Program Innovation and Growth Director, the Program Manager is responsible for executing the Go-To-Market strategy and implementing, delivering, and scaling the new or expanded national program models.

Our Culture

As a leading non-profit educational organization, Outward Bound is designed to embrace challenges. Thriving here takes compassion, a learning mindset, and a deep desire to do meaningful work to achieve our goals. At Outward Bound, we are crew, not passengers. Everyone is on the crew and we all contribute. We share success and view challenges as opportunities. From the office to the wilderness, we grow together. You belong here.

Key Functions And Resonsibilities

Go-to-Market Strategy Execution

• Project manage the launch of new or expanded national program models (e.g., day programs, multiday day expeditions, school partnerships, seasonal expansions).
• Translate strategic frameworks and pilots into scalable delivery plans in collaboration with schools, regional partners, and national staff.
• Manage timelines, milestones, and cross-functional coordination for go-to-market efforts.
• Identify and resolve operational challenges during rollout, adjusting plans in real-time to support success.
  
  

Program Implementation & Delivery

• Facilitate the adaptation of program formats, curriculum, and staffing models to align the national model with local needs and access priorities.
• Ensure new program models meet high standards for student experience, equity, and risk management through collaboration with Learning and Evaluation, Risk and Safety, People and Culture, and Equity teams.
• Integrate student, staff, and partner feedback to iterate and improve delivery plans.
  
  

Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment

• Serve as the connective tissue between Outward Bound USA (Development, Marketing, Admissions, IT) and regional schools to ensure cohesive and consistent program launches.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, playbook development, and adoption of best practices across the network.
• Track regional readiness, capacity, and implementation progress to inform resource allocation and support.
  
  

Impact Tracking & Learning

• Define and track KPIs to measure the success of go-to-market programs.
• Collect relevant information needed to report to funders, board, and executive leadership on access-focused growth outcomes.
• Capture learnings from each launch to refine GTM strategy and strengthen future implementations.
  
  

Requirements

Competencies

• Cultural Competence: You can recognize and appreciate cultural differences and commonalitie
• Collaboration: You can lead a team.
• Communication: You can communicate with impact in all situations.
• Conflict management: You can manage and resolve conflict independently even in high-stakes situations.
• Self-Management: You can set and follow through on goals and commitments independently.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: You can develop and implement strategic innovations that ensure the organization's continued success.
• Stakeholder Management: You can influence stakeholders at various levels of the organization, aligning their priorities with strategic objectives.
• Project Management: You employ principles, methods, and tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, and managing projects and resources, including monitoring and inspecting costs, work, and performance.
• Resourcefulness: You identify, secure, and deploy resources efficiently, effectively, and independently.
• Drives Results: You can prioritize the bottom line and meet and exceed goals successfully despite obstacles and setbacks.
• Customer Focus: You can build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions.
• Directs Work: You have the ability to manage and motivate a team, including the development of systems to increase performance and efficiency.
  
  

Education And Work Experience

• 2 to 4 years of experience in program management, with a proven track record of leading and delivering successful programs.
• At least 2 years of hands-on experience in project management or project administration, demonstrating the ability to manage timelines, resources, and deliverables.
• 2 to 4 years of experience in executing product launches or go-to-market strategies, including cross-functional collaboration and strategic planning.
• Strong experience working with data analytics, impact metrics, and program evaluation tools, with the ability to analyze and leverage data to drive decision-making and measure program effectiveness.
• Experience in working within a networked or federated organizational structure, with an understanding of managing relationships across multiple teams or stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Service Design concepts.
• Background in education, youth development, outdoor programs, or nonprofit sectors is highly advantageous, with a passion for mission-driven work.
• Familiarity with Outward Bound or similar outdoor experiential education programs is a plus, bringing an understanding of the unique needs and goals of such programs.
• Certification in project management methodologies (PMP, Service Design, Agile, or similar) is desirable, reflecting a commitment to continuous professional development in project management best practices.
  
  

Location and Physical Requirements

• Permanent work authorization in the United States is required to apply for this position.
• This is an exempt, full-time remote position. We welcome applications from candidates located in AZ, CO, CT, FL, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NM, NY, OR, PA, VT, and WA.
• Up to 10% of work time may be spent traveling. Occasional in-person attendance at meetings and collaboration sessions may be required.
• Ability to work at a desk and on a computer for most of the day. Some repetitive motions, such as typing on a keyboard, may be part of the daily tasks. Strong visual acuity is essential for reading and analyzing data on a computer screen.
• While the role is generally not physically demanding, the ability to lift and carry light objects may be occasionally required.
  
  

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range $72,500-$77,500.
• OBUSA offers a competitive benefits package, including health/dental/vision insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance, plus a retirement plan with an employer match (5% after six months).
• OBUSA offers 15 days of PTO per year, plus 10 federal holidays and paid time off for the last week of the year.
• In the interest of transparency and pay equity across our team, a candidate with the minimum experience can expect to be offered in the lower third of the range.
  
  

Application

• Please apply with a cover letter and resume to Theresa Salus (she/her) Program Innovation and Growth Director
• Position anticipated to be open until May 21, 2025