Job Details

Director of Programming & Instruction, Academy at Penn

Position Number: 7123803
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Education - Curriculum and Instruction

Director of Programming & Instruction, Academy at Penn

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Director of Programming & Instruction, Academy at Penn

Job Profile Title
Director B, Student Services

Job Description Summary
The Academy at Penn is a college and career readiness program for students from Horace Furness High School and High School of the Future, both comprehensive high schools in the School District of Philadelphia. Through this program, students receive year-round, cohort-based academic, social/emotional, and community support that holds in the highest regard each participant's unique path to, through, and beyond high school. The Academy is a 5-year partnership between the School District of Philadelphia, Foundations, Inc., and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and systems-oriented leader who can translate vision into high-quality, scalable programming. They bring deep experience in curriculum and instructional leadership, combined with the ability to manage people, systems, and growth simultaneously. This individual is equally comfortable setting long-term direction and addressing day-to-day implementation challenges.

They are a strong coach and team builder who can develop staff capacity while maintaining high standards for teaching and learning. The ideal candidate is reflective, data-driven, and committed to continuous improvement, using feedback and evidence to refine both curriculum and program design.

Above all, they are deeply committed to expanding opportunities for high school students and ensuring that programming is engaging, rigorous, and meaningfully connected to students' long-term college and career goals.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Strategy: Define and refine the long-term vision for the Summer and Saturday program; Oversee multi-year program architecture, including cohort progression and experience design; Ensure strong alignment between summer, school-day, and school-year (Saturday) programming; Lead continuous improvement efforts, incorporating data, feedback, and emerging best practices; Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure program feasibility, sustainability, and strategic alignment; Represent the program in internal and external meetings and partnerships.
Program Development & Scaling: Design and implement a scalable, cohort-based program model; Develop and document systems, structures, and frameworks for replication and growth; Plan and align phased staffing expansion with projected enrollment growth.
Curriculum & Instructional Leadership: Lead curriculum design, implementation, and ongoing refinement aligned with program goals and student needs; Develop and maintain a cohesive, multi-year scope and sequence across cohorts; Ensure curriculum is engaging, developmentally appropriate, and outcomes-driven.
Staff Supervision & Development: Supervise instructors and facilitators, setting clear expectations and fostering a collaborative team culture; Provide regular coaching, classroom observations, and actionable feedback to improve instructional quality; Design and lead staff onboarding and professional development aligned to the program model.
Program Quality & Student Outcomes: Monitor student progress using qualitative and quantitative data to inform instruction and program improvements; Ensure fidelity to the program model across all cohorts and instructional settings; Identify trends, troubleshoot challenges, and implement targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.
Collaborate with program teams across agencies to ensure smooth integration of program elements across all aspects.
Perform additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL:

A Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of experience in education, youth development, or a related field are minimally required.
Demonstrated experience in program leadership, including overseeing multi-year or cohort-based models
Strong background in curriculum design, instructional leadership, and/or academic program development
Experience supervising and coaching educators, facilitators, or youth development staff
Proven ability to use data to drive program improvement and student outcomes
Experience designing or implementing scalable programs or initiatives
Strong strategic thinking and systems-building skills
Excellent organizational, project management, and problem-solving abilities
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across stakeholders
Commitment to supporting many different student pathways

PREFERRED:

A Master's degree with related education certifications and 15+ years of professional experience,
Experience working with high school-aged youth and college/career readiness programming.

Expected Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000, commensurate with experience.

*All applicants must submit a cover letter detailing their interest in the position along with their resume/CV. Cover letters can be attached in the same section as the resume/CV section.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Graduate School of Education

Pay Range
$79,500.00 - $120,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Graduate-School-of-Education/Director-of-Programming---Instruction--Academy-at-Penn_JR00119415