Program Manager, External Partner Services

 

We are seeking a Program Manager, External Partner Services (NYC) to join our Enterprise Operations team. Reporting directly to the Head of External Partner Services, this role is the primary project lead and governance anchor for the external service providers—including Shared Spaces, Food, Transportation, and Nursing—that support our New York campuses. The Program Manager ensures that every vendor delivers a high-quality, student-centered experience that aligns with our national institutional standards.

This position is a high-stakes operational role that requires navigating the daily complexities of shared school environments and local district-owned facilities. The successful candidate will be a master of detail and diplomacy, balancing the technical demands of New York City and Department of Education regulatory compliance with the ability to lead on-site partners toward excellence. We are looking for a specialist who will proactively identify system gaps and challenge "business as usual," ensuring our infrastructure is built for scale and success.

This role is ideal for a results-driven professional who thrives in fast-paced environments, excels at vendor accountability, and is motivated by the opportunity to innovate the operational foundation for our network of schools in New York City.
 

Key Responsibilities

• Govern the daily performance of New York City-based service providers, acting as the primary point of accountability for Shared Spaces, Food, Transportation, and Nursing partners to ensure they meet strict "Success-grade" standards.

• Orchestrate shared-space protocols across the New York portfolio, managing the logistics of shared cafeterias, arrival/dismissal loops, and gymnasiums to ensure our scholars have prioritized and safe access to essential facilities.

• Act as the first responder for regional service escalations, partnering with school leadership and the Network Office to resolve operational friction in transportation routing, meal service, etc.

• Challenge and improve legacy vendor workflows, identifying habit-driven inefficiencies and proposing compliant, innovative alternatives that enhance service quality without increasing cost.

• Execute site-level audits and "Readiness" walkthroughs, maintaining a relentless eye for detail to ensure that vendor performance across all campuses is consistent and brand-aligned.

• Partner on regional strategy, providing data-driven insights from the field to inform contract renewals, service-level adjustments, and expansion planning.

• Drive data accountability through KPI monitoring, using service logs and stakeholder feedback to track vendor ROI and ensure external partners are delivering on their promises to our schools.
   

Skills/Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in operations, project management, or external partner services within a high-growth, institutional, or urban school environment.

• Exceptional diplomacy and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships with site-level partners while maintaining a "warm but demanding" approach to accountability.

• Advanced systems thinking and problem-solving skills, with a focus on evaluating physical workflows and identifying scalable solutions to enhance operational effectiveness.

• Proven project management expertise, with experience tracking multiple moving parts across disparate sites and delivering results within tight windows of time.

• Strong communication ski