Fellowship Operations Manager

ABOUT BASTA:

Since 2016, Basta has worked with thousands of first-generation college students to launch their careers and change the face of leadership in the workforce, resulting in the country's best job placement outcomes. Through personalized AI-powered career planning, best-in-class coaching, and networking with top 100 employers, New York-based job seekers in Basta’s Fellowship program find great jobs at nearly twice the rate of their peers. Our Powered By Basta program is scaling this impact through game-changing analytics and online support that supercharges colleges’ career success programs so students nationwide can accelerate their professional journey.

SCOPE AND PROBLEM:

American undergrads are facing a job market beset by systemic underemployment. The problem is especially severe for the nearly 5 million first-generation college students: only 44% of first-gen students of color land a job that requires their degree, and only 20% earn a living wage within a year of graduation. These trailblazers have the smarts, skills, and experience to land a job that leverages their degree, pays well, and forges a path to a thriving career. Basta partners with colleges, nonprofits, and employers to build that bridge of opportunity.

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP OPERATIONS MANAGER

The Fellowship Operations Manager, reporting directly to the Director of Fellowship, will serve as the operational leader for Basta’s flagship direct-to-student offering, the Fellowship. You will be part of a cross-functional team that delivers on the Fellowship Experience’s promise to young people: job placement rates of 75%+, among the highest in the country.

In this role, you will navigate the dynamic intersection of program operations, technology integration, event management, and project management between the first phase of the Fellowship, Prepare, and the second phase, Search. This role is a great fit for a strategic operator who thrives in a fast-paced start-up environment, enjoys building systems and improving processes, and has the ability to shift in between big-picture to critical details, effortlessly.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Fellow Recruitment : The Basta Fellowship program is a 10-week career-prep initiative designed to empower first-generation college students and recent graduates to secure their first jobs.

● Own recruitment of 300+ fellows annually across four cycles

● Manage high volume application rounds with 600+ applications ● Serve as main point of contract with recruitment partners

● Refine application and onboarding process

Fellowship Operations Management

● Serve as the operational leader of the Fellowship, working in partnership with the Director of Fellowship to ensure program is executed with fidelity and quality

● Develop and execute annual, quarterly, and monthly operating plans that account for the overlapping nature of the Fellowship cycles, managing end-of-program logistics, onboarding new fellows, and planning for future cohorts to ensure smooth transitions and continuity across recruitment, programming, and Phase 2 of each fellow’s journey at Basta.

● Ensure Fellowship systems, procedures and processes are designed, managed and maintained between content, data, and program implementation

● Create, maintain, and utilize project management tools (such as Asana) to facilitate collaboration and clear communication between teams

● Set and facilitate calendar, scheduling, and communications for all fellowship activities to all participants

● Track, organize, and synthesize relevant data and engagement metrics in Basta’s internal systems

● Collaborate with Program team to plan and codify fellowship cycle four times/year

● Provide strategic improvement recommendations and timelines to operational functions and processes of Fellowship

Contractor Management:

● Management of contract alumni resume coaches

○ Recruit, train, manage, retain (and when necessary, terminate) up to 40 contract Resume Coaches

○ Manage payment and coordinate scheduling

○ Track resume coach performance (e.g. attendance, feedback quality, fellow experience) to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement that inform hiring and training needs for future cohorts

● Manage contracts and relationships with all vendors and contractors associated with the Fellowship program

Event Management:

● Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of in-person Fellowship workshops (3x per cohort), including venue identification and coordination, materials preparation, vendor management, and day-of logistics to ensure a seamless participant experience

● Manage fellow communications and RSVP processes, ensuring clarity, professionalism, and high attendance through timely reminders and follow-ups

● Collect, organize, and analyze post-workshop feedback to continually improve the structure and delivery of in-person events New Technology Integration:

● In collaboration with Director of Fellowship, develop plan to phase in and phase out programmatic components in alignment with new technology offerings over the next 3 years

● Set up project plan, timeline, and training schedule for technology rollout

● Develop metrics and milestones to measure progress and effectiveness

ABOUT OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

● You believe deeply in the inherent value and potential that first-generation grads bring to the workplace, and are excited to build an organization that supports them in achieving their career goals

● You have 5+ years of professional experience in a fast-paced work environment (political campaigns, recruiting, technology start-ups, schools, non-profits, programs etc.)

● You have experience managing major projects and/or initiatives ● Building systems and improving processes gives you energy

● Experience working with partners, vendors, external engagement, etc.

● Comfortable and energized about using and learning new technology and software

● You possess excellent organizational skills and a keen attention to detail. This is balanced with f lexibility, demonstrated resourcefulness, and an ability to multitask in setting priorities.

● You work collaboratively and build effective relationships with internal staff and external partners to meet shared objectives.

● You have strong verbal and written communication skills and can modify your message for a variety of stakeholders.

● You take initiative and are self-directed, but also know when to ask for help. You are willing to jump in wherever you are needed.

● You’re comfortable working in a virtual environment using virtual communication/collaboration tools, including Google docs, Zoom, and Slack.

● Ability to lift up to 20lbs

● You are based in or near New York City and able to attend in-person sessions, including 2x/quarter weekend work and occasional evening work.

Bonus points if:

● You’ve managed a program-wide technology roll out or change management initiative or process

● You have demonstrated experience working with database or CRM tools such as AirTable