Project Onramp Manager

About Life Science Cares

No sector consistently exemplifies economic growth in our region more than the life science industry. While these companies work tirelessly to create lifesaving drugs and technologies, they also acutely realize that living in poverty is often as debilitating as any disease. Life Science Cares was founded nearly seven years ago to combat the disparities that surround us. Through Life Science Cares we provide a platform for life science companies and their employees to efficiently invest their time and resources to reduce the burden of poverty.

We recognize that going beyond compassion, to truly and measurably helping our neighbors, many of whom are struggling to meet even their most basic needs, is a skill and shared passion that we can harness.

We do this not by ourselves but rather by directly connecting our industry’s human and financial resources to support the very best locally-based nonprofit organizations. Together, we focus on providing access in three areas: basic needs, education and opportunity.

Since our founding in 2016, we have witnessed significant year-over-year growth coming from a broad base of corporate and individual donors through direct appeal, major gift solicitation, corporate partnership, and event involvement. This has allowed us to consistently increase our local investments and deepen our impact.

For more information about Life Science Cares, please see https://www.lifesciencecares.org/.

About the Role

If you are interested in diversifying the life science industry by breaking down barriers to access for undergraduate talent, this opportunity is for you. Project Onramp, a signature program of Life Science Cares, creates access to paid summer internships for Pell Granted college students who are under-resourced -- helping to bridge the opportunity gap for these promising young people. These summer internships open students up to understanding the variety of well-paid roles within the industry, and serve as a stepping stone to employment once they graduate. Students also build valuable professional networks throughout their “Project Onramp summer” which continue to serve them long after they have moved on from their undergraduate degree.

The Manager of Project Onramp New York & New Jersey will help drive growth while maintaining the highest quality experience for students. This position offers the opportunity to innovate to better serve students and companies. This involves working with the National Director of Project Onramp, as well as with the Executive Director of Life Science Cares New York and her team.

This role requires an ability to communicate the value of this program to outside stakeholders (companies, funders, colleges and universities) and to get concrete commitments to participate.

The primary responsibility of this role is convincing corporate stakeholders to reserve internship roles for Project Onramp students to compete. The ideal candidate will enjoy “selling” this program to stakeholders, as well as operationalizing a program that has many moving parts. This requires the ability to visit companies and present to teams. The role also requires creating branded materials as the program grows, so an interest in writing and marketing is helpful, in addition to a high level of attention to detail.

Core responsibilities include:

Stakeholder Relationship Building

• Build and manage partnerships with life sciences companies to secure paid summer internship positions for local undergraduate students
• Visit companies in NY and NJ to host in-person presentations about Project Onramp
• Source new leads by facilitating zoom presentations about the program
• Work with partners to ensure students receive comprehensive support during their internships through internal company resources beyond HR and supervisors
• Source new sponsors and nurture existing sponsorships with life science companies, VCs and related industry stakeholders
• Source and collaborate with new student support partners to expand pool of student applicants
• Develop and implement a robust process for university partnerships

Program Management

• Develop internship profiles and job descriptions with partner companies for each position, and collect necessary company information and contacts
• Ensure that you are sourcing enough candidates and providing companies with an adequate supply of resumes for each open role
• Manage ongoing communication with company HR during the summer for check-ins and issue resolution; serve as account manager for corporate partners
• Act as the main liaison to facilitate frequent, transparent communication between students, support partners, hiring managers, and supervisors during the summer
• Build and maintain strong connections between Project Onramp and Life Science Cares leadership, staff, programs, development efforts and communications

Program Innovation

• Support Project Onramp’s regional growth by helping us expand into New Jersey and building partnerships with mid-size and large life sciences companies that have the capacity to offer meaningful internship opportunities
• Support National Project Onramp Director to investigate, design and adopt new methods for the job listing and resume curation process
• Use analysis of student demographics and other data to help define the future direction of Project Onramp in the New York metro area
• Gather data to help Project Onramp National create a regional alumni network of Project Onramp interns, and create programming for this new feature of the program
• Be an important thought partner with Life Science Cares staff to integrate Project Onramp with the mission of Life Science Cares New York
• Provide input as Project Onramp National creates Project Onramp branded trainings for partner companies to use

Communications, Marketing & Events

• Review and refine branded materials, best practices, and surveys to ensure they are effective and user-friendly for students, supervisors, and other stakeholders
• Create and post website and social media content
• Participate in industry panels and discussion groups to promote the program
• Plan & execute Internship Bootcamp in May and Internship Showcase in August
• Develop and run summer career development and networking programs for interns, including recruiting volunteers to serve as speakers, mentors, and small group facilitators

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required.
• 5-7 years of experience in program management, executive search, talent acquisition, or workforce development required, experience managing others preferred.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with responsibility for meeting target metrics for each program year.
• Interest in learning about and presenting the latest in workforce development thinking and the relationship to the mission of Project Onramp.
• Must be willing and able to travel within NY Metro Area and NJ to meet company stakeholders and attend program-related events.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as high attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as a team player.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and quickly gain the respect and support of various constituencies, including board and staff members, donors, corporate executives and employees, and civic leaders.
• High energy and passion for Life Science Cares’ mission with a passion for philanthropy and nonprofit work.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail; able to multitask and work well under pressure to meet all deadlines.
• Experience taking the initiative to solve problems independently and creatively in a fast-paced environment and delivering results while managing competing priorities.
• A professional with integrity, positivity, a willingness to wear many hats and be resourceful as we grow.

Life Science Cares is an equal opportunity employer that supports and celebrates diversity. As such, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and stakeholders. We believe our workplace and communities thrive when we actively promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in all we do.

The Project Onramp Manager will need to be readily accessible to stakeholders primarily based in the New York metro area, which includes New York City, North and Central New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island, and parts of Connecticut. Life Science Cares has offices in New York, NY. Valid Driver’s License and access to a car preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

• $80,000-$90,000 based on experience.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental, and 401k.
• Generous paid time off and flexible work schedule.
• Full-time exempt hybrid position.

Interested candidates should send resume, cover letter and compensation requirements to: anna.perrotti@lifesciencecares.org