Economic Empowerment Program Manager

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) serves low-income girls and young women of color who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. Our programs are survivor-centered and trauma-informed, supporting healing, stability, and long-term independence.

Many of the young women we serve are also parents. Supporting their children’s healthy development—and strengthening parent-child relationships—is an essential part of breaking cycles of trauma and poverty.

Economic empowerment is a core part of this mission. At GEMS, empowerment means more than employment readiness—it includes financial confidence, access to resources, creative income opportunities, and the ability to make choices that support long-term safety and stability.

GEMS is seeking an Economic Empowerment Program Manager to lead and grow programming that expands financial stability and opportunity for low-income girls and young women of color who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. This is a relational, program-building role grounded in economic justice and survivor leadership.

Why This Role Matters

This role helps ensure that survivors have real, practical pathways to financial stability and self-determination. The Economic Empowerment Program Manager plays an important part in developing programming that reflects members’ experiences, strengths, and leadership, and that supports long-term economic security for survivors and their families.

About the Role

As the Economic Empowerment Program Manager, you will lead and coordinate programming that helps members build financial knowledge, explore income opportunities, and work toward long-term economic goals.

This is a highly relational role that combines group facilitation, program coordination, partnership building, and direct member support. It calls for warmth, sound judgment, strong boundaries, a sense of humor, and a deep commitment to survivor leadership and economic justice. This is relational work, and the ability to stay grounded, flexible, and human in complex situations matters.

This is also a program-building role. You won’t be stepping into a fully built structure—instead, you will help shape and grow an expanding area of work. We’re looking for someone who is energized by building thoughtful programs, piloting ideas, and collaborating with members, alumni, and staff to strengthen and evolve our approach.Because this is a program-building role we are open to considering candidates with a range of experience levels. For an exceptional candidate with significant experience leading similar work, the scope or title of the role may be adjusted. We recognize that strong candidates come from a range of professional backgrounds and career stages, and we value depth of experience, thoughtfulness, and commitment to the work as much as formal titles.

A core part of this work is ensuring that members’ voices and leadership help shape programming. We believe economic empowerment efforts are strongest when they are informed by lived experience.

We’re especially interested in candidates who are curious and creative, and who enjoy building programs that are both thoughtful and well-structured, using feedback and data to strengthen the work over time. We value staff who are reflective, grounded, and able to approach complex situations with patience, humility, and a willingness to learn.

GEMS is a collaborative, reflective workplace, and we value staff who communicate openly, support one another, and approach this work with care and intention.

What You’ll Do

You will:

• Facilitate and coordinate survivor-centered programming on financial wellness, money decision-making, and economic empowerment.
• Support members in building practical financial and employment skills in ways that recognize trauma, systemic barriers, and real-life economic pressures.
• Help members explore safe and meaningful income-generating opportunities, including creative and small-scale entrepreneurship.
• Coordinate workshops, partnerships, and outside facilitators to expand opportunities for members.
• Oversee stipends, incentives, and other cash-based supports in collaboration with the Fiscal Department, using approaches that respect members’ agency and dignity.
• Build relationships with community partners who can provide training, mentorship, or employment pathways.
• Track participation, outcomes, and program data, and use evaluation findings to refine and strengthen programming over time.
• Contribute to a collaborative, respectful team environment and uphold GEMS’ survivor-centered philosophy in all aspects of the work.

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking someone who brings:

• Experience in economic empowerment, workforce development, financial education, entrepreneurship support, or related programming.
• Experience working with youth or adults in community-based, social service, or advocacy settings.
• The ability to build trusting, professional relationships with survivors of trauma and exploitation.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to move projects forward independently.
• A commitment to trauma-informed, survivor-centered practice and economic justice.
• An understanding of how gender, gender-based violence, and systemic inequities shape economic opportunity and poverty, particularly for girls and young women, or experience serving these populations.

Experience facilitating groups, coaching participants, or developing programming is strongly valued. Lived experience relevant to GEMS’ mission is welcomed and valued. We are looking for someone who is thoughtful, collaborative, and genuinely committed to work that supports the long-term well-being and leadership of girls and young women.

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance