Program Manager - Inside Tutoring Programs at Rikers Island - The Petey Greene Program, New York

About Us

The Petey Greene Program supports the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs, while educating volunteers on the injustice manifest in our carceral system.

We envision a world in which all incarcerated people have access to high-quality academic programs and we strive to inspire our alumni - both students and tutors - to become advocates, and to take on leadership roles that reimagine the criminal legal system.

The PGP operates the largest multi-state volunteer tutoring program for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Since our founding in 2008, we’ve served over 21,000 students across more than 140 programming sites—including correctional and reentry programs—placed over 9,000 volunteers, and partnered with 40+ universities in seven states and Washington, D.C.

The PGP is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, but the majority of our 40 employees are based across the Northeast in regions where the PGP holds programming.

The Role

The Program Manager - Inside Tutoring Programs at Rikers Island will be responsible for ensuring the provision of high-quality training and support for incarcerated tutors at Rikers Island, as part of the launch of PGP educational programming at Rikers Island.

The Program Manager will collaborate with PGP colleagues and NYCDOC administrators to design and implement an Inside Tutor Program that empowers incarcerated individuals to serve as academic leaders and mentors for their peers, while providing high-quality and accessible tutoring support to students enrolled in educational programming at Rikers Island. The Program Manager will regularly facilitate the PGP’s Inside Tutor Training – addressing tutoring methods, literacy and math pedagogy, as well as trauma-informed practice and educational ethics – to prepare incarcerated mentors to serve as peer tutors on Rikers Island. The Program Manager will also provide ongoing support for trained tutors, including leading follow-up trainings, facilitating regular meetings with inside tutors, and providing instructional coaching or other support as needed.

The Program Manager will regularly collaborate and coordinate with other PGP program managers focused on GED, ELL, college-readiness, and outside volunteer tutors to incorporate inside tutor support into PGP-led programming. The role will also monitor tutor and student engagement, ensure continuous program improvement, and utilise data to improve and report on student outcomes. Finally, the Program Manager will work closely with NYCDOC programs and education staff to ensure compliance with requirements related to operating programming across the Rikers Island complex. The Program Manager reports to the PGP’s Associate Director of Rikers Island Programs and will collaborate closely with PGP national team members focused on PGP’s Inside Tutor Training Program.

Candidates will reside in the greater New York City area. The role is primarily on-site at Rikers Island, with the expectation that the Program Manager will be in-person at Rikers Island four days per week, along with one work-from-home day.

This position is grant-funded through December 2028, with the possibility of renewal dependent on renewal of funding.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Regional Programming Responsibilities
  • Collaborates with New York and PGP national program staff to develop and implement a new PGP Inside Tutor Program at Rikers Island
  • Oversees the week-to-week operations of PGP’s Inside Tutor Program at Rikers Island, monitoring high-level trends, and troubleshooting challenges
  • In collaboration with the PGP’s Director of Curriculum and Training, adjust and adapt the program model as needed to ensure ongoing alignment with partner and student needs as well as to adapt to transient nature of the facility’s population
  • Lead frequent on-unit Inside Tutor Trainings to prepare and continue to support incarcerated individuals serving as peer tutors
  • Provide ongoing support to trained tutors at Rikers Island, including leading follow-up trainings, facilitating regular meetings and providing instructional coaching
  • Collaborate with PGP colleagues to incorporate inside tutors into PGP-led educational programming to offer supplementary and 1-on-1 support to incarcerated students
  • Conduct regular observations and monitor Inside Tutor Program data to ensure consistent implementation of processes and accurate data across programs, as well as timely collection, reporting, and sharing of data between the PGP and NYCDOC
  • Works with the Associate Director of Rikers Island Programs and PGP’s New York Program staff to track and collect programmatic data and provide reports to partners and funders
  • Builds and maintains relationships with NYCDOC stakeholders, including programs and education teams
  • Identify and share educational resources with soon-to-be-released inside tutors, to support in the continuation of their educational journey
  • On in-person days, participate in daily on-site meetings with PGP’s Rikers team members to align services, ensure coordinated student support, and collectively navigate daily work inside a carceral space
• National Organizational Responsibilities
  • Collaborate with the PGP’s Director of Curriculum and Training to document the Inside Tutor Program model at Rikers and advise on implementation of similar programming across the PGP's other regions
  • Participates in and prepares for weekly meetings with the regional team and all PGP staff

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or a related field
• At least 2 years of experience providing direct instruction, coaching, or training facilitation
• At least 3 years of related experience in educational program management
• Previous managerial experience, preferably managing teachers or tutors
• Experience in instructional coaching or facilitating professional development for educators
• Experience with and knowledge of tutor-centric educational programs
• Familiarity with adult learning theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, and trauma-informed teaching practices
• Exceptional facility, and proven track record, with interpreting programmatic data and implementing metrics-driven approaches to program management
• Ability to adjust communication style for various stakeholders (incarcerated students, correctional facility administrators, university or other educational partners, volunteer tutors, etc.)
• Ability to develop, implement and adapt processes to meet program needs while remaining aligned with current organizational systems
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to problem solve
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Proficiency in Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Calendar
• Awareness of issues related to mass incarceration and broader social justice concerns.
• Must be able to be cleared to enter NYCDOC facilities (if you have concerns about this requirement, we encourage you to still submit an application or reach out to us so we can discuss further)

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual in English/Spanish strongly preferred
• Experience with blended learning programs or otherwise integrating online learning platforms with in-person instruction
• Ability to develop and adapt processes for low-tech/no-tech environments
• Experience working with or knowledge of the New York City Department of Corrections as an employee, partner, or a formerly incarcerated person.
• Experience leading educational programming in carceral environments
• Experience working with New York City community-based organizations focused on supporting formerly incarcerated people
• Experience collaborating with higher education institutions
• An understanding of the US criminal legal system and local policies.

The Petey Greene Program is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its personnel decisions based on race, ancestry, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/domestic partner status, religion, age, disability status, veteran status, or former incarceration status.

We are committed to ongoing learning and reflection and we are continuously working to ensure that the Petey Greene Program is welcoming and supportive of staff members of all identities, including system-impacted people, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ people. We also believe that this work should be led by system-impacted people, whose perspectives and direct knowledge of the problems are necessary to achieving freedom and educational justice.

Benefits

The Petey Greene Program’s staff make our work possible and we are committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package to support employee’s well-being and professional growth. These benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits with the PGP covering 60% (dental and vision) to 82% (medical) of premiums
• 100% employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability benefits
• 401k retirement plan with 1% employer contribution
• Voluntary benefits offered including Pet Insurance and FSA Commuter and Transit Benefits
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• Paid winter break between Christmas and New Year’s day, in addition to 10 paid holidays throughout the year
• Full-time employees accrue 20 days of vacation time, 1 floating holiday, and 12 days of sick time per year
• PGP closes at 1 PM on Fridays from June through August
• Dedicated funds for employees to use towards professional development each year
• Monthly technology reimbursement
• Access to a local coworking space