Programs Manager

About the organization

Peace of Mind teaches kids how to understand themselves. We bring mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (SEL) to PreK–8 students across approximately 80 public schools in the DC area and our curriculum is being used in all 50 states and 44 countries. We have strong school relationships, real outcome data, and a track record of growth built almost entirely on trust and word of mouth.

About This Role

This is the role that puts Peace of Mind in schools.

The Programs Manager is our primary presence in DC-area classrooms and educator communities. You facilitate professional development, coach teachers, manage school relationships, and represent Peace of Mind at educator events and community gatherings. When a teacher is trying to figure out how to bring a mindfulness practice into a classroom of 28 second graders, you're the person they call.

You don't need to be a mindfulness expert. You need to be someone who loves being in schools, is good at supporting adults as learners, and understands that lasting change in how kids experience school happens through the educators who show up for them every day.

What Your Week Actually Looks Like

On any given week, you might:

• Facilitate a professional development workshop for 20 educators at a partner school in Northeast DC
• Do a coaching visit at a Title I elementary school — sit in on a lesson, debrief with the teacher afterward, document what you saw
• Represent Peace of Mind at a teacher-facing event or educator conference
• Check in with a school coordinator about their implementation — how it's going, what support they need
• Contribute observations and school-level data to the Data & Impact Coordinator to support evaluation and reporting
• Pack and ship orders while managing inventory

Most of your time is in schools or with educators. That's the job.

Your First 90 Days

Days 1–30: Get into schools. Shadow current program delivery. Learn our curriculum, our school relationships, and how we talk about our work. Start building your own relationships with school-based staff.

Days 30–60: Begin facilitating trainings and coaching visits with support. Take ownership of a portfolio of schools. Start surfacing patterns from your school visits, what's working, what needs attention.

Days 60–90: You are the primary programmatic contact for your school portfolio. You're facilitating independently, managing relationships, and feeding insights back into the organization.

You'll Thrive Here If…

• You genuinely love being in schools — the energy, the complexity, the relationships
• You're a strong facilitator who can hold a room of adults and make them feel safe to grow
• You're comfortable with ambiguity — not every school is the same, and you adapt
• You care about SEL and believe that how kids feel matters as much as what they know
• You're a connector — you build trust quickly and maintain it over time

This Isn't For You If…

• You prefer to work primarily from a desk — this role requires consistent in-person presence in schools
• You're looking for a highly structured role with defined scripts — our work requires responsiveness and professional judgment
• You're not local to the DC area or not willing to travel regularly throughout the DMV
• You want to work on curriculum development more than program delivery — this role is primarily field-based

What's Hard About This Job

School relationships are human relationships — and they require patience, follow-through, and consistency. Some schools will be easier to work with than others. Building trust with educators takes time, especially in communities that have experienced a lot of program turnover. This role also requires you to be a strong internal communicator — feeding what you learn in schools back to the ED and the Data & Impact Coordinator so the organization can learn from it.

We are also in a growth phase, which means some systems are still being built. You'll be contributing to how we scale, not just executing an established model.

The Interview Process

• Application review — resume and cover letter
• 30-minute introductory call with the ED
• A short facilitation exercise or sample lesson — we want to see you in action
• Final in-person or virtual conversation

How to Apply?

Programs Manager

Full-Time | $55,000–$70,000/year | In-Person, Washington DC | Start Date: June 9, 2026

What Peace of Mind Does

Peace of Mind teaches kids how to understand themselves. We bring mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (SEL) to PreK–8 students across approximately 80 public schools in the DC area and our curriculum is being used in all 50 states and 44 countries. We have strong school relationships, real outcome data, and a track record of growth built almost entirely on trust and word of mouth.

What This Job Actually Is

This is the role that puts Peace of Mind in schools.

The Programs Manager is our primary presence in DC-area classrooms and educator communities. You facilitate professional development, coach teachers, manage school relationships, and represent Peace of Mind at educator events and community gatherings. When a teacher is trying to figure out how to bring a mindfulness practice into a classroom of 28 second graders, you're the person they call.

You don't need to be a mindfulness expert. You need to be someone who loves being in schools, is good at supporting adults as learners, and understands that lasting change in how kids experience school happens through the educators who show up for them every day.

What Your Week Actually Looks Like

On any given week, you might:

• Facilitate a professional development workshop for 20 educators at a partner school in Northeast DC.
• Visit a partner school to observe a Peace of Mind lesson, provide coaching and feedback to the educator, and document your observations.
• Represent Peace of Mind at an educator conference, professional learning event, or community gathering.
• Connect with teachers, school coordinators, and other school professionals to discuss implementation progress, identify challenges, and determine what additional support they need.
• Collect and document observations, feedback, and school-level data to support program evaluation, continuous improvement, and impact reporting.
• Help manage inventory, prepare materials, and pack and ship curriculum and resource orders.

This is a hands-on, relationship-driven role that combines direct support for educators with the operational responsibilities that keep our programs running. As part of a small, collaborative team, you'll contribute wherever needed to ensure our schools and educators have the resources and support they need to succeed.

Your First 90 Days

Days 1–30: Get into schools. Shadow current program delivery. Learn our curriculum, our school relationships, and how we talk about our work. Start building your own relationships with school-based staff.

Days 30–60: Begin facilitating trainings and coaching visits with support. Take ownership of a portfolio of schools. Start surfacing patterns from your school visits, what's working, what needs attention.

Days 60–90: You are the primary programmatic contact for your school portfolio. You're facilitating independently, managing relationships, and feeding insights back into the organization.

You'll Thrive Here If…

• You genuinely love being in schools, the energy, the complexity, the relationships
• You're a strong facilitator who can hold a room of adults and make them feel safe to grow
• You're comfortable with ambiguity, not every school is the same, and you adapt
• You care about SEL and believe that how kids feel matters as much as what they know
• You're a connector, you build trust quickly and maintain it over time

This Isn't For You If…

• You do not have prior experience working in a school setting, whether as a classroom teacher, school-based mental health professional, or in another role supporting students and educators.
• You prefer a primarily desk-based position. This role requires regular, meaningful engagement with students, educators, and school communities.
• You thrive in highly structured environments with prescribed scripts and routines. Our work requires adaptability, initiative, and sound professional judgment.
• You are not based in the DC metropolitan area or are unable to travel regularly to schools throughout DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
• Your primary interest is curriculum development rather than direct program implementation. While you may contribute to curriculum feedback and improvement, this position is focused on bringing our programs to life in schools.

What's Hard About This Job

School relationships are human relationships — and they require patience, follow-through, and consistency. Some schools will be easier to work with than others. Building trust with educators takes time, especially in communities that have experienced a lot of program turnover. This role also requires you to be a strong internal communicator — feeding what you learn in schools back to the ED and the Data & Impact Coordinator so the organization can learn from it.

We are also in a growth phase, which means some systems are still being built. You'll be contributing to how we scale, not just executing an established model.

The Interview Process

We want our hiring process to be thoughtful, transparent, and respectful of your time. We also believe the best way to understand someone's strengths is to see how they approach the work.

1. Resume and cover letter. Review relevant school-based experience, facilitation, communication, and alignment with the position.
2. An initial conversation with the Executive Director to assess qualifications, motivation, logistics, and understanding of the job's expectations.
3. A structured interview, including a brief live demonstration of the candidate's ability to engage and support educators.
4. Meet the team, explore practical work scenarios, and assess alignment with the position and Peace of Mind's working environment.

Our goal is to get to know you beyond your resume while giving you the opportunity to decide whether Peace of Mind is the right fit for you.

Compensation & Logistics

• Salary: $55,000–$70,000/year
• Hours: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Washington DC area — regular school visits required
• Classification: Full-time W-2 employee
• Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance. Peace of Mind covers 50% of employee premiums. HSA and 401(k) plans available (employee-funded).

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

Peace of Mind is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance. Peace of Mind covers 50% of employee premiums.
• HSA and 401(k) plans available (employee-funded).