Chief Program Officer; CPO

Overview

The mission of Onward We Learn is to prepare and inspire young people in Rhode Island to become the first in their families to attend and complete college. From the time they join through their early years of college, participants experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in programs that focus on academic enrichment, personal development, career exploration, and college preparation.

The Chief Program Officer (CPO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for strategic direction, program delivery, and quality assurance across Onward We Learn’s portfolio of services. This role ensures that all programming aligns with grant goals, meets performance benchmarks, and reflects best practices in college access and success. The CPO oversees program directors, manages district partnerships, drives continuous improvement, and collaborates with other Onward senior staff to ensure financial sustainability and organizational excellence.

• Strategic Direction and Implementation
  • Set direction for all programming components within and across the organization while maintaining alignment with Onward’s mission, vision, and values.
  • Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of programs that support college readiness, access, and success, ensuring all programming reflects evidence-based practices from the field.
  • Develop metrics on program effectiveness and use data to continuously improve college success systems and outcomes across the organization.
  • Collaborate with colleagues on the executive team on processes and controls that support effective program monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that program goals and objectives are consistently met.
• Talent Management and Staff Development
  • Supervise, support, develop, and evaluate the Program Directors, providing strong team leadership to all program team members, ensuring they are positioned to deliver high-quality programs and services.
  • Conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings, offering coaching, mentorship, and professional development focused on student engagement, data analysis, and program evaluation.
  • Determine, implement, and oversee staffing plans that support achievement of program goals and objectives, and refine as necessary.
  • Foster a high-performing, collaborative culture; ensure a positive work environment and coordinate professional development for program staff.
• Partnerships and External Relations
  • Promote Onward’s mission, vision, and programmatic offerings with external stakeholders, including government officials, funders, school partners, higher-education institutions, parents/families, and national partners, serving as a senior spokesperson who builds, sustains, and elevates strategic relationships that expand reach, impact, and service opportunities.
  • Negotiate, manage, and maintain MOUs with school districts; align services and delivery plans to district college access and preparedness priorities; convey program impact and outcomes; and proactively troubleshoot issues with district leaders to safeguard partnership health and performance.
  • Collaborate with executive team colleagues in reporting program success and milestones to funders, key stakeholders, and the public.
  • Serve as an organizational representative on committees, task forces, and at external events, including conferences, panels, and training sessions.
• Organizational Leadership
  • Collaborate and communicate across the entire Executive and Program Leadership, made up of Chiefs, Directors, and individual contributors.
  • Serve as a key representative of Onward’s work broadly, and the Programming team’s efforts specifically, in a variety of settings from one-on-one meetings to large presentations at professional conferences.
  • Foster a healthy culture for the Programming team, and, alongside the rest of the Leadership Team, to positively influence culture across the entire organization.
  • Serve as an active member of the organizational Executive Team, supporting that team’s ability to implement Onward’s strategic plan and deliver on organization-wide goals and initiatives, and report to the Board of…