Program Manager Contract

About Extern

The age of higher education is ending. Employers no longer hire based on degrees — they hire based on skills and experience. But in today’s market, getting real experience is nearly impossible. Internships are disappearing, entry-level jobs demand years of experience, and AI is reshaping the workforce faster than universities can keep up.

At Extern, we’re building the world’s first subscription to professional experience where learning never stops and every experience moves you forward. Through Externships — hands-on remote projects in AI, product strategy, data, finance, and more — students and career switchers learn by doing while working with top companies.

Our platform makes real-world experience accessible to anyone, anywhere by providing companies with a less burdensome way to engage young talent than high touch internships programs. At Extern, we are helping college students and early career professionals not just land an internship or job, but continuously upskill and stay ahead in their careers through real-world experience.

Our Impact 

• Strong Growth: Over 35,000 learners gained real-world experience last year (300% YoY growth). Our new B2C subscription model launched in late 2024 and is already driving fast adoption and strong unit economics.
• Top-Tier Externship Partners: PwC, Home Depot, Beats by Dre (Apple), HP, Expedia, Epic Games, Unity, Macquarie, Pfizer, and National Geographic trust Extern to connect them with emerging talent.
• Career Outcomes That Matter: 70% of externs land internships or jobs within six months.
• Strong Backers: We’re funded by Y Combinator, Jason Calacanis, Foundation Capital, Learn Capital, and University Ventures — who all believe in our vision to replace outdated education models with continuous, experience-based learning.

If you’re excited about shaping the future of education and work—and want to drive growth at startup speed — read on.

What You’ll Do

• Program Facilitation and Management: Preparing and delivering sessions to students and company partners, coaching and helping students working on projects for partner companies

• Team Leadership and Management: Support and guide a team of coordinators to ensure effective program delivery.

• Stakeholder Engagement:  Build and maintain relationships with corporate partners and educational institutions.

• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Monitor program performance metrics and contribute to reports for decision-making.

• Student Support and Coaching: Provide support and coaching to students to help them succeed in their externships.

• Strategic Planning and Innovation: Contribute to the development of strategic plans to enhance program offerings and teaching methods

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Facilitate meetings providing externs with clear onboarding, orientation, and ongoing support
• Weekly syncs with students, and partners. Ability to create  feedback loops and outcomes that  align with strategic goals.
• At least 60% of externs activate within the first week (e.g., log in, begin tasks, and attend orientation sessions).
• Coordinate communication with strategic nudges and messaging reducing early-stage churn–achieving monthly retention exceeding 70% of cohort
• Insightful reporting–delivered consistently and on time. Ability to  inform broader retention, engagement, and product development experiments.

What We’re Looking For

Must-Have

• 3–5 years of experience in program management, operations, or a related field (education, edtech, workforce development, or higher ed preferred)
• Demonstrated experience owning cross-functional projects from kickoff to completion
• Strong ability to use data to inform strategy and report on outcomes (e.g., retention trends, activation rates, user engagement)
• Comfort with remote work tools (Slack, Notion, GSuite, Airtable, etc.)
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, and comfort working with students, leads, and internal stakeholders

Nice-to-Have

• Background working with early-career talent or student populations, especially in career readiness or workforce programs
• Experience collaborating with product, content, or design teams to improve program experience

Why Join Extern?

This isn’t just another job—it’s an opportunity to redefine the way people build careers. If you’re a data-driven, growth-obsessed product leader who thrives on fast iteration, bold ideas, and real impact, this is your chance to build something that will change millions of lives.

Ready to help shape the future of experiential learning? Let’s build the new standard for lifelong career acceleration—together.

• Mission-Driven Impact: Help thousands of students and career switchers access the real-world experience they need to succeed.
• High-Growth Startup: Be part of a rapidly scaling B2C platform with strong early traction.
• Product-Led Growth Focus: Build organic, self-sustaining acquisition loops instead of just “buying” users.
• Ownership & Autonomy: Work in a high-ownership environment where decisions are made quickly, and you can see the impact of your work in real time.
• World-Class Team & Backing: Join a mission-driven team, guided by investors like Y Combinator, Foundation Capital, and more.

Hours: Approximately 20–30 hours per week, with flexibility to scale.