Program Lead (Contractor Role)

Program Implementation:

• As the gatekeeper of the community, the Program Lead should lead each Fellowship with empathy, perception, and remain committed to the growth of each Fellow by leading 1 on1’s with the Fellows throughout the duration of the program. In addition, they will need to plan Community Building sessions.
• Program Leads are responsible for connecting Fellows to additional Mentors in the Watson Institute Mentor network when particular expertise is observed to be helpful to the Fellow’s growth.
• They are accountable for the successful execution of the Program Operations, Basecamps, Curriculum and Summit.

• Leading All Fellowship related Communications (20% of time): The Program Lead will be responsible for all Fellow communications beginning as soon as the Fellows have been admitted to the program. They will be responsible for hosting consultation calls, conducting ongoing communications leading up to the official start of the Fellowship and being the main point of contact throughout the Fellowship until the Fellows have officially completed the program, received their certificate, and completed their Basecamps (if applicable).

  Leading Community Outreach and Engagement Initiatives (20% of time): The Program Lead role is responsible for engaging the local community (when applicable) and engaging our global community in order to meet the Programmatic theme and needs of the partner Fellow. This includes:

  • Developing and sustaining a trusting relationship with entrepreneurial leaders and community stakeholders, specifically with locationbased Fellowships.
  • Ensuring Fellows are connected to Watson Institute’s Mentor network, when applicable and if appropriate, to meet the venturespecific needs of each Fellow.
  • Invite community members involved in each Fellowship to Summit, Watson Institute’s culminating event.

  • Curriculum Oversight (10% of time): The Program Lead will be asked to audit courses to ensure the facilitators are consistently delivering quality content in each session and reporting high level feedback to the Design Team. They will also be asked to support Preceptors (if needed) with technology, prep and the facilitation of the course. This request will be made in advance.

    *New responsibilities may develop as the Program Lead position evolves.

    Requirements

    Culture Add

    In order to thrive as the Program Lead at Watson Institute, a candidate must:
    

    • An exceptional eye for detail. You enjoy spending time with words, style, and formatting in order to make the most compelling product possible.
    • Detail Oriented: You are meticulous and have excellent organizational skills. You are especially attuned to spotting mistakes or inconsistencies in writing and external communications. You take pride in completing your work accurately and on schedule. You have a knack for project management and a love for work plans and checklists.
    • ResultsDriven: A proactive problemsolver who takes ownership of tasks and ensures they are completed to a high standard.
    • High Integrity: Demonstrates integrity in decisionmaking and effectively handles sensitive information.
    • Systemsminded: Demonstrated experience in building and implementing systems. You are comfortable designing, testing, improving, and smoothly running systems and processes.
    • Communication Style: Maintains direct, honest, and solutionfocused communication to address issues and ensure project success.

    • Candidate Profile

      Top candidates should demonstrate:
      
      

      • A deepseated passion for Watson Institute’s mission to develop innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs to solve the toughest challenges facing the world.
      • Facilitation skills, with the ability to inspire and draw out the best in a room during each of the workshops and events being facilitated.
      • • Experience as an entrepreneurial leader throughout their lives. The Program Lead’s work will be in close tandem with the Watson Institute Fellows, each of whom are entrepreneurs, therefore they need to understand the Fellows trajectories and challenges.
        • A systemsoriented and highly organized approach to their work.
        • Mandatory skills: Airtable proficiency (willingness to learn quickly if new to platform), email management excellence, rapid followup, and data analysis. Techforward mindset with ability to onboard swiftly to new digital tools.

        • The Vitals

          • Competitive contractor compensation according to experience: $14,625.00.
          • The Program Lead is a contractor role and reports to the Senior Programs Manager.
          • Preferred locations: CO, PA, GA, FL, ME, AZ, DC, OK, SC, or MD.
          • Estimated time commitment of 25 hours per week. Must be available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 8:3010:30am MT and Tuesdays between 121pm MT.
          • The start date for this position is September 22, 2025.
          • The end date for this position is December 19, 2025, with the possibility of extension based on organizational needs and performance.
          • We accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.