Program Manager

Kepler executes engineered marketing, where every message and ad delivered helps create a more personalized and productive relationship between brands and their consumers. We do this by acting as clients’ agency of record, as their in-house team, or some hybrid of the two – and by harnessing data and technology across all paid digital media and data-driven CRM channels.

Kepler prides itself on being a great place to work. In fact, we’re proud to share that AdAge recognized Kepler among the Best Place to Work in 2022, validating our investment in our team and our clients.

• We're transparent with our employees. You'll hear updates on company financials, how we're performing against bonus goals, and how we're responding to challenges we face. 
• We're growing. For you, that means unparalleled growth opportunities and a role in shaping the direction of the company. 
• We're fun. You'll work with and learn from the smartest people in the industry and have a blast doing it. 

Kepler U Program Manager:

Location: Hybrid (Philadelphia, NYC, or Chicago)

Department: Culture & Inclusion (People Team)

Reports To: Culture & Inclusion Associate VP

Kepler U is our flagship charitable initiative designed to democratize access to quality digital marketing education. We actively dismantle structural barriers for lower socioeconomic and underrepresented groups by providing free, comprehensive training, mentorship, and career placement. With over 500 graduates and an 82% employment rate within 6 months, the program works.

Now, we are focusing on sustainability. We are seeking a Program Manager to operationalize our transition to a Single Entity Fund (SEF) in partnership with Tides Foundation. This role is not about "growth at all costs"—it is about building the financial and operational bedrock to ensure this program thrives for years to come.

THE TEAM

Kepler's Culture & Inclusion Center of Excellence (C&I COE) is a strategic team within the People function that drives measurable business impact through inclusive excellence. Our COE directly contributes to organizational performance by reducing employee turnover, improving talent acquisition outcomes, and enhancing client team effectiveness across our global workforce.

As part of the People Team, we tackle the complex talent challenges facing high-growth marketing agencies – from building diverse leadership pipelines to ensuring psychological safety drives innovation and client success across our global employee base.

THE ROLE

This is a 100% dedicated role. You will sit at the intersection of social impact and corporate operation. You will be responsible for securing the program's future through a $250,000 annual fundraising goal, managing strict grant compliance, and overseeing the lifecycle of our student cohorts.

We value empirical data over intuition. We value lived experience over performative allyship. We are looking for a builder who understands that true equity requires funding, structure, and rigor.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Fundraising & Sustainability (40%)

• Strategy Execution: Own and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy to meet an annual target of $250,000. This includes securing corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and grants.
• Grant Lifecycle Management: Identify, write, and manage grant applications for private and federal funding opportunities. You will be the primary author of our value proposition to donors.
• Donor Stewardship: Manage relationships with current and prospective corporate partners (e.g., platform partners, vendors, and clients), moving them from "interested" to committed financial supporters.

Tides SEF Governance & Compliance (30%)

• Fiscal Sponsorship Management: Serve as the primary operational liaison with Tides Foundation. You will ensure all fundraising pages, marketing materials, and external communications comply with Tides’ strict disclosure language and branding requirements.
• Fund Segregation & Reporting: Work with Finance to maintain separate accounting codes for Kepler U. You will prepare the quarterly and annual narrative reports required by Tides, detailing the use of funds and progress toward charitable purposes.
• Fair Market Value Analysis: Ensure all program expenditures—including staff time tracking—align with IRS requirements for "reasonableness" to prevent private benefit issues.

Program Operations & Student Success (30%)

• Cohort Management: Oversee the end-to-end operations for two annual student cohorts (Spring and Fall). This includes vetting 150-200 applications per cycle and selecting 75-100 students based on rigorous, non-discriminatory criteria.
• Student Engagement: Manage day-to-day student support, including troubleshooting, ISO compliance (Google Workspace setup), and ensuring psychological safety within the cohort.
• Alumni & Career Placement: Maintain the alumni network and work with recruiting partners to track job placement metrics. You will ensure we maintain our high placement standards (currently 71% of alumni secure roles in digital marketing).

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Experience: 4-6 years of experience in non-profit program management, development/fundraising, or social impact partnerships.
• Fundraising: Demonstrated success in securing funds (grants or corporate sponsorship) exceeding $100k+ annually.
• Single-Entity Fund (SEF) Knowledge: Experience working with Fiscal Sponsors, Single Entity Funds, or similar non-profit structures is highly preferred.
• Operational Rigor: Experience managing training programs, educational cohorts, or complex project lifecycles.
• Tools: Proficiency in Salesforce (for donor tracking), Google Workspace, and grant management software (Click & Pledge).

Transparency is fundamental to Kepler's culture. Our compensation strategy is designed to attract, reward, and retain the talented employees that drive Kepler's growth and success. We aim to offer competitive direct compensation and a rich indirect compensation program that demonstrates the value we place on our employees and their wellbeing.

Total Compensation:

• Base Salary: $90,000 - $117,000
• Target Annualized Discretionary Bonus: 5% ($4,500 - $5,850)
• Target Total Cash: $94,500 - $122,850
• Reports to: C&I AVP

Benefits:

• Healthcare/Dental/Vision
• Unlimited PTO
• 401k Contributions
• $75/mo Wellness Stipend
• $100/mo Mobile Phone Stipend
• $50/mo Internet Stipend
• $500/yr Annual Learning Stipend
• $2,000/yr Annual Tuition Stipend
• One-time $200 New Hire Home Office Equipment Stipend
• Parental Leave - 16 week primary caregiver / 6 week secondary caregiver leave
• Annual Work From Anywhere 4 weeks per year

This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days in-office per week and 2 days work from home.

Kepler is a people first organization. If this role piques your interest but you may not check every box, we still encourage you to apply! Studies show that imposter syndrome can prevent women and people of color from applying unless they meet every single qualification. We welcome all who are interested to apply, you just might be a great candidate for this role or others. 

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