Programs Manager

Position: Full-Time 
Reports To: VP of Programs 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Salary: $75,000 to $82,500 
Start Date: As soon as filled
Work Location: Remote with option to work out of L.A. office. Candidates based in California or New York are preferred 
Required Travel: Approximately 20% for programs and staff retreats 

About HARNESS 

Founded by America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama, and Ryan Piers Williams following the 2016 presidential election, HARNESS is a community of activists, artists, and entertainment and media industry leaders who believe that storytelling shapes our world. We convene to envision and amplify the stories that define a more just future. We create that future through our art, influence, and actions. Learn more at www.iwillharness.com. 

Overview of Role 

HARNESS is looking for a seasoned program / project manager, producer, and community builder to join our team as Programs Manager (“Manager”). 

This is a new position that will support the planning and management of the implementation of HARNESS’ program model which aims to educate, inspire, activate, and build resilience for our intersectional and diverse community of activists, artists, and multidisciplinary leaders. The ideal candidate has experience managing and producing programs of various scopes and scales that utilize storytelling to build community to advance social change. 

We are looking for a highly collaborative individual with a breadth of experience and relationships within social justice movements, and the cultural and narrative change space, and understands how to translate strategic program thinking into beautifully produced programs.

This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone who is creative and strategic, who thrives on community building, and is passionate about the power of storytelling to shape a more just and inclusive world. You will be joining a small, collaborative, and fun-loving remote team with office space available to work from in Downtown L.A. 

Core Responsibilities 

Program Strategy and Production

  • Support VP of Programs in bringing HARNESS’ program strategy and calendar to life. This includes:
    • Building work plans including timelines, budgets and deliverables for every event in partnership with contracted Producer(s). 
    • Project managing the annual calendar of programs–managing and flagging when reviews, deadlines, and deliverables are due, proactively raising flags to keep things on track. 
    • Supporting the implementation of Industry Impact work. 
  • Manage guest lists for events including designing a strategic approach to curating attendees for each event in accordance with purpose and goals.
  • Propose staffing design for each event with VP.
  • Collaborate with VP on designing events, leading on elements such as managing logistics, invite distribution, RSVP tracking, guest follow up, gifts and honorariums, etc.
  • Develop program management standards, guidelines, processes and templates and train staff and contractors on their use.

Community Stewardship 

  • Build community with new and existing HARNESS community members. 
  • Support VP of Programs in the development of a community model
  • Manage the building and implementation of the community framework developed in partnership with the VP of Programs. 
  • Manage and nurture the community advisory committee. This includes maintaining ongoing communications and planning gatherings as needed.
  • Support the implementation of communication tactics across platforms as needed, including but not limited to doing community outreach for content, copywriting and/or editing for the newsletter, and other activities as applicable. 

Impact

  • Support VP of Programs and any supporting consultants/ team members in managing impact measurement for HARNESS programs in alignment with the theory of change and yearly strategic goals. 
  • Support in the building and execution of processes to solicit and respond to feedback from internal and external stakeholders.
  • Support in shaping and telling the narrative of HARNESS’ impact to the team, board, community, and funders 

Operations, Finance, and Development

  • Build and manage budgets for all programs in partnership with producers and VP of Programs. 
  • Work with the operations team to track and manage budget actuals and reconciliations for programs.
  • Collaborate with the operations team to ensure the timely submission and payment of all vendor and contractor invoices, honorariums and any other applicable transactions.
  • Support development efforts by providing fundraising staff with program updates as needed.
  • Provide guidance to program contractors to help them carry out their responsibilities. 
  • Supervise program producers and oversee relationships with consultants and vendors. 
  • Onboard and offboard program consultants, supporting them and the VP to ensure program deliverables are completed satisfactorily, on time, and within budget. 
  • Maintain community database (CRM) to track member information and engagement. 

Skills and Qualifications 

The Programs Manager will be thoroughly committed to HARNESS’ mission and strategic vision. 

Candidates should have at least 6-8 years of experience. All candidates should be excited to be in a continuous posture of learning and co-creation as they bring to life programs with the HARNESS team and community. 

Candidates should have demonstrated expertise in program and project management along with budget management. They should also have some experience working:

  • within and across social justice movements
  • working with artists
  • working with the entertainment industry
  • in community building

Preferred candidates will have: 

  • Experience managing programs of various scopes and scales that advance social change. Event/ experiential production experience is highly desirable.
  • A high attention to detail with a passion for organization and cross-collaboration; experience using project management tools to plan and communicate work progress and potential potholes. 
  • An understanding of how to translate strategy into program/ event execution.
  • The ability to see a story from complex bodies of work and perspectives.
  • A breadth of relationships within social justice movements. 
  • Demonstrated success building trusted relationships with diverse groups of people, building on skills of empathy, compassion, listening, and connection.
  • A passion for the arts, culture change, and the role that storytelling plays in building more just futures. 
  • Demonstrated alignment with HARNESS mission. 

Other desired skills and experiences include: 

  • Comfort with remote-first environments and using virtual collaboration tools like Zoom, Salesforce, G-Suite, Asana, and Slack 

What we offer you in return and why you would love being a part of our team! 

  • Generous virtual office budget which includes support for home office equipment, cell phone, and internet monthly stipend 
  • Office space available in Downtown Los Angeles 
  • Competitive paid time-off and benefits, including 100% paid Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance and 401k match 
  • Learning opportunities and an annual professional development budget
  • Fun and collaborative team environment 

Compensation and Benefits 

This is a full-time, exempt position. The annual salary starts at $75,000. The final pay offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and years of experience within a relevant role, industry, and education. 

Provided they meet all eligibility requirements under the applicable plan documents, employees (and their families) will be offered medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees also will be able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan, provided they meet plan requirements. Employees will also have 20 days of vacation leave and 10 days of paid sick leave each year. Employees will also observe 10 paid federal holidays throughout the calendar year, plus annual summer and winter office closures. Eligibility requirements for these benefits will be controlled by applicable plan documents and organization policies. 

This is intended to provide a general description of benefits and other compensation and is not a substitute for applicable plan documents or company policies. 

HARNESS is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do. HARNESS provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

How to Apply 

Please send a resumé and cover letter to talent@iwillharness.com. Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis until it is filled, but preference will be given to those who apply by April 25, 2025.