Director of Programming & Instruction, Academy at Penn

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director of Programming & Instruction, Academy at Penn

Job Profile Title

Director B, Student Services

Job Description Summary

The Academy at Penn is a college and career readiness program for students from Horace Furness High School and High School of the Future, both comprehensive high schools in the School District of Philadelphia. Through this program, students receive year-round, cohort-based academic, social/emotional, and community support that holds in the highest regard each participant's unique path to, through, and beyond high school. The Academy is a 5-year partnership between the School District of Philadelphia, Foundations, Inc., and the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and systems-oriented leader who can translate vision into high-quality, scalable programming. They bring deep experience in curriculum and instructional leadership, combined with the ability to manage people, systems, and growth simultaneously. This individual is equally comfortable setting long-term direction and addressing day-to-day implementation challenges.

They are a strong coach and team builder who can develop staff capacity while maintaining high standards for teaching and learning. The ideal candidate is reflective, data-driven, and committed to continuous improvement, using feedback and evidence to refine both curriculum and program design.

Above all, they are deeply committed to expanding opportunities for high school students and ensuring that programming is engaging, rigorous, and meaningfully connected to students’ long-term college and career goals.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Program Leadership & Strategy: Define and refine the long-term vision for the Summer and Saturday program; Oversee multi-year program architecture, including cohort progression and experience design; Ensure strong alignment between summer, school-day, and school-year (Saturday) programming; Lead continuous improvement efforts, incorporating data, feedback, and emerging best practices; Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure program feasibility, sustainability, and strategic alignment; Represent the program in internal and external meetings and partnerships.

• Program Development & Scaling: Design and implement a scalable, cohort-based program model; Develop and document systems, structures, and frameworks for replication and growth; Plan and align phased staffing expansion with projected enrollment growth.

• Curriculum & Instructional Leadership: Lead curriculum design, implementation, and ongoing refinement aligned with program goals and student needs; Develop and maintain a cohesive, multi-year scope and sequence across cohorts; Ensure curriculum is engagi