Senior Manager, Watsonville Center

Company: Digital NEST
Location: Watsonville
Posted on: February 16, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Compensation Range: $70,000- 80,000 annual salary Position Type: 100% FTE, Exempt Benefits Overview: Medical, vision, dental and life insurance, vacation and sick time off, paid federal holidays, and retirement plan (See full job description for more details). Organization Size: 50 Employees Reports to: VP of Member Engagement Location: This is an in-person position in Watsonville. JOB OVERVIEW: Digital NEST creates access to opportunity through vibrant, tech-enabled workforce development centers that empower youth from working-class and farmworker communities to pursue wealth-building careers. We combine professional, technical, and career navigation skills training with mentorship, community, and access to cutting-edge technology. This role serves as the primary owner of center-level recruitment and retention performance. The Senior Manager leads the center staff and manages the cross-functional "Hub Team" to drive membership growth, ensuring the site functions as a thriving community anchor. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for the site, ensuring the space embodies our “Third Place” philosophy: welcoming, inspiring, and rooted in community. This role will partner closely with the VP of Member Engagement to operationalize recruitment systems, coach staff on conversion and retention, and lead by example in outreach. RESPONSIBILITIES: Team Leadership & Culture (30%) Lead the Center Team. Supervise, coach, and develop Watsonville center staff (Coordinators and Advocates), ensuring professional growth, clear goals, and accountability. Drive recruitment accountability through facilitation of weekly Center Team meetings to review recruitment dashboards, track conversion rates, and hold the team accountable to weekly goals. Lead the Watsonville Hub Team (cross-program collaboration between Career Services, Pathways, and Center staff) to ensure site-wide alignment and culture. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and “love and rigor” – where staff feel both supported and challenged to excel. Collaborate with the People Ops Team to manage performance, onboard new hires, and address personnel matters. Strategic & Operational Management (20%) Develop and execute annual center goals and operational plans aligned with organizational strategy. Oversee daily operations of the Watsonville center - ensuring safety, efficiency, and a consistently welcoming environment. Manage the center budget and monitor expenditures in partnership with the Finance team. Coordinate with Facilities and IT to ensure both sites are fully functional, safe, and equipped with appropriate technology and resources. Maintain a visible presence at the center, modeling high standards of member engagement and operational excellence. Member Recruitment & Retention (40%) Own Center membership growth. Serve as the primary owner of center-level performance for recruitment, conversion, and retention strategies that meet annual goals for Watsonville. In collaboration with the VP of Member Engagement, develop and operationalize standardized recruitment playbooks that outline high-impact outreach tactics, messaging, follow-up systems, and conversion strategies that can be replicated across centers. Model effective recruitment. Lead by example by participating in school presentations, tabling, and community events, demonstrating excellence in member engagement and storytelling about the NEST experience. Lead seasonal, high-impact recruitment events (e.g., Open Houses, Showcases) that attract prospective members and families. Coordinate staff participation, community outreach, and event follow-up to maximize membership conversions. Monitor and ensure high-quality execution of the entire recruitment lifecycle. Assess staff skill gaps and collaborate with VP of Member Engagement to create a training plan to strengthen staff abilities in youth outreach, sales-style engagement, follow-up communication, and data tracking. Design and oversee the center’s monthly recruitment calendar, ensuring consistent classroom presentations and outreach during peak cycles. Lead center-level parent touchpoints during strategic recruitment seasons to support family buy-in. Partner with the Evaluation team to use dashboards to track lead generation, tour conversion, and retention trends; adjust strategies based on data. Align strategy across departments. Collaborate closely with the VP of Member Engagement, Marketing & Communications, and Program teams to ensure recruitment materials and events reflect current offerings and program capacity. Community Partnerships & External Relations (10%) Strategic School Partnerships. Collaborate with the VP of Member Engagement and VP of Programs to build and execute strategic partnerships with schools, ensuring alignment between recruitment goals and program offerings. Build and maintain high-level relationships with principals, counselors, teachers, and community partners to secure access for recruitment. Regional storytelling. Share success stories and data that highlight the impact of the NEST in the community strengthening trust and awareness among local partners. Represent Digital NEST externally. Act as an ambassador in the community, embodying the organization’s values of love and rigor, and ensuring that external engagements ultimately support youth recruitment and engagement outcomes. QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in education, business, social sciences, or related field (or equivalent work experience). At least 8 years of professional experience, with at least 3 years in staff supervision or management. Demonstrated success leading high-performing teams and managing operations in a youth-serving, nonprofit, or education setting. Proven track record in recruitment, outreach, and community engagement, preferably in a mission-driven or youth-focused organization. Experience designing systems, training, and playbooks to strengthen team performance and accountability. Strategic thinker who can operationalize vision and motivate teams. Strong project and people management skills; able to juggle competing priorities. Excellent communicator and storyteller, skilled in connecting with diverse youth and community audiences. Deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and youth development. Proficient in data tools (Airtable, Asana, Google Suite, or similar). Reliable transportation to travel throughout Watsonville. PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED: Bilingual English/Spanish. REQUIREMENTS: Passion for the mission of Digital NEST and belief in upholding organization’s core values. Understanding of and sensitivity to issues of culture/ethnicity/race, gender, sexual identity, class/SES and immigration status. Ability to be an ally to people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning and intersex individuals and their allies (LGBTQIA). Candidates must have a valid CA driver's license and be able to travel and work evenings or weekends occasionally, or as needed. Maintain dexterity and coordination, sufficient to perform essential functions. Ability to perform administrative, computer-based tasks, to be mobile (including, but not limited to walking, bending, squatting, crouching, twisting, kneeling, reaching, etc.), and lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 35 pounds as needed. NOTE: The job offer will be contingent upon the successful completion and passing of a background check. ABOUT OUR BENEFITS: We take a holistic approach to wellness, physical, emotional, and financial. Our comprehensive benefits package includes: 100% Agency Paid Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance for the employee SIMPLE IRA Retirement Benefit with up to 3% employer match 10 Paid Vacation Days for Full-time Employees 13 Paid Holidays Annually Plus Business closure/holiday the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day Paid Sick Time Off Annual Parking Permit Professional Development Flexible Work Schedule We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of dedication, impact, and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We want you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for. We also know that diversity of background and thought makes for better problem-solving and more creative thinking, so we're dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. We look forward to hearing from you. Digital NEST, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Digital NEST is committed to an inclusive experience for all applicants and will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations in the interview process, to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please refer to our career page for more information on how to apply for reasonable accommodations. Powered by JazzHR MIz5hwrqqb

Keywords: Digital NEST, Daly City , Senior Manager, Watsonville Center, Human Resources , Watsonville, California