What Does a Program Lead Do?

Q: How much do program leads make?

Program leads make an average of around $80,000 annually. However, the average range is from $60,000 per year to over $100,000 in a year. The salaries for program leads can vary depending on region, education, and experience level. Other than these two factors, salary expectations for program leads largely rely on experience level and developing skills that will make you valuable.

A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands. They have a clear understanding of the organization's long-term goals and outline plans to define those objectives, bringing new programs to light following clients' specifications that would help the business grow revenues, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep its good reputation, and achieve profitability goals.

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Program Lead Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real program lead resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Assess instructor effectiveness in achieving client ISP objectives.
Manage security and access policies base upon operational need-to-know and DOD regulations and requirements
Conduct daily clinical documentation audits, manage consumer financial accounts, provide oversight and approval for all treatment and discharge planning.
Up to date on CPR, trauma medical aid and restraints holds.
Know basics of first aid and CPR, have not receive certification yet.
Evaluate quarterly expenditure reports and project budgets, and release money to local NGOs.
Plan and coordinate GED classes for clients and provide transportation to and from class site.
Support the membership programs and activities of the largest coalition of U.S. base international NGOs.
Develop and complete six sigma project to identify inefficiency in customer approvals of parts (approx 900 parts).
Plan and administer lessons for students that would supplement their grade curriculum in order to increase reading and mathematics comprehension.
Design and implement character building lessons and activities for a group of 6 kids ages 3-16 that meets once every month.
Assist teachers' education of speech development, early mathematics, encouraging play and interaction between children, and picture identification.
Maintain student database using Salesforce.
Help rehabilitate kids getting out of juvenile detention.
Produce and refine PowerPoint presentations in support of ongoing programs and initiatives.

Program Lead Job Description

Between the years 2018 and 2028, program lead jobs are expected to undergo a growth rate described as "faster than average" at 8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if the thought "should I become a program lead?" Has crossed your mind, maybe you should take the growth rate into account. In addition, the number of program lead opportunities that are projected to become available by 2028 is 33,800.

On average, the program lead annual salary is $100,727 per year, which translates to $48.43 an hour. Generally speaking, program leads earn anywhere from $59,000 to $171,000 a year, which means that the top-earning program leads make $127,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

Once you've become a program lead, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include an activity coordinator, recreation assistant, activities director, and senior counselor.

Learn More About Program Lead Job Descriptions

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12 Program Lead Resume Examples

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Kenneth Evans Program Lead Contact Information Indianapolis, IN (970) 555-0033 kevans@example.com Skills Staff Members Infant Communication Program Staff Project Management Treatment Plans Language Arts Social Studies Physical Education Classroom Management Employment History Program Lead 2016 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Generated internal and external communication as well as linkage between cross-divisional teams, which ensured proper execution at retail. Ensured proper staffing levels by recruiting, interviewing and hiring talented kitchen staff members following Company guidelines. Connect clients with community resources as needed. Personalized customer service, placed orders and monitored delivery of merchandise. Instructional Aide 2006 - 2016 Jefferson County Schools Charles Town, WV Performed classroom teaching functions - Implemented effective classroom management techniques Facilitated interactive classroom activities and discussions - Conducted special education activities Assist lead teach with classroom management. Work as a Personal Care Aide under the direction of the Special Education Internships Department. Experience instructing CPR in high schools to both students and staff members. Worked in whole group settings, small groups, and one-on-one with students ages 13 to 17. Preschool Teacher 2002 - 2006 Bright Horizons Washington, DC Consider developmentally appropriate practices when choosing, implementing, analyzing and improving/changing classroom management techniques. Completed an E.R.I authorized program in CPR and Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Removal Techniques. Created and led activities designed to promote physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Developed classroom management program and instructional lessons to work with students and increase interest in learning. Instruct ELA, Math Developing Number Concepts, Science, Social Studies, Technology, and Character Education. Teacher Associate 2000 - 2002 Potomac High School Washington, DC Be CPR and First Aid certified if an emergency were to occur. Communicate openly with parents about educational activities, academic progress, and behaviors. Established rapport and sense of trust with children Collaborated with teachers to plan and implement daily activities Counseled students on subject matter Served as grade chair for 6th grade team and Language Arts Coordinator, and member of Science Fair and Earth Week Committees Education Bachelor's Degree Business 1997 - 2000 Strayer University Washington, DC


Christina Miller Program Lead Contact Info Fishers, IN (400) 555-1135 cmiller@example.com Skills SigmaCommunicationChild CareAppropriate CurriculumSocial StudiesClassroom ManagementProject ManagementSocial DevelopmentHomework AssignmentsNaeyc Employment History Program Lead 2019 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Fishers, IN Send out daily and weekly communication with parents about upcoming events, billing statements, and any other questions or concerns. Prepared classrooms for program specialists and therapists for daily activities. Advocated for and convened integrated Assurance and Business Development discussions to improve communication and knowledge support. Instructional Aide 2017 - 2019 Fairfax County Public Schools Falls Church, VA Term work with the special education department with children ages 5-11. Assist multiple teachers with providing instruction and evaluating its effectiveness to individuals or small groups in all subject areas. Managed student's behavior chart and communicated information with parents and other staff members. Preschool Teacher 2014 - 2017 KinderCare Atlanta, GA Result: Classroom management system was implemented from preschool through school age classrooms. Perform developmental evaluation of children and individual needs. Implemented policies and procedures to maintain NAEYC accreditation going forward. Understand and ensure NAEYC compliance. Teacher Associate (Part-Time) 2012 - 2014 Gadsden State Community College - Wallace Drive Campus Tallahassee, FL Qualified CPR and First aid for infants, children and adults. Provided staff development on special education processes and served as administrative designee in principal's absence. Developed novel studies and offered differentiated activities incorporating student learning styles. Education Bachelor's Degree Biology 2011 - 2014 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL


Johnny Warren Program Lead Garden Grove, CA (600) 555-0139 jwarren@example.com Experience Program Lead2020 - Present Boys & Girls Club•Garden Grove, CA Demonstrated and maintained a positive professional role model and mentor. Implement games and activities to go along with the daily after-school program. Develop policies and procedures for an athletic department with research-based justification for implementation. Leader2018 - 2020 Boys & Girls Clubs of America•Long Beach, CA Conduct daily activities and data with sorting parts for various companies Mentored 18 Green Belt candidates to attain certification Completed all requirements for Textron Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. Manage group funds according to GSUSA and the council policies and procedures. Prepare proposals, develop embedded real time systems and perform configuration management of the software and hardware line of products. Based on the above success, my store was received the highest scores for guest service. Office Assistant2015 - 2018 Staples•Los Angeles, CA Ensured the sales floor was kept stocked and cleaned. included travel to these offices) Train new employees Daily balance sheet Bank deposits Student Volunteer (Part-Time)2014 - 2015 Florida Hospital Ctr•Saint Leo, FL Planned and implemented a Community HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, resulting in approximately 200 community members learning about HIV/AIDS. Provide a safe environment for youth ages 5-12. File paperwork of machinery from hospital into database Maintain electronic paper files Search replacement HVAC systems and medical equipment Skills Data EntryTelephone CallsRole ModelEnrichment ActivitiesSales GoalsHigh VolumeUnderprivileged ChildrenPatient CareCommunity ResourcesLiteracy Education Bachelor's Degree Criminal Justice2012 - 2015 Saint Leo University•Saint Leo, FL

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Program Lead Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 13% of Program Leads are proficient in Project Management, HR, and Work Ethic. They’re also known for soft skills such as Flexibility, Physical strength, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Program Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Project Management, 13%
Lead project management quality and initiatives within Production Systems and Production planning with emphasis and focus on total quality management.
HR, 11%
Train and mentor other HR team members, management and staff in compensation processes, standards and systems/tools.
Work Ethic, 10%
Served as a positive adult role model for children by displaying appropriate dress, speech, work ethic, and attitude.
CPR, 8%
Received training and certification in American Red Cross Standard First Aid and CPR to ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere.
Customer Satisfaction, 7%
Performed risk analyses to identify and mitigate barriers to the transformation process while emphasizing claim auto adjudication and maximizing customer satisfaction.
Customer Service, 5%
Provided customer service and program management to clients in site-specific, parks and recreational facility that provides educational programming to public.

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"project management," "hr," and "work ethic" aren't the only skills we found program leads list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of program lead responsibilities that we found, including:

Flexibility can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a program lead to have. According to a program lead resume, "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities" program leads are able to use flexibility in the following example we gathered from a resume: "fast paced position that required great flexibility to work between front desk and assisting other workers with supervising children during recess. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many program lead duties rely on physical strength. This example from a program lead explains why: "most recreation workers should be physically fit." This resume example is just one of many ways program leads are able to utilize physical strength: "demonstrated physical education exercises and stretches to children and provided them with safety procedures and materials. "

Another skill that is quite popular among program leads is leadership skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a program lead resume: "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups" This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "facilitated student leadership projects be a positive role model and mentor to students improve student's skills and provide academic support"

In order for certain program lead responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "problem-solving skills." According to a program lead resume, "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "assessed and problem solved hr systems and business processes for new system interface. "

Another common skill for a program lead to be able to utilize is "communication skills." Recreation workers must be able to communicate well a program lead demonstrated the need for this skill by putting this on their resume: "served as communication coordinator and delivered initiatives to hr team members. "

See the full list of program lead skills.

We've found that 63.1% of program leads have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 11.0% earned their master's degrees before becoming a program lead. While it's true that most program leads have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every eight program leads did not spend the extra money to attend college.

The program leads who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and psychology, while a small population of program leads studied liberal arts and sociology.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a program lead. We've found that most program lead resumes include experience from Deloitte, Humana, and Dell. Of recent, Deloitte had 432 positions open for program leads. Meanwhile, there are 167 job openings at Humana and 132 at Dell.

Since salary is important to some program leads, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Netflix, Meta, and The Walt Disney Company. If you were to take a closer look at Netflix, you'd find that the average program lead salary is $173,036. Then at Meta, program leads receive an average salary of $166,916, while the salary at The Walt Disney Company is $162,308.

View more details on program lead salaries across the United States.

If you earned a degree from the top 100 educational institutions in the United States, you might want to take a look at Think Together, University of Florida, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. These three companies have hired a significant number of program leads from these institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious program leads are:

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What Activity Coordinators Do

An activity coordinator is someone who creates and plans activities, outings, and events in various settings. Typically, they oversee creating programs, staffing events, and supervising the implementation of activities. They generally report to the activity director or community manager. One of their tasks is to collaborate with directors of studies to schedule the activities. Other tasks include coordinating staff with the activities and informing them of the decisions regularly. Also, they strategize, coordinate, and encourage the members to participate in the activities.

We looked at the average program lead annual salary and compared it with the average of an activity coordinator. Generally speaking, activity coordinators receive $65,418 lower pay than program leads per year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both program leads and activity coordinators positions are skilled in cpr, customer service, and patients.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a program lead responsibility requires skills such as "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction." Whereas a activity coordinator is skilled in "memory care," "front desk," "mds," and "social interaction." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

On average, activity coordinators reach similar levels of education than program leads. Activity coordinators are 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Recreation Assistant?

A recreational assistant is responsible for performing administrative support tasks while under the supervision of a recreational manager. Their duties revolve around planning various activities that align with the company's vision and mission, such as sporting events and other fun games. They also participate in arranging equipment and supplies such as tables and stages, facilitating programs, securing necessary permits and documentation, responding to calls and inquiries, and assisting participants. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all workers and adhere to company policies and regulations.

Now we're going to look at the recreation assistant profession. On average, recreation assistants earn a $69,687 lower salary than program leads a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both program leads and recreation assistants are known to have skills such as "cpr," "customer service," and "patients. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that program lead responsibilities requires skills like "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction." But a recreation assistant might use skills, such as, "mds," "recreation programs," "rehabilitation," and "compassion."

In general, recreation assistants study at lower levels of education than program leads. They're 6.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How an Activities Director Compares

An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.

Let's now take a look at the activities director profession. On average, these workers make lower salaries than program leads with a $55,745 difference per year.

While looking through the resumes of several program leads and activities directors we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "cpr," "customer service," and "patients," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a program lead is likely to be skilled in "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction," while a typical activities director is skilled in "rehabilitation," "resident care," "home health," and "mds."

Activities directors are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to program leads. Additionally, they're 3.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Senior Counselor

The responsibilities of a senior counselor will depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Most of the time, a senior counselor works with the youth, particularly children. They focus on facilitating recreational programs, ensuring a safe and fun experience for them. They may also assess the children's condition and needs, providing them with the necessary assistance and guidance. Furthermore, when a senior counselor must reach out to parents and guardians, they may inform them of any concerns or progress.

The fourth career we look at typically earns higher pay than program leads. On average, senior counselors earn a difference of $26,678 higher per year.

While both program leads and senior counselors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like cpr, customer service, and professional development, the two careers also vary in other skills.

Each job requires different skills like "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction," which might show up on a program lead resume. Whereas senior counselor might include skills like "litigation," "legal advice," "legal issues," and "legal support."

Senior counselors reach similar levels of education when compared to program leads. The difference is that they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree more, and 16.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What a Program Lead Does FAQs

How Much Do Program Leads Make?

Program leads make an average of around $80,000 annually. However, the average range is from $60,000 per year to over $100,000 in a year.

The salaries for program leads can vary depending on region, education, and experience level. Other than these two factors, salary expectations for program leads largely rely on experience level and developing skills that will make you valuable.

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

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Updated October 2, 2020