Extern
Professional Experience Anytime, Anywhere.
What Extern does
At Extern, we’re solving the experience gap. Extern created the remote Externship, a skill-building work experience that is easier for students to access, and easier for companies to run, than an internship. Our mission is to help anyone discover and launch their career through professional experiences available anywhere at any time. Since 2020, we’ve created and powered Externships for over 50,000 students on behalf of companies from Fortune 500s to startups. After spending $100K on average for a 4-year degree, graduates find that almost 40% of entry level jobs on Linkedin required 3+ years of work experience. Internships are how many college students get this kind of experience, but the demand for good internships outstrips the supply. Internship programs are difficult to scale, they favor students who already have social capital, and they’re time-consuming for employers to run. Externships are short, online, project-based work experiences that employers can offer to hundreds of students using less resource and employee time than it would take to support an intern. Extern makes the complex process of running an Externship completely turnkey with software and industry experts which in turn makes professional experience more accessible to more students. By making work experience more accessible, Extern is driving the rapid mobility and upskilling needed for a new economy. We envision a world where anyone can access work experience as a form of education – no matter their background, experience, or socio-economic status. Come join our movement to reshape work, education, and credentialing for future generations with the Externship. Extern was born out of a pivot from Paragon One (W17) which initially focused on providing students with a career center-as-a-service platform, connecting them with industry professionals to receive career coaching and guidance. Backed by Y Combinator, Foundation Capital, Launch Fund, University Ventures, and Learn Capital.
1 open role
What the role involves
Location: Remote (US time zones) Type: Contract (with potential to extend) Experience: 3+ years About Us We’re on a mission to redefine how early-career individuals gain tangible, real-world experience by scaling experiential learning through technology. Our remote “Externship” model empowers students and career changers to work on meaningful projects—across data analytics, market insights, engineering, and cybersecurity—while reducing workload for corporate and academic partners. Guided by subject-matter experts and powered by our automated platform, Extern has already delivered impactful results for Fortune 1000 firms. Your Role As a Contract Program Manager – Data, Analytics & AI, you will be the driving force behind the lifecycle of externship programs including those focused on analytics and technology. You’ll deliver session content, manage cross-functional deliverables, coach participants, and ensure data-informed decisions guide our program strategy. What You’ll Do Program & Data Tracking: Develop, lead, and facilitate externship sessions—including onboarding, orientation, and project milestones—tailored for analytics, engineering, and cybersecurity projects. Team Coordination: Guide both internal and external coordinators, ensuring seamless delivery of program components, especially technical workflows and data pipelines. Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner closely with data engineers, cybersecurity specialists, product teams, and content designers to craft compelling project briefs and support materials. Data-Driven Insights: Monitor key metrics (e.g., program activation, engagement, retention), analyze trends, and produce reports that inform program improvements. Participant Coaching: Offer hands-on support and mentorship to externs, helping them translate complex data, engineering, or security concepts into actionable insights and deliverables for partner companies. Strategic Innovation: Contribute ideas to enhance our analytics and technical program offerings—whether through new tooling, dashboards, security frameworks, or formats for delivering content. What Success Looks Like Over 60% of participants activate in the first week (e.g., logging in, attending orientation, starting work). Monthly retention rates exceed 70%, driven by proactive communication and structured support. Insightful reports delivered on schedule that shape strategic enhancements to program design. High satisfaction among externs and partner organizations, evidenced through feedback and outcomes. What We’re Looking For Must-Haves: 3–5 years in program management, education, technical operations, analytics program delivery, or related fields (experience in edtech, workforce development, a plus). Proven ability to run cross-functional, analytics and tech-driven programs, from planning to execution. Strong data fluency—comfortable working with metrics like SLAs, retention, activation, and translating those into strategic insight. Familiarity with remote tools: Slack, Notion, Airtable, GSuite, and preferably dashboards, BI tooling, or workflow automation. Exceptional communication and stakeholder management, able to coach both students and corporate partners clearly and effectively. Technical Skills & Experience (At least one): Data Analytics: Skilled in interpreting complex datasets and supporting data-driven decision-making. Cybersecurity: Awareness of cybersecurity principles, frameworks, and best practices for project oversight. AI & Emerging Tech: Insight into AI/ML applications, data ethics, or next-gen technologies shaping the future of work. Nice-to-Haves: Experience working with early-career talent or running learning cohorts. Some background in facilitation or instructional content, especially related to analytics, cybersecurity, or data storytelling. Exposure to automation, reporting tooling, or scaling educational workflows. Why Join Us Mission-Driven Impact: Empower learners from diverse backgrounds to launch careers
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Questions and experiences
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Company facts compiled from public sources and last refreshed 9 September 2026. Details change; treat the company’s own site as the authority.