Program Lead - Social Impact & Playstation Career Pathways

Why PlayStation?
PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.
PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.
The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.
Program Lead - Social Impact & PlayStation Career Pathways
San Mateo, CA or Remote
Role Summary
We're looking for a Program Lead to manage and execute our premier education and career readiness program, PlayStation Career Pathways, with the mission to attract and train talent from underrepresented communities that are seeking careers in the gaming industry. You'll join PlayStation's Social Impact team and report to the Head of Social Impact. Along with a growing team of partner trainers, creative professionals, and learning experience designers, you'll work to research, scope, design, and iterate content and digital engagement and experiences that build and sustain a pipeline of talent for the PlayStation Career Pathways program.
This role will focus on student engagement and overall program management that inspires and enables underrepresented talent for roles within the gaming industry and ecosystem. You’ll play a critical role in designing and executing a best-in-class career readiness program that unites scholarship awards, mentorship opportunities, and career readiness programming that provides the necessary skills and experiences required for careers at PlayStation, our first-party studios, and the video game industry as a whole.
Duties And Responsibilities
Program & Project Management

• Define and maintain standards for ongoing assessment of student achievement, including program participant and internship placement within SIE and the gaming industry
• Builds, implements and executes strategic programming identified as part of the PlayStation Career Pathways program; including all aspects of the participant experience and talent development efforts to build our internal and external talent pipeline
• Design and produce regular reports to track, document, and measure progress
• Provide day-to-day execution of the PlayStation Career Pathways program, so that all aspects of the program meets overall corporate objectives and nonprofit and university partner-agreed guidelines; which include timetables, budgets, reporting

Scholar/Mentor Engagement

• Build relationships with our PlayStation Career Pathways scholars through individual meetings, group sessions, and by being a visible presence on-site and/or virtually
• Conduct interviews and assessments of PlayStation Career Pathways scholars to assess readiness and SIE’s ability to support them through the program journey
• Track the end-to-end scholarship awarding process to assure that student awards of all types are effectively managed on a timely basis
• Responsible for the design, development and implementation of a formalized mentoring program including one-to-one mentoring, mentoring circles (group mentoring) and cross-cultural pairing. Develop mentoring program guidelines, skill building, tools and evaluation process to measure effectiveness.
• Coordinate the planning and development of corporate scholars, mentoring relationships, and internship programs with the Early Career Talent team
• Participate in prospective scholarship engagement activities to identify students who can be future participants into the program

Community & University Outreach

• Support building new and enhancing existing partnership relationships with community-based organizations and universities to address student needs and future recruitment into the program
• Manage day-to-day relationship(s) with the nonprofit and/or university partner’s administration (enrollment management, scholarship, program operations, etc.) to scholarship and student recruitment and ensure activities are effective.
• Work closely with the Education & Curriculum and Marketing Content & Communications Lead(s) to ensure curricula and content aligns with overall program goals and experience

Event Management

• Lead the planning and execution of PlayStation Career Pathways on-site activities including regional and campus 
gatherings, industry conferences, SIE office and PlayStation Studio tours, career workshops, etc.
• Create, monitor and control event budgets and prepare periodic reports on cost and ROI
• Build and own an integrated calendar of in-person and virtual events
• Drive creative development of event experiences that reinforce PlayStation’s brand and value proposition, inclusive of concept development, event narrative, content profile, and participants.
• Execute program events and experiences strategy that effectively engages our program participants

Requirements

• CRM and LMS proficiency is required, particularly with CRM and LMS platforms, as well as Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; 

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in case management, youth development or university student services preferred
• Strong record and knowledge of university campus functioning; high understanding of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) system is preferred
• Organizational/Project Management Skills. Excellent organizational skills with ability to self-manage process and prioritize assignments and information; ask appropriate questions for clarification; and accomplish project goals accordingly. Ability to function effectively with strong attention to detail, and demonstrate good judgment, problem-solving and decision-making capability.
• Communication skills. Builds effective communication by active listening; must have the ability to effectively present to/communicate with multi-faceted audiences with different backgrounds, experiences and points of view.
• Experience managing college mentoring programs

About Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Social Impact and PlayStation Career Pathways
The PlayStation Career Pathways program is a talent development initiative aimed at providing opportunities to diverse individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the gaming industry. The program offers training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to participants, with the goal of helping them build the skills and connections needed to succeed in the industry.
The program focuses on three key areas:
Skills Development: Participants receive training and support to build their technical and professional skills, including workshops, online courses, and mentorship opportunities. Networking and Mentorship: Participants have the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, receive guidance and feedback on their work, and build relationships that can help them advance their careers. Career Readiness: The program aims to connect participants with job opportunities within the gaming industry, including positions at PlayStation and its partner companies.
The PlayStation Career Pathways program is open to individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups in the gaming industry. The program has a particular focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the goal of increasing representation and promoting a more inclusive gaming industry.
Overall, PlayStation's social justice efforts reflect a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the gaming industry, as well as contributing to broader social and environmental causes.
For more information, please look at our latest blog update regarding our social impact partnerships and announcement of the PlayStation Career Pathways program.
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$155,100 — $232,700 USD
Equal Opportunity Statement:
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.