Program Manager

Job Title: Program Manager

Exempt/Non-exempt: EXEMPT

Immediate Supervisor: Regional Child Welfare Director

Essential Functions:
1. Primarily responsible for leading a team of supervisors and direct service child welfare professionals in partnering with children, parents, and community providers to assess, plan, evaluate, and make linkages for in-home stabilization, prevention, safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes.
2. Oversee the recruitment, hiring, and training processes for program staff, ensuring the development of a skilled and dedicated team.
3. Collaborate closely with the Regional Director to advocate for, market, and champion the program's vision and goals, striving for growth, development, and alignment across the site, region, and other applicable jurisdictions. Proactively identify expansion opportunities, leverage alliances, cultivate referrals, and ensure agency visibility. Uphold resource availability, oversee program/process development, and implement solution-focused strategies for barrier elimination.
4. May work evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays. Willingness to travel through high-risk communities as needed.
5. Provides regular and effective supervision, mediation, problem resolution, oversight and crisis response to staff by effectively responding to workforce, parent, child, provider and other stakeholder concerns and demonstrating the ability to effectively manage crisis and difficult case situations.
6. Oversees the prompt fiscal approval and diligent oversight of credit card expenditures, 906's, and all other program-related expenses and reconciliation, ensuring fiscal responsibility and resource optimization.
7. Guarantees fulfillment of agency obligations to DCFS, ensuring comprehensive adherence to regulatory requirements and standards.
8. Assures clients receive high quality services and that the treatment environment functions in accordance with standards of best practice and full compliance with standards of Council on Accreditation.
9. Demonstrate the ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
10. Prepare documentation, files, and information as required for audit purposes, ensuring accurate and timely submissions.
11. Assures the development and maintenance of procedures and distribution of quality documentation that complies with the requirements of accreditation, licensing and contracts.
Knowledge and Ability Requirements:
 Demonstrates a broad variety of management skills in all facets of running successful social service programs.
 Ability to work in an environment characterized by change and a need to be responsive.

Ability to accommodate overnight stays as necessary, particularly for statewide meetings and events that require attendance, ensuring effective representation and participation in essential organizational activities.
 Proficient in managing responsibilities across multiple sites, demonstrating flexibility and readiness to travel as required.
 Familiarity with trauma-informed care principles.

Education and Experience:

Master's degree in Social Work, Public Administration, or a related field with 2 years of progressively responsible experience in child welfare, preferably relative, regular or home based foster care. Including 2 years of IL Child Welfare Management experience involving multiple staff in several locations that has been characterized by staff development and stability.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Physical Demands and Other Requirements:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential duties listed in the job description satisfactorily. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, or controls; reach with hands and arms. Capable of operating standard office equipment, including a computer and keyboard, and typical business machines such as a fax machine and copier. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20-30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to have valid driver’s license, auto insurance and must be able to safely operate a motor vehicle. The work environment characteristics include a noise level which is usually low to moderate.

Position Responsibilities/Program Execution and Decision Making:

 Supervision and Management: Communicates regularly through individual, supervisory and group meetings to implement Agency and programmatic goals and requirements. Provides accurate and timely feedback to each employee under his/her supervision and demonstrates ability to analyze employee performance. Facilitates a positive work environment where staff feel free to communicate openly. Responds to incidents and complaints in a timely manner and appropriately informs and consults with their chain of command.
 Leadership: Demonstrates foresight in recognizing problems and vision in identifying and implementing solutions. Ensures program is effective in producing desired outcomes and program goals and deliver services at required capacity. Demonstrates ability to quickly gather pertinent facts, weigh options and make decisions in critical situations while informing and consulting with others as needed. Works with staff to support and implement management decisions.
 Diversity and Inclusion/ Professionalism: In all aspects of their work presents as a role model to others, behaving in a way which actively supports LCFS as a welcoming community, promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace and collaborates with others to further equity and dismantle barriers to a more inclusive experience of community. Participates in annual professional development and/or advocacy regarding inclusion.
 Ethical Conduct: Follows all ethics policies and procedures related to program execution and decision making as defined by the agency as well as any related professional licensing, regulatory or accrediting body. Maintain confidentiality of client, staff, and agency information. Reports any known or suspected breaches of confidentiality in accordance with policy. Reports possible misconduct or relevant errors/ oversight in a timely manner and responsibly addresses related issues with chain of command.
 Communication/ Interpersonal Skills: All written and oral communication skills are appropriate for their position. Consistently conveys clear, accurate, timely, and respectful communication appropriate for the situation. Informs appropriate management staff when incident occurs or a crisis situation. Interacts effectively with all levels of clients, staff, interns, volunteers and external stakeholders. Informs appropriate management staff when an incident occurs. Maintains professional boundaries with clients/residents, staff, interns, volunteers, and vendors. Able to successfully share skills and concepts with others and works effectively with others under time and environmental pressures.
 Safety and Agency Resource Utilization: Demonstrates sound judgement and foresight in safety awareness and in daily work. Notifies, in a timely manner, the supervisory chain of any incidents or circumstances that need attention. Report all suspicions or allegations of abuse immediately to