Program Manager, Parent & Community Engagement

POSITION: Program Manager, Parent and Community Engagement  
LOCATION: Chicago
REPORTS TO: Program Director, Chicago
SUPERVISES: N/A
FLSA STATUS: Exempt 
SALARY RANGE: $70,000-72,000/year  

TRAVEL:

• Non-local: up to 8%. This includes 3-4 days for LIFT’s annual All Staff Retreat in one of its regional cities (no non-local travel if retreat is in home city), policy related travel to Springfield, IL, and potentially one conference if needed for LIFT representation.
• Local In-Person External Meetings: 10%

ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION 

LIFT is on a mission to break the cycle of poverty by investing in parents. Through direct work with families, engaging technical assistance partnerships, and by advocating for policies that drive systemic change, we’re fighting poverty by lifting two generations at once. 

Our team culture is rooted in deep respect for the parents we partner with and for each other. We’re looking for dedicated team members who share our vision that, 25 years from now, LIFT is no longer needed because we have helped build a social service system grounded in Hope, Money, and Love, where all families can thrive. We’re guided by mission- and strategy-aligned leadership grounded in kindness, curiosity, relationships, and a commitment to equity. Explore our benefits and what it’s like to work at LIFT below – or visit our Benefits & Culture Overview to learn more. 

*LIFT operates sites in Chicago, Los Angeles, DC, and New York. LIFT operates as a hybrid work environment. Accordingly, this role will be expected to work in the Chicago office approximately two days a week. 

POSITION OVERVIEW  

The role is an exciting opportunity for a relational problem-solver who is deeply committed to providing low-income families with the excellent support and resources they need to achieve their goals. The Parent Engagement Manager is the primary liaison between LIFT and the parents and caregivers who walk through our doors. You are responsible for recruiting parents for LIFT’s programs, serving as the main contact for community referral partners, and developing community events that increase parents’ social capital. The Parent Engagement Manager ensures that LIFT’s program data is accurate and thorough so that the program is able to make strategic adjustments and provide the best possible service to parents. This role also contributes to the region’s technical assistance and policy & advocacy goals.

The main responsibilities of the role are:

1. Manage and own all work connected to LIFT’s social connections/capital initiatives; this includes workshops, group coaching, member engagement events and distribution events
2. Contribute to the region’s policy and advocacy goals including manage and own all of LIFT’s member voice work

AS THE PROGRAM MANAGER, PARENT ENGAGEMENT, YOU WILL:

Direct Service

• Develop and implement savvy recruiting strategies to enroll required number of parents into coaching program via partnerships aligned with strategic priorities (TA and/or P&A partnership potential, and/or Fee-for-Service); ensure monthly and annual enrollment targets are met
• Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for community partners that provide member resources for distribution events; partner with staff to ensure LIFT’s community resources for parents are thorough and up-to-date
• Develop and execute member engagement strategies and programming that improves parents’ social capital in partnership with the National Program Team (including member engagement events and/or workshops) to successfully retain members, drive member outcomes, and advance P&A member engagement; this may include workshops, parent peer groups, and family engagement events to celebrate parents' successes in LIFT's program, or other virtual and in-person events
• Ensure group sessions/attendance data is entered in Horizon for workshops and social events
• Support member engagement activities including drafting and disseminating the monthly member newsletter and overseeing necessary content update on member resource page
• Coach 1-2 members, as needed.
• Manage and own all of LIFT’s member voice work (e.g. facilitating focus groups, coordinating speakers for various speaking engagements including donor site visits, etc.)
• Provide support with programmatic special projects, as needed

Policy & Advocacy (P&A)

• Build & manage local P&A relationships
• Lead member P&A programming
• Support policy agenda & strategy development
• Support NPT in developing and executing policy and advocacy trainings
• Recruit, provide support on, and ensure member participation and attendance in policy trainings and events, supporting base building efforts and building a foundation for future Fellowship
• Ensure group sessions / attendance data are entered in Horizon for P&A events/activities with member participation
• Ensure lobbying filings, registrations, and lobbying attendance and activities are tracked and up to date for your region, with NPT support
• Conduct ongoing legislative landscape research related to our local agenda focus area, movement, and event tracking; elevate findings to local P&A team members
• Support with implementation of regional activities and tactics to ensure progress towards policy and advocacy goal (e.g. coalition participation, assisting with landscape research, representation at legislator meetings, implementing community conversations, etc.)

Development and Communications

• Support regional development leads with corporate engagement events and volunteer opportunities.
• Support the Development and Communications (DevComms) team in collecting member stories for grant applications, newsletters, and other communications and media opportunities.
• Support funder cultivation for P&A in partnership with the Development and Communications (DevComms) team and the Executive Director (ED).

 OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:

• Has a minimum 5 years’ experience working in a direct service role with low-income communities; experience working with families is a plus
• Is a high-energy advocate who is dedicated to find the right solution to a problem
• Is an amazing relationship builder; listening and then delivering on that knowledge is a forte
• Knows a lot about social services and education systems, and is passionate about learning of the latest opportunities; bonus points for deep local knowledge of the community, education systems, and social services
• Is a clear, compelling, and energizing communicator
• Is comfortable setting an agenda and facilitating group dialogue
• Is detail-oriented and comfortable using data systems to track performance, learn and improve
• Lives in or has work experience in the city of Chicago (preferred)
• Has access to a car and valid driver’s license (preferred)
• Is proficient in Spanish (preferred)
• Is committed to LIFT’s mission and demonstrates LIFT’s values: We let brilliance shine; We root change in learning; We build deep relationships; We strive for social justice; We create thriving environments.

LIFT’S COMPETENCIES

All LIFT employees embrace and demonstrate our organization-wide core competencies:

• Communication: You share information with relevant parties in a clear and timely manner; effectively engage with and present to others; and write and verbally communicate in a manner that conveys understanding of relevant information and issues.
• Accountability: You take responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work and achieve results with appropriate levels of oversight. You receive feedback in a constructive manner.
• Inclusiveness: You help create a work environment that appreciates diversity and encourages equity by treating others with respect, listening to, and demonstrating appreciation for others’ perspectives, and using culturally sensitive language.
• Teamwork: You work effectively with others throughout the organization and promote cooperation and commitment within your team to achieve goals and deliverables.
• Results-orientation: You focus on results and desired outcomes, keeping team and organizational goals in mind. You use sound planning to achieve goals and get the job done.
• Problem-solving: You take the initiative to solve problems. You exhibit resourcefulness, innovation, and adaptability to new situations.

All LIFT managers embrace and demonstrate our management core competencies:

• Management and Coaching: You manage staff in ways that improve their ability to thrive in their role. You empower coworkers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, coaching, and encouragement.
• Decision-making: You analyze issues and use good judgement to make sound decisions in a timely manner, even when under pressure and/or in times of ambiguity. You listen to and consider others’ perspectives in making decisions.

Don’t think you have everything for this role but are still interested? Please don’t hesitate to apply. We’d love to hear from you! LIFT is an equal opportunity employer and believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. LIFT’s goal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color, those who identify as women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization.   

WHAT WE OFFER 

• Salary Range: $70,000-$72,000. LIFT’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for our non-profit sector and ensure equity across the organization. The compensation range we offer represents a good faith estimate of what we may pay for the position at the time of posting. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as qualifications and experience, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information at the time of hire, but not based on a candidate’s protected status.
• Benefits: 
  • Employer-paid health care coverage (100% for employees, 75% for dependents)
  • 403(b) retirement savings plan including an employer match contribution of up to 5% after one year
  • Generous paid-time-off policy starting with 4 weeks in the first year (5 weeks in years 2-4, 6 weeks at 5+ years), Federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, Cesar Chavez day, and wellness days including a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the winter holidays (the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays), and a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the summer fiscal year transition (the week in which Independence Day is celebrated)
  • 12 weeks paid parental leave
  • Partial cell phone coverage
  • Pre-tax accounts for transit, health, and childcare benefits
  • Please see here for a more in-depth overview of LIFT’s Benefits and Culture.

TO APPLY  
Please visit www.whywelift.org/careers to apply and submit a resume.