Community Partnerships Manager

Orange County Head Start - Child Care; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Head Start is seeking a Community Partnerships Manager in Santa Ana to build and sustain relationships with community organizations, donors, and corporate partners. The role will support our mission to deliver high‑quality early education to children and families in need and will involve leading outreach staff, MOUs, and data‑driven strategy.

You will identify funding opportunities, manage donor data, track outcomes, and collaborate with the executive team to expand engagement and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public relations, social services, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of operational nonprofit experience with community partners, families, and staff.
• Knowledge of Head Start program regulations, reporting practices, and trends; ability to analyze data.
• Outstanding oral and written communication, including presentations and reports.
• Basic math skills including statistics and percentages; comfortable with monetary calculations.
• Proficient with word processing, spreadsheets, and data/report generation.
• Strong leadership to train, supervise, and motivate teams in a fast-paced setting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate, implement, and manage a comprehensive partnership system for programs and sub‑recipient agencies.
• Collaborate with the executive team to grow community engagement and partnerships.
• Cultivate relationships with community organizations and donors; represent the organization at events.
• Identify funding opportunities; support donor database management and track contributions.
• Develop MOUs with partners; support outreach initiatives and community engagement efforts.
• Track data related to partnerships and program outcomes.
• Maintain donor interactions records and use data for planning and decisions.
• Lead Community Outreach Advocates and Volunteers at Warehouse for donation receipt and tracking.
• Enter data in ChildPlus and In‑Kind systems; prepare reports and presentations.
• Assist with annual reports and organizational documents; supervise staff and implement policy.
• Perform additional duties as needed by the Director of Program Services.

Skills

Partnership development

Donor relations

Communication skills

Nonprofit operations

Team leadership

Community engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management or related field

Tools

ChildPlus

Job description

Job Title

Community Partnerships Manager

Location

2501 S. Pullman Street, Ste. 100, Santa Ana, CA

Overview

Orange County Head Start (OCHS) is a nonprofit dedicated to providing high‑quality early education to children and families in need. We seek a dynamic Community Partnerships Manager to build and maintain relationships with community organizations, donors, and corporations to support our mission and goals.

Responsibilities

1. Coordinate, implement, and manage a comprehensive partnership system for grantee and sub‑recipient agency programs, ensuring continuous program improvement and high‑quality service delivery.
2. Collaborate with the executive team to develop and implement strategies for community engagement and partnership growth.
3. Cultivate and maintain relationships with community organizations and donors; represent the organization at community events, conferences, and meetings.
4. Identify, research, and pursue potential funding opportunities; support donor database management and track contributions.
5. Collaborate with program staff to identify community needs and develop partnerships to address those needs; facilitate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and other partnership agreements; provide support for community outreach and engagement initiatives.
6. Track and analyze data related to community partnerships and program outcomes.
7. Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, contributions, and agreements; use data to inform decision‑making and strategic planning.
8. Lead a team of Community Outreach Advocates and Volunteers at the Warehouse location for donation receipt, sorting, and in‑kind tracking; ensure compliance with federal regulations and submit required reports.
9. Enter and regularly maintain all data in the Personnel module in ChildPlus and In‑Kind data systems; prepare reports, correspondence, and presentations; assist with annual reports and other organizational documents.
10. Support the agency’s culture of continuous quality improvement; lead, support, and supervise assigned Community Outreach Advocate staff, including recruitment, training, performance management, and policy implementation.
11. Perform additional assignments and duties as assigned by the Director of Program Services, including special projects of large scope and complexity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public relations, social services, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of operational experience in a nonprofit, community‑based environment working with community partners, families, and employees.
• Knowledge of Head Start program regulations, current initiatives, and trends; understanding of reporting practices and requirements; proficiency in monitoring systems, research methods, and statistical analysis.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including presentation, report writing, and correspondence.
• Basic math skills including statistics, percentages, and ratios; ability to perform arithmetic with monetary amounts.
• Computer proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and ChildPlus report development.
• Strong reasoning abilities: analyze complex information, evaluate alternatives, and make sound recommendations within policy guidelines.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and coordinate projects to meet deadlines; train, supervise, and evaluate employees; lead, coach, and motivate teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to talk or hear; frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; must lift 10–30 pounds and occasionally 50 pounds.
• Typically functions in an office and warehouse setting but may travel to centers, sub‑recipient agencies, and outside of county/state for meetings and community events.

Working and Environmental Conditions

• Requires extended periods of sitting in front of a computer and occasional standing to speak to groups or sort donated goods.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Orange County Head Start is a committed equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military/veteran status.

Other Requirements

• Valid California Driver’s License and proof of insurance.
• Ability to drive to and from various centers, meetings, and training venues; willingness to travel as needed.