Harbor Families Program Manager

Lifeline Children's Services; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lifeline Children's Services in Birmingham, AL, seeks a Senior Harbor Families Program Lead to develop, implement, and oversee a multi-state family preservation ministry. The role focuses on equipping churches and families to care for vulnerable children while aligning with Lifeline’s mission and biblical values.

The successful candidate will lead state teams, collaborate with senior leadership, ensure fidelity to program models, and mentor staff, volunteers, and partners in a biblically

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field (whichever is required by State), required; Master’s degree, preferred
• Licensed Social Worker (LSW) preferred
• Must lift at least 25lbs, reliable transportation

Responsibilities

• Develop, oversee Harbor Families ministry across multiple states
• Lead and mentor staff and volunteers in a biblically grounded approach
• Collaborate with senior leadership to design and evaluate family preservation models
• Replicate programs across states while maintaining fidelity to models
• Build relations with local/state child welfare departments and partners

Skills

2+ years in child-placing environment

Strong biblical worldview

Leadership and mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Licensed Social Worker (LSW) preferred

Job description

Location: Birmingham, AL
Position Status: Full Time
Position Summary: Develop, implement, and oversee the Harbor Families family preservation ministry across multiple states. This role ensures alignment with our mission to serve vulnerable children and families by equipping local churches and Christian families to care for them.
Primary Duties:

• To be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to co-workers, clients and ministry partners
• Actively leads the team in a manner aligned with scripture including, but not limited to, praying for and with them, sharing scripture in daily activities and leadership, modeling the character of Jesus Christ in interactions with team and any external clients, partners, vendors, etc.
• Disciples employees for the benefit of our ministry partners and clients.
• Aligns team dynamics, internal & external processes, and final product of team’s work with Biblical principles and with Lifeline’s Core Values
• Collaborate with senior leadership to design and evaluate family preservation models.
• Develop systems to replicate programs across states while maintaining fidelity to the models.
• Collaborate across teams, supporting internal and external stakeholders to include state operations teams.
• Build and maintain relationships with local and state child welfare departments.
• Ensure adherence to social work ethics clinical best practices from a Biblical worldview.
• Model strong partnership with local church leaders and volunteers.
• Provide support to state teams who steward family preservation efforts across licensed states.
• Streamline processes for data collection, training, and program evaluation.
• Lead in the growth and development of program launches in new states.
• Disciple and mentor staff for spiritual and professional growth.
• Provide consultation on complex cases and ensure excellence in service delivery.
• In collaboration with the Sr Director and VP, develops, implements, and evaluates the Lifeline model for Harbor Families that is consistent with Lifeline’s mission and core values.
• Develops a system and process to replicate the program across all Lifeline states.
• In collaboration with state directors and compliance teams, identifies and advocates for legislative changes in states in order to develop and support the program.
• Ensures each state maintains fidelity to the model by providing consultation and direction to State Directors and Senior Managers/ State Casework Supervisors (CWS).
• Develops and maintains relationships with local and state child welfare departments in a way that Lifeline is viewed as trusted resource and partner that can be utilized by State Directors and CWS.
• Develops and implements recruitment strategies and tools for churches and prospective volunteers across the states that can be utilized by State Directors and CWS.
• Develops and implements a networking strategy for the program to make the services accessible to vulnerable families that can be utilized by State Directors and CWS.
• Works collaboratively with other programs across the ministry to develop a continuum of care for vulnerable children and families.
• Develops, maintains, and evaluates the effectiveness of the program as a whole.
• Creates and implements a volunteer retention system that can be utilized by State Directors and CWS.
• In coordination with the Education & Equipping department, develops and maintains initial and ongoing training content and process for churches and volunteers.
• Strengthens and evaluates the effectiveness of programs continuously.
• Able to instruct and train in training settings.

Other duties:

• Assisting in agency-related events, including the annual staff retreat, the annual dinner, anniversary celebrations, across all Lifeline programs
• Maintains good relationships with co-workers, including solving all disputes in a Biblically prescribed fashion
• Represents the agency in a professional manner in and away from the
• Encourages and supports church engagement efforts, including live presence opportunities, adoption information meetings, and biblical teaching on caring for vulnerable children.
• If qualified by the state, conduct home studies, post placement/adoption reports or other related adoption services for families in your geographical area when necessary.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor or member of the Executive team

All roles at Lifeline are designed to function as a flexible, team-based position. While primary responsibilities are outlined, employees may be asked to support additional programs, service areas, or initiatives based on organizational needs, workload/caseload demands, and supervisor direction. Any additional duties will be consistent with the employee’s training, licensure, role classification, and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status and will not fundamentally change the nature of the position.
Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related human services field (whichever is required by State), required; Master’s degree, preferred
• At least 2 years of work in child-placing environment, required
• Licensed Social Worker, if offered by State, strongly preferred
• Must lift at least 25lbs, must have reliable transportation

Work Environment:

• Professional office environment unless allowed under Remote Worker Policy.
• Occasional travel for trainings

Posted 11/6/26