Program Manager

Family Focus; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 61,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Family Focus in Aurora, IL, seeks a Program Manager to lead the Family Advocacy team and deliver comprehensive, community-based services to vulnerable children and families. The role emphasizes high-quality, trauma-informed practice, supervision, and strong partnerships with local schools and healthcare providers.

You will oversee program operations, ensure contract compliance, train staff, and coordinate services while fostering a collaborative, family-centered workplace.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Counseling, Public Administration, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience providing direct services to children, youth, and families in community-based, family preservation, child welfare, or human services programs.
• Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or management experience leading team members, overseeing program operations, and ensuring quality service delivery.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations, including families experiencing crisis, abuse, neglect, or other complex social and behavioral challenges.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive leadership and supervision to Family Advocacy team members through coaching, performance management, case consultation, recruitment, training, and ongoing professional development while ensuring high-quality service delivery and effective caseload management.
• Oversee planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of Family Advocacy programs, ensuring contract and agency compliance and accurate documentation.
• Provide oversight of family services with high-quality assessments, individualized service planning, and case coordination while promoting family engagement in trauma-informed practices.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with community organizations, schools, healthcare providers, and social service agencies to expand resources.
• Ensure compliance with agency policies, confidentiality, and regulations through audits, reporting, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Support program administration with budgeting, reporting, scheduling, and contributing to strategic planning.

Skills

Leadership

Supervision

Program management

Budgeting

Documentation

Collaboration

Coaching

Education

Master's degree in Social Work or related field

Job description

Department: Family Advocacy

Family Focus is your partner in building strong families across Chicago and Northeast Illinois! We're here to support families and their children including emergency assistance, immigration programs, child welfare services, family support services, educational programs, and more. Our goal? To help our community thrive and reach its full potential! With 11 centers around Chicagoland, we're eager to expand our reach and make an even bigger impact. That's why we're on the lookout for passionate individuals who share our vision to join our team as we grow and serve more families. Are you ready to make a difference? We want you to be a part of our journey!

Job Title: Program Manager

Location: Family Focus - Aurora
Supervisor: Assistant Center Director

The Program Manager provides leadership, oversight, and support for Family Advocacy team members delivering comprehensive, community-based services to vulnerable children and families. This position is responsible for ensuring high-quality, strengths-based service delivery, team members' supervision, program compliance, community collaboration, and achievement of program outcomes in accordance with funder requirements and organizational policies. The Program Manager promotes a family-centered, trauma-informed approach while fostering a collaborative, supportive work environment that empowers staff and strengthens community partnerships.

• Provide comprehensive leadership and supervision to Family Advocacy team members through coaching, performance management, case consultation, recruitment, training, and ongoing professional development while ensuring high-quality service delivery, effective caseload management, and compliance with organizational standards.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of Family Advocacy programs by ensuring compliance with contract and agency requirements, monitoring outcomes and quality standards, maintaining accurate documentation, and driving strategies that enhance program effectiveness and client engagement.
• Provide oversight of family services by ensuring high-quality assessments, individualized service planning, case coordination, and support for complex cases while promoting family engagement through strengths-based, culturally responsive, trauma-informed practices and ensuring effective delivery of parenting education and direct services.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with community organizations, schools, healthcare providers, and social service agencies while representing the Family Advocacy Program, supporting outreach and participant enrollment, and expanding resources through collaborative agreements that strengthen services for families.
• Ensure compliance with agency policies, ethical standards, confidentiality requirements, and state and federal regulations by overseeing documentation, reporting, audits, program reviews, and implementing quality improvement and corrective action initiatives to maintain program excellence.
• Support program administration by assisting with budget monitoring, resource allocation, reporting, team members scheduling, and organizational initiatives while maintaining accurate program data and contributing to strategic planning and continuous operational effectiveness.

The ideal candidate will have the following education and experience:

• Master's degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Counseling, Public Administration, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience providing direct services to children, youth, and families in community-based, family preservation, child welfare, or human services programs.
• Minimum of three (2) years of supervisory or management experience leading team members, overseeing program operations, and ensuring quality service delivery.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations, including families experiencing crisis, abuse, neglect, or other complex social and behavioral challenges.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Salary: $72,125/year

This is a full-time exempt position

Discover all the benefits we offer to support your well-being and professional growth here: https://www.family-focus.org/about/careers/

Family Focus is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Keywords: Family Advocacy, Program Manager, Family Support Services, Program Operations.