Program Manager

Care for Real; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 51,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental insurance

Vacation and sick time

10 paid holidays per year

401(k) retirement plan with employer0

Short-term and long-term disability

Job summary

Care for Real in Chicago, IL, is seeking a Program Manager to oversee daily program operations, support client services, supervise staff and volunteers, and manage client data, inventory, and non-food donations, ensuring services are delivered safely and with dignity.

Working with the Director of Programs, you will coordinate scheduling, referrals, and compliance, while fostering a trauma-informed culture and strong community partnerships.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.
• 3–5 years of relevant nonprofit program management experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort using databases, inventory systems, and data reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary point of contact for clients and staff during distributions.
• Assist with program scheduling and client communications.
• Demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism, accountability, and discretion.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Problem-solving

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Database systems

Inventory management software

Job description

Care for Real fosters healthy and equitable communities by helping neighbors overcome food insecurity with dignity. Through locations in Edgewater and Rogers Park, CfR provides food, clothing, pet food, referral, and additional services with compassion to improve the health and well-being of low-income residents to foster a stronger, healthier, equitable, and more stable community. To learn more about who we are and how we serve please, see our website: https://careforreal.org

Care for Real is an equal opportunity employer. Care for Real is committed to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic team representative of the communities which we serve. BIPOC identified individuals, transgender and gender-nonconforming people, people from poor and working-class backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Overview

The Program Manager is the main point of contact for clients and oversees daily program operations. This role supports client services, helps supervise program staff and volunteers, and manages core systems, including client data, inventory, and non-food in-kind donations. Working closely with the Director of Programs and other teams, the Program Manager helps ensure services are delivered in a safe, respectful, and consistent manner grounded in trauma-informed care and the mission and values of Care for Real.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Daily Operations & Client Services

• Frontline Leadership: Serve as the primary point of contact for clients and staff during food pantry distributions and clothing closet appointments. Help set clear expectations and maintain a welcoming environment that reflects Care for Real's values.
• Scheduling and Communications: Assist with program scheduling and client communications.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism, accountability, and discretion in all aspects.
• Attendance & Reliability: Maintain regular, predictable, and reliable attendance and arrive on time as scheduled to effectively manage daily program, supervise staff, and provide consistent support to clients.

Client Experience & Advocacy

• Keep client impact in mind when making operational changes and work with programs and warehouse staff to address barriers that arise during distributions.

Safety & De-escalation

• Maintain a safe, respectful, and trauma-informed service environment. De-escalate conflicts when needed, coordinate with the security guard, and document and follow up on any incidents.

Community Referrals:

• Build and maintain referral relationships with outside providers and community resources to help meet client needs.

Staff & Volunteer Supervision

• Staff Supervision: Serve as director supervisor for assigned program team members. Monitor and approve time, attendance, and schedule requests. Provide weekly 1 on 1 meetings and conduct annual performance review.
• Team Support: Coordinate the daily work of volunteers and interns. Supervise, train, and support the client registration team.
• Capacity Building: Help build a collaborative team culture and ensure team members are trained in organizational standards, safety procedures, and client service expectations.

Data, Inventory, & Donation Management

• Database Management: Oversee the client database, registration systems, and the client registration team to ensure accurate data entry and tracking.
• In-Kind Non-Food Management: Manage non-food in-kind donations (e.g., clothing, pet food, menstrual care products), including creating wish lists, managing the donation calendar, and maintaining donor relationships.
• Collection Drives: Coordinate planning, internal and external communication, and follow-up for organization-hosted collection drives.
• Program Supplies: Maintain inventory of program supplies and order as needed

Strategy, Compliance, & Partnerships

• Performance Tracking: Track and monitor program metrics, share updates with relevant stakeholders, and identify areas for improvement with the Director of Programs.
• Community Engagement: Attend Community-Based Organization (CBO) partner meetings or assign staff to attend and report back on key updates.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with organizational policies, food safety standards, confidentiality standards, and all other applicable regulations. Maintain a clean and safe environment.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Experience: 3-5 years of relevant experience in program management, social work, education, or other client-facing nonprofit work.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort using databases, inventory systems, and data reporting tools.
• Core Competencies: Strong organizational, problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to manage competing priorities, make sound decisions, and adapt quickly to changing needs. A creative, reflective approach and a growth mindset are essential on the programs team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: Demonstrated experience directly supervising, coaching, and developing employees, managing volunteers, and overseeing programs.
• Specialized Knowledge: Experience working with vulnerable populations and knowledge of trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and harm-reduction practices are strongly preferred.
• Focused Experience: Prior experience supporting food pantries or food insecurity programs and organizations.
• Community Awareness: Knowledge and awareness of the communities and populations served by Care for Real and other community resources supporting them.
• Language: Bilingual proficiency in Spanish.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• This role is based in a fast-paced warehouse and food pantry environment.
• Requires the ability to work independently, stand and walk for extended periods, bend, stoop, and regularly lift and move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental conditions may include exposure to temperature changes (e.g., loading areas, walk-in coolers) as well as outdoor work in all seasons.
• Care for Real is a smoke-, drug-, and gun-free environment.

Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt, and fully onsite position. Flexibility is expected to meet program needs. Although a typical weekly schedule is presented below, work on days or times outside this schedule may be occasionally required, including on evenings or special events.

Typical weekly schedule (Tuesday-Saturday):

• Tuesday & Thursday: 10:30 am - 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Benefits and Compensation

Care for Real is proud to offer a team-oriented and supportive workplace culture. Some of the benefits we offer full-time employees include:

• Health and dental insurance
• Vacation and sick time
• 10 paid holidays per year
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage

The pay range for this position is $51,000 - $54,000 commensurate with experience and skillset.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Care for Real is proudly an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment decisions are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service, marital status, orders of protection, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes.