Program Manager (Campus Partnerships)

Interfaith America; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Interfaith America in Chicago is seeking a Program Manager (Campus Partnerships) to lead on-campus consultation projects, helping campuses develop pluralism strategies and engage senior university leaders.

You will deploy IA programs on worldview diversity and civic pluralism, manage grants and budgets, plan events, and train campus partners, with a hybrid schedule (2–3 days in the Chicago Loop office and 2–3 days remote) and ~15–20% travel.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple ongoing projects.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proven project management experience and ability to work with diverse constituencies.

Responsibilities

• Manage comprehensive on-campus consultation projects to support campuses in developing pluralism strategies.
• Deploy Interfaith America programs and theories of civic and interfaith cooperation with campus leaders.
• Handle project data tracking, CRM responsibilities, and administrative tasks.
• Lead event planning for IA higher education conferences with stakeholders and vendors.
• Coordinate IA strategies focused on HBCU institutions and partnerships.
• Develop trainings for campus partners and manage grants and budgets.

Skills

Oral and written communication

Multitasking

Deadline management

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office

Stakeholder interfacing

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree in Higher Education, Civic Leadership, or related field

Job description

Description

ABOUT US

Interfaith America is a national nonprofit working to realize the promise of a truly pluralistic nation—one where people of all faiths and worldviews respect, relate, and cooperate across deep differences for the common good. Our mission is to activate leaders who will build an interfaith America. Grounded in the principles of interfaith leadership, we equip individuals and institutions to build bridges, strengthen democracy, and create cultures of cooperation.

At Interfaith America, we are ever-adapting and changing. We look for people who set audacious goals and love that one workday may not be like the next. We have a strong commitment to pluralism and building bridges across deep differences. Our programs help people build skills to bridge deep ideological divides. Our work is about staying in relationship with one another and contributing to the common good even when we might disagree on fundamental things. We seek to attract and retain a team of staff comprised of a wide variety of views and backgrounds we need to achieve our vision.

THIS POSITION

Interfaith America has worked with American colleges and universities for over twenty years. We are committed to providing high-quality programming that suffuses and sustains higher education’s commitment to engaging religious diversity and advances a culture of pluralism more broadly on campuses. The Program Manager (Campus Partnerships) is an essential part of the Campus Partnerships team within IA’s Higher Education sector. While all IA program managers engage religious and worldview diversity with a variety of constituents, this position will specifically focus on worldview diversity, interfaith cooperation, and civic pluralism within postsecondary contexts. This position will require close collaboration with external campus partners, including senior-level leadership such as university presidents, chancellors, and senior administrators. Additionally, responsibilities may involve close collaboration with external partners, such as academic associations and nonprofit organizations, to facilitate IA’s campus work.

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Director of Campus Partnerships to manage comprehensive on-campus consultation projects to support campuses in developing a pluralism strategy
• Deploy Interfaith America programs and theories of civic and interfaith cooperation when working on projects involving university presidents, chancellors, senior administrators, and other campus constituencies
• Execute pieces of work on Interfaith America projects, including data tracking in line with project goals and impact; CRM responsibilities; and administrative tasks
• Lead event planning and execution for IA’s higher education conferences pertaining to university presidents, chancellors, and senior administrators, in collaboration with other IA staff members and external vendors
• Coordinate and contribute to IA strategies and initiatives focused on HBCU institutions
• Cultivate relationships with civic partners (e.g. peers at non-profits), academic associations, and campus constituents
• Develop and facilitate in-person and virtual trainings for campus partners
• Manage assigned Interfaith America programs and grants, including overseeing grant or program design, outreach, programming, evaluation, and finances (budgets, payments, etc.)
• Represent Interfaith America through presentations and attendance at conferences, on campus visits, and at IA events
• Coordinate and contribute to key elements of the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) Fellowship, including virtual gatherings, and elective writing and thought leadership opportunities for fellows
• Support broader HESA Faculty Fellowship priorities such as the promotion, planning, and execution of the annual in-person convening
• Contribute to other projects within IA’s Higher Education team as assigned

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree
• 3–5 years of professional experience in a related field, including higher education, student affairs, interfaith work, consulting, etc.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple ongoing projects from multiple stakeholders
• Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong competence in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Proven project management and organizational skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness in interfacing with multiple constituencies, such as non-profit partners; campus administrators, faculty, staff or students
• Authorization to work in the United States

Preferred Qualifications (not required):

• Advanced degree in Higher Education, Civic Leadership, Religious Studies, Nonprofit Management, or Project Management
• Experience in in-person and online training, facilitation, consulting, education, and/or related skill sets
• Experience with higher education or non-profit evaluation and assessment
• Demonstrated ability to engage stakeholders in substantive discussions about religious and worldview diversity, interfaith cooperation, and civic pluralism
• Experience developing and implementing strategies with an “engaging deep differences” approach to diversity work within higher education
• Experience with networking and building relationships or coalitions within higher education

Location:

This position will work 2-3 days per week from our Chicago Loop office and 2-3 days per week from home

Travel:

Approximately 15–20% of work time will be traveling to colleges/universities, and conferences across the country (average throughout year; may be more during peak academic and conference seasons); can expect to work occasional nights and weekends

Supervision:

Director of Campus Partnerships

Salary:

$70,000-$80,000

Other Requirements:

The Program Manager (Campus Partnerships) position requires the ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to: maintain regular attendance; travel to campuses and conferences across the US; work cooperatively with others; adhere to Interfaith America personnel policies and safety rules; sit and/or stand for extended periods of time; operate standard office equipment, including computers, telephones, photocopiers, and projectors; communicate orally, in writing, and via computers and digital devices; and requires close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer terminal and other office equipment.

Interfaith America is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodation will be provided as needed to enable qualified applicants with a disability to participate in pre-employment procedures.