Program Manager � Food Safety Training & Programs (FSPCA)

Illinois Institute of Technology; Bedford Park (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) seeks a FSPCA Program Manager to lead programs, events, and staff efforts for FSMA training initiatives. You will drive project plans, coordinate stakeholders, and ensure deliverables meet scope and budget.

Reporting to the FSPCA Director, you will manage website content, conferences, and external relationships while guiding a small team and coordinating resources across internal and external partners.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in program, project, operations, association, or administrative management; equivalent combination of education, training, and experience considered.
• Experience managing multiple programs/projects, including scope, timelines, budgets, deliverables, resources, and events.
• Experience leading staff and coordinating committees, work groups, contractors, vendors, and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, confidential information, and limited oversight.
• Proficiency in MS Office and experience with CRM, project‑tracking, document‑control, and website content management systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage FSPCA programs and events, ensuring they are delivered on time, on budget, and within scope.
• Manage relationships and communication between FSPCA Management, Committees, Work Groups, and all stakeholders.
• Align resource availability and allocation by coordinating internal resources and establishing and maintaining relationships with third parties/vendors.
• Delegate project tasks based on junior staff members’ individual strengths, skill sets and experience levels.
• Track project performance, specifically to analyze the successful completion of short and long‑term goals.
• Coordinate and maintain FSPCA guidelines, policies, procedures, document‑control systems, spreadsheets, diagrams, and related documentation.
• Manage planning of the FSPCA Annual Conference.
• Help coordinate and track outside contractors.
• In coordination with FSPCA Leadership, help develop FSPCA project scopes and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring feasibility.
• Develop detailed project plans to track progress.
• Work closely with FSPCA members to ensure that the scope and direction of each project is on schedule.
• Meet budgetary objectives and make adjustments to project constraints based on financial analysis.
• Maintain a comprehensive project list for tracking.
• Oversee, maintain and manage FSPCA website contents and marketing/events/communication materials with support from FSPCA Management and team members.

Skills

5+ years experience

lead staff

project coordination

budget management

stakeholder management

Tools

MS Office

CRM systems

Project tracking

document control

website content management

Job description

Program Manager – Food Safety Training & Programs (FSPCA)

Position Details Compensation: $80,000–$85,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Position Type/Schedule Full-time, exempt. Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Occasional weekend work and work-related travel may be required based on operational needs. This position is fully on-site; remote work is not available.

Work Location The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 S Archer Rd., Bedford Park, IL 60501.

Benefits Our commitment to employee well‑being is reflected in our competitive benefits package located at https://www.iit.edu/hr/benefits.

Summary

The Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH) hosts the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), a public‑private alliance that develops and implements Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) training curricula for the food industry. FSPCA members include senior food safety experts from FDA and other government agencies, industry, and academia.

Reporting to the FSPCA Director, the FSPCA Program Manager leads staff and manages the day‑to‑day operations of FSPCA programs, projects, and events. Key responsibilities include ensuring programs and events are completed on time and within scope, developing project plans and objectives, coordinating stakeholders and resources, and overseeing FSPCA website content.

The official internal title for this position is FSPCA Program Manager.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Manage FSPCA programs and events, ensuring they are delivered on time, on budget, and within scope.
• Manage relationships and communication between FSPCA Management, Committees, Work Groups, and all stakeholders.
• Align resource availability and allocation by coordinating internal resources and establishing and maintaining relationships with third parties/vendors.
• Delegate project tasks based on junior staff members’ individual strengths, skill sets and experience levels.
• Track project performance, specifically to analyze the successful completion of short and long‑term goals.
• Coordinate and maintain FSPCA guidelines, policies, procedures, document‑control systems, spreadsheets, diagrams, and related documentation.
• Manage planning of the FSPCA Annual Conference.
• Help coordinate and track outside contractors.
• In coordination with FSPCA Leadership, help develop FSPCA project scopes and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring feasibility.
• Develop detailed project plans to track progress.
• Work closely with FSPCA members to ensure that the scope and direction of each project is on schedule.
• Meet budgetary objectives and make adjustments to project constraints based on financial analysis.
• Maintain a comprehensive project list for tracking.
• Oversee, maintain and manage FSPCA website contents and marketing/events/communication materials with support from FSPCA Management and team members.

Qualifications – Required

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in program, project, operations, association, or administrative management; equivalent combination of education, training, and experience considered.
• Experience managing multiple programs/projects, including scope, timelines, budgets, deliverables, resources, and events.
• Experience leading staff and coordinating committees, work groups, contractors, vendors, and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, confidential information, and limited oversight.
• Proficiency in MS Office and experience with CRM, project‑tracking, document‑control, and website content management systems.

Service Standards and Performance Expectations

• Provides effective leadership, establishes priorities, delegates work, and monitors staff, contractor, and project performance.
• Ensures programs, projects, and events are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Maintains accurate plans, budgets, records, reports, website content, and document‑control systems.
• Builds effective relationships with FSPCA leadership, committees, government, industry, academia, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Identifies risks, resolves issues, exercises sound judgment, and keeps leadership informed.
• Demonstrates accountability, professionalism, confidentiality, accuracy, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Supervision & Budget Authority

Supervises up to three staff supporting administrative, communications, and project‑coordination functions, with the potential to supervise additional staff based on leadership direction and operational needs. Budget authority: Up to $10,000.

Physical Qualifications

Primarily works in a standard office environment; occasional work‑related travel, generally a few times per year and subject to operational needs. Occasional lifting of up to 10 lbs.; frequent keyboarding and walking between departments or work areas.

EEO/Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Illinois Institute of Technology is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity, inclusion, and diversity. It is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and actively seeks applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, regardless of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, disability, age, unfavorable discharge from the military, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, including gender identity and expression, order of protection status, and/or genetic information. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment.