Program Specialist, Violence Prevention Initiatives

Lurie Children's; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

PTO and holidays

403(b) retirement plan with employer 5

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago seeks a Program Specialist to lead violence prevention initiatives and advance community health engagement across Chicago.

You will manage projects, foster partnerships, and advocate for equitable access to resources for marginalized populations. You will support communications, program operations, and evaluation while mentoring staff and coordinating trainings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• A combination of education and/or experience may be considered in lieu of the degree when the experience is directly related to the duties of the job.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in community health programming or engagement, education, healthcare/public health, administration, or related field required; experience with project management preferred.
• Experience in healthcare setting also preferred.
• Strong project management experience and organizational skills required.

Responsibilities

• Lead collaborative efforts with internal and external partners to identify health priorities and develop community health strategies.
• Provide project management in planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives.
• Serve as liaison with community partners, advocating for equitable access to resources.
• Cultivate relationships with community-based organizations and institutions.
• Design and coordinate training sessions, workshops, and forums for inclusive participation.
• Manage program operations, logistics, and budget with timely reporting.
• Develop communications and social media strategies to raise awareness and engagement.
• Support evaluation efforts with data collection and analysis to inform decisions.
• Mentor program staff and volunteers; represent the organization in coalitions.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Time management

Independent work

Adaptability

Community health knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Microsoft 365

Database management

Survey software

Job description

## Program Specialist, Violence Prevention InitiativesApply: Streeterville, Chicago, IL: Full time: Posted Yesterday: JR2026-2579Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago provides superior pediatric care in a setting that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research and family-friendly design. As the largest pediatric provider in the region with a 140-year legacy of excellence, kids and their families are at the center of all we do. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked in all 10 specialties by the U.S. News & World Report.Day (United States of America)**Location**680 Lake Shore Drive**Job Description****General Summary:**The Program Specialist will play a role leading in advancing community health and engagement initiatives across Chicago. This position will lead collaborative efforts with internal and external partners to identify health priorities, support the development innovative strategies, and advocate for equitable access to resources and services for marginalized populations. Responsibilities will include project management, relationship cultivation, program operations, communications, evaluation, and mentorship. This position provides support to ensure success of the department’s annual goals and Lurie Children’s community health strategy and organizational mission.**Job Functions:*** Lead collaborative efforts with internal and external partners, including community leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers, and public health practitioners to identify current and emerging health priorities and develop innovative community health and engagement strategies. Provide project management expertise in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of community health and engagement initiatives, programs and events within the Magoon Institute, ensuring tactical alignment with community priorities community health strategies and organizational mission.* Serve as a key liaison for Lurie Children’s with community partners, residents and marginalized populations across Chicago neighborhoods, advocating for equitable access to resources and services for those disproportionately affected by health inequities.* Cultivate and strengthen relationships with community-based organizations educational institutions, faith-based groups, businesses, and service providers. through engagement, collaboration, and capacity-building activities.* Facilitate the planning and implementation of community and city-wide convenings and action planning, including designing and coordinating training sessions, workshops, forums and curricula that promote inclusive participation and diverse perspectives.* Manage program operations and logistics, financial stewardship, expenditure tracking, and resource allocation to ensure efficient and effective utilization of resources, while maintaining high-quality deliverables and timely reporting on project progress, outcomes and impact.* Support administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, booking conference rooms/space, making copies, preparing meeting supplies, taking notes and compiling key takeaways, decisions and action items.* In collaboration with manager and dept leadership, develop and implement communications, marketing, and social media strategies for community health and engagement initiatives and education with the aim of raising awareness, promoting engagement and amplifying impact, including delivering engaging presentations and representing the organization in various forums.* Manage program evaluation efforts by designing robust data collection mechanisms, analyzing programmatic outputs and outcomes, and synthesizing findings to inform strategic decision-making and continuous quality improvement.* Facilitate connections between Lurie Children’s healthcare providers and community partners, leveraging relationships to enhance access to health education, resources, and services for children and families, while actively engaging organizational leadership and partners in community health efforts.* Support the development of grant and philanthropic applications and reporting, as well as other collaborative fundraising efforts under the guidance of manager and dept leadership. Provide mentorship, guidance, and support to program assistants, program coordinators, students, interns and volunteers.* Represents Lurie Children’s and Magoon Institute on community and city-wide coalitions and initiatives, promoting community health and serving as a point-of-contact on related topics and policies.* Actively participate in regular check-ins and meetings with leadership, managers, staff, and collaborators, providing updates on programmatic activities, soliciting feedback, and fostering cross-functional collaboration and alignment.* Proactively identify opportunities for innovation, collaboration and partnership, while staying abreast of emerging trends, best practices, and evidence-based interventions in the field of community health.* Perform additional duties as assigned.**Knowledge, Skills and Experience:*** **Bachelor’s degree in a related field required. Master’s degree preferred. A combination of education and/or experience may be considered in lieu of the degree when the experience is directly related to the duties of the job.*** **Minimum of 3 years of experience in community health programming or engagement, education, healthcare/public health, administration, or related field required; experience with project management preferred. Experience in healthcare setting also preferred.*** Strong project management experience and organizational skills required.* Flexibility to work on evenings and weekends, travel throughout Chicago likely.* Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication, problem-solving, organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize and delegate tasks effectively.* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 software required. Experience with database management and survey software and tools preferred.* Demonstrated ability to work on complex issues and manage multiply projects.* Ability to collaborate with individuals from different backgrounds and disciplines and build relationships across all levels of the organization.* Ability to take initiative, work independently and be self-directed.Weekly local travel to Austin HOPE Center or to offsite meetings and community events.Hybrid work schedule with Wednesday a required in-office day. Position must be available to report to work in person on an as needed basis M,T,Th,F**Education**Bachelor's Degree (Required)**Pay Range**$65,520.00-$107,120.00 SalaryAt Lurie Children’s, we are committed to competitive and fair compensation aligned with market rates and internal equity, reflecting individual contributions, experience, and expertise. The pay range for this job indicates minimum and maximum targets for the position. Ranges are regularly reviewed to stay aligned with market conditions. In addition to base salary, Lurie Children’s offer a comprehensive rewards package that may include differentials for some hourly employees, leadership incentives for select roles, health and retirement benefits, and wellbeing programs. For more details on other compensation, consult your recruiter or click the following link to learn more about our benefits.**Benefit Statement** **For full time and part time employees who work 20 or more hours per week we offer a generous benefits package that includes:**Medical, dental and vision insuranceEmployer paid group term life and disabilityEmployer contribution toward Health Savings AccountFlexible Spending AccountsPaid Time Off (PTO), Paid Holidays and Paid Parental Leave403(b) with a 5% employer match Various voluntary benefits:* Supplemental Life, AD&D and Disability* Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity coverage* Tuition assistance* Student loan servicing and support* Adoption benefits* Backup Childcare and Eldercare* Employee Assistance Program, and other specialized behavioral health services and resources for employees and family members* Discount on services at Lurie Children’s facilities* Discount purchasing program **There’s a Place for You with Us** At Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and its affiliates (collectively “Lurie Children’s”), we embrace and celebrate diversity and equity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints — recognizing that diverse identities strengthen our workplace and the care we can provide to the Chicago community and beyond. We treat everyone fairly, appreciate differences, and make meaningful connections that foster belonging and allyship. This is a place where you can be your best, so we can give our best to the patients and families who trust us with their care. Lurie Children’s and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. For questions about how to request an accommodation please contact: [e-mail] **AI Notice** Lurie Children’s utilizes certain AI-enabled features within our recruiting platform to support candidate engagement and assist recruiters in identifying and prioritizing applicants whose experience aligns with job requirements. All employment decisions are made by individuals. It is a civil rights violation with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, or employment for an employer to use artificial intelligence that has the effect of subjecting employees to discrimination on the basis of protected classes under the Illinois Human Rights Act or to use zip codes as a proxy for protected classes. For questions about the use of artificial intelligence in this process or any additional support, please contact: [e-mail]