Salesforce & Program Systems Manager

Watt's List; Cleveland, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Company paid life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Job summary

You will join Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) in Northeast Ohio as the Salesforce & Program Systems Manager, leading a small team to govern Salesforce, ECM, and related platforms. You’ll ensure data integrity, support service delivery, and enable strategic decisions across departments.

The role emphasizes governance, process improvement, and responsible adoption of new technologies, including AI, within a nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

• Salesforce Administrator Certification required.
• Minimum 3 years administering and improving a Salesforce org, including documentation, testing, deployments, and release management; nonprofit or human-services experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, nonprofit or related field preferred; substitutions allowed for experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach Salesforce Department staff with clear goals and performance expectations.
• Oversee Salesforce, ECM, integrations, automations, upgrades, releases, and vendor interactions.
• Ensure data quality and governance across Salesforce and ECM implementations.
• Define processes and training to improve adoption and efficiency.
• Manage intake, prioritization, and project delivery for Salesforce requests.

Skills

Salesforce admin

Leadership

Data governance

Project management

Nonprofit experience

Education

Bachelor's preferred

Associates + experience substitute

Tools

Salesforce ECM

Sandbox testing

Vendor management

Job description

Description

Since 1982, over 160,000 youth have been helped with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) programs. Y.O.U. helps teens and young adults, ages 14-24 living in economically distressed communities succeed by providing educational and workforce opportunities, skills development, and access to career pathways. We offer school-based and community-based programs designed to meet the needs of Northeast Ohio employers, with a focus on those industry sectors that provide the most opportunities for career success. At Y.O.U., we are dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement of the quality of our services to youth, employers, and the community.

Job Purpose

The Salesforce & Program Systems Manager is a mission-focused leader who helps Y.O.U. turn reliable data and thoughtful technology into better service, stronger decisions, and greater organizational impact. This role manages the operation and day-to-day governance of Y.O.U.'s Salesforce ecosystem, Exponent Case Management (ECM), related platforms, and business processes, within the strategy set by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), ensuring they support service delivery, compliance, fundraising, reporting, and a culture of data integrity and accuracy.

The Manager inspires and equips the Salesforce team while engaging colleagues across every department to see data quality as a shared responsibility. The Manager brings curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a practical, service-oriented approach to improving systems, strengthening adoption, solving problems, and responsibly evaluating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The Manager supervises the Salesforce Administrator and Salesforce & Process Specialist.

Essential Functions

Leadership & Department Management

• Lead, motivate, coach, and develop Salesforce Department staff, creating clear goals, priorities, work plans, and performance expectations while helping each team member grow and contribute at a high level.
• Build an energized team culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, curiosity, continuous learning, innovation, and data-informed decision-making.
• Plan the department's work and resources against priorities set with the COO, and actively contribute Salesforce expertise to cross-organizational initiatives.

Salesforce Strategy, Governance & Implementation

• Maintain the Salesforce standards, security protocols, naming conventions, and technology roadmap; contribute to the Salesforce strategy and governance framework set by the COO.
• Oversee Salesforce, ECM, integrations, automations, upgrades, releases, and major enhancements with consultants and vendors.
• Manage the Salesforce release process by ensuring all system changes are developed in a sandbox, thoroughly tested, documented, tracked through version control, and approved before deployment to production.
• Lead the design and implementation of Salesforce solutions for new programs, grants, services, and organizational initiatives, including requirements gathering, testing, documentation, staff training, and rollout.
• Provide hands‑on support, configuration, troubleshooting, testing, documentation, and project assistance as needed.
• Supervise and verify configuration and code produced by team members, consultants, or AI tools before it is deployed.
• Ensure systems support intake, eligibility, service delivery, outcomes, compliance, fundraising, relationship management, and reporting.

Business Process Improvement & Learning

• Approach workflows with curiosity: ask thoughtful questions, listen to staff, learn how work is actually done, and identify improvements that strengthen efficiency, consistency, compliance, service quality, and staff experience.
• Translate operational needs into practical, user-centered technology solutions and clear Standard Operating Procedures that make the right process easier to understand and follow.
• Define process ownership, decision rights, approvals, and accountability for consistent use of approved systems and workflows.
• Manage the intake and prioritization of Salesforce and ECM requests, establish priorities with the COO, defer requests when appropriate, and assign work to Salesforce staff, department staff, or consultants.

Data Culture, Integrity, Reporting & Compliance

• Carry out the Salesforce-related data strategy set with the COO and Data Governance Team, and actively build an organization-wide culture in which accurate, complete, timely data is understood as essential to Y.O.U.'s mission, service quality, learning, and accountability.
• Own the data model: know what every object and field is for, retire what is unused, and run a regular data-quality cadence.
• Partner with the Data Governance Team and departments across Y.O.U. to establish, communicate, and monitor data governance, quality standards, validation, audits, dashboards, KPIs, and reporting; use findings as opportunities for coaching, learning, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build trusted partnerships across departments by listening to needs, understanding the work, improving workflows, and helping teams confidently use Salesforce and ECM to support their goals.
• Create shared ownership for data and systems by building cross-functional plans, clarifying responsibilities, and motivating teams to implement and sustain approved solutions.
• Coordinate with Program, Learning & Impact, Compliance, Development, Finance, Human Resources, and Operations departments to meet grant, contract, regulatory, and organizational requirements.

Training, Engagement & Change Management

• Create and lead an engaging Salesforce and ECM learning strategy, including onboarding, role-specific and refresher training, documentation, coaching, and technical assistance that builds confidence and capability over time.
• Champion change with empathy, clarity, and persistence. Build understanding of the 'why,' motivate adoption of approved tools and workflows, celebrate progress, and address gaps through coaching, retraining, feedback, and process clarification.

AI Practice, Strategy & Governance

• Evaluate responsible AI use within Salesforce, ECM, and related technologies to improve automation, reporting, engagement, productivity, analytics, and decision-making.
• Use AI tools in the daily work of administration (drafting configuration, reports, documentation, and analysis), verify the output, and set the Salesforce team's working practices for effective, responsible use.
• Partner with the Director of Operations & Compliance on AI governance for privacy, security, ethics, accuracy, compliance, and appropriate use.

Budget, Licensing & Vendor Management

• Manage the approved Salesforce Department budget for software, consulting, training, licensing, and system enhancements.
• Manage procurement, renewals, assignment, inventory, utilization, and optimization of Salesforce-related licenses and products.
• Serve as the day-to-day contact for Salesforce consultants, technology vendors, and licensing partners; manage renewals and invoices.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision benefits available with coverage beginning the first of the month following date of hire.
• Company paid life insurance, AD&D, Short-Term Disability, Parental Leave, Employee Assistance Program and Long-Term Disability
• Retirement Plan with generous employer contributions
• Generous paid time off package including 17 paid holidays
• Professional Development Assistance Program

Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Nonprofit or Public Administration, Data Analytics, or a related field preferred.
• An associate degree plus two additional years of relevant experience may substitute for a bachelor’s degree.
• A high school diploma plus four additional years of relevant experience may substitute for a bachelor’s degree.

Requirements

• Salesforce Administrator Certification required.
• Minimum of three years of experience administering and improving a Salesforce org, including documentation, testing, deployments, and release management; nonprofit or human-services experience preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory, management, or significant project leadership experience.
• Experience with Salesforce implementations, requirements gathering, change management, training, compliance, data governance, budgeting, licensing, and vendor or consultant management.
• Proven experience managing the ongoing administration and improvement of a Salesforce org, including documentation, testing, deployments, and release management.
• Practical AI fluency, including the ability to clearly define problems, evaluate AI-generated results, and apply appropriate safeguards for confidential, youth, and client data.
• Advanced certifications in Salesforce, business analysis, project management, Lean/Six Sigma, or AI preferred.
• Must pass a background BCI/FBI check as a condition of employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Belief and commitment to Y.O.U.’s mission, vision, and values.
• Motivating, people-centered leadership style with strong supervision, facilitation, communication, project management, and relationship-building skills; able to engage both technical and non-technical colleagues around shared goals.
• Advanced knowledge of Salesforce administration, governance, reporting, system design, data quality, and change management, paired with a strong commitment to data integrity and accuracy.
• Curious and solutions-oriented, with excellent process management, business analysis, facilitation, and problem-solving skills; seeks to understand root causes before designing solutions.
• Ability to translate technical concepts into clear, practical procedures, training, stories, and guidance that help non-technical staff understand both what to do and why it matters.
• Commitment to being a constant learner who stays current on Salesforce capabilities, responsible AI governance, privacy, security, data practices, and emerging technology trends, and thoughtfully applies new learning to Y.O.U.'s needs.
• Ability to stay mission-focused while managing multiple priorities with sound judgment, integrity, discretion, professionalism, and follow-through.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite programs.
• Clear, habitual written communication. Writing is how this role shapes requests, documents decisions, and works with AI tools.
• Has authority to hire, fire and promote employees.

Work Environment

• This position works in-office at least three days per week and may work remotely up to two days per week.
• Must live within 75 miles of Cleveland, Ohio
• Work is generally fast-paced and requires extended computer use, including periods of up to two hours of sustained computer or phone work. The role also requires periodic lifting and carrying of up to 25 pounds, standing, and walking throughout office buildings.
• Most work occurs in a controlled office environment. Work or training outside the office may involve temperature extremes, noise, heights, or other hazards.
• When working remotely, employees must maintain a professional, secure, and reasonably distraction-free workspace that supports confidentiality, productivity, and participation in meetings.

All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, parental status, veteran status, military service, family medical history, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.