Senior Program Manager

Breathe Project; Wilkinsburg (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Forge is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead day-to-day program delivery for BootUp, Economic Mobility, and Community Wellness in Wilkinsburg. You will supervise program leads, manage budgets, and ensure grant outcomes align with strategy and funder expectations.

As a hands-on leader, you will refine program models, deliver technical education in areas like CNC and 3D printing, and build strong cross-functional teams to achieve impact and compliance across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in program management, preferably in a non-profit or community-focused organization.
• Minimum of 5 years of management/supervision experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing grant-funded programs and working within regulatory compliance frameworks

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise the program leads across the departments of Community Forge including BootUp, Economic Mobility and Community Wellness.
• Serve as the primary point of operational escalation, resolving day-to-day program challenges as they arise across the departments of Community Forge.
• Lead in compliance ensuring programs meet grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, and funder requirements day-to-day.
• Serve as the lead strategic manager of the programs across Community Forge, ensuring alignment with the mission and expectations of leadership and external stakeholders.
• Be comfortable delivering education in high technical areas relevant to modern technology and STEM education and workforce development curricula, including CNC, 3D printing/additive manufacturing and programmable logic controls.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and program reports.
• Alongside the Director of Programs, support as a thought partner in developing and refining program models to maximize impact and effectiveness.
• Aid in acquiring new contracts and lead in the management of outcomes of existing program contracts across the organization.
• Oversee and cultivate programmatic events such as hiring fairs, showcases, recruitment events, community events, etc.
• Oversee the program budgets in relation to day to day transactions ensuring that projects are within budget.

Skills

Budget management

Program design

Stakeholder communication

Team leadership

Grant management

Compliance knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

MS Office Suite

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Outlook

Job description

About Community Forge

Community Forge is a nonprofit organization that works to be a living example of community reinvestment and economic development that is inclusive and humanizing. We emphasize breaking down silos in the Pittsburgh area by creating connections between members of disinvested communities and those with resources and knowledge to share. Simultaneously, the Forge anchors key community resources that uplift those living in distressed communities in proximity to our building in the heart of Wilkinsburg.Since opening its doors in 2018, Community Forge has established itself as a home for community servants, violence interrupters, artists, educators, students, entrepreneurs, and innovators from Wilkinsburg and surrounding neighborhoods in Pittsburgh’s East End.

Summary of Role

The Senior Program Manager is a key operational leadership role at Community Forge, responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of programs - BootUp, Economic Mobility, and Community Wellness. Reporting to the Director of Programs, this role directly supervises program leads, oversees program budgets and contract outcomes, and ensures programs remain aligned with organizational strategy and stakeholder expectations. The Senior Program Manager also serves as a thought partner in refining program models and, when needed, delivers hands-on technical education in areas such as STEM, workforce development, and advanced manufacturing technologies. This role is essential to translating strategic vision into consistent, high-quality program delivery across the organization.

Principal (Essential) Duties

• Directly supervise the program leads across the departments of Community Forge including BootUp, Economic Mobility and Community Wellness.
• Serve as the primary point of operational escalation, resolving day-to-day program challenges as they arise across the departments of Community Forge.
• Lead in compliance ensuring programs meet grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, and funder requirements day-to-day.
• Serve as the lead strategic manager of the programs across Community Forge, ensuring alignment with the mission and expectations of leadership and external stakeholders.
• Be comfortable delivering education in high technical areas relevant to modern technology and STEM education and workforce development curricula, including domains such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC), 3D printing/additive manufacturing and/or programmable logic controls, for example.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and program reports.
• Alongside the Director of Programs, support as a thought partner in developing and refining program models to maximize impact and effectiveness.
• Aid in acquiring new contracts and lead in the management of outcomes of existing program contracts across the organization.
• Oversee and cultivate programmatic events such as hiring fairs, showcases, recruitment events, community events, etc.
• Oversee the program budgets in relation to day to day transactions ensuring that projects are within budget.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong proficiency in budget development, resource allocation, and financial oversight for multiple programs
• Strong knowledge of program design, implementation, and evaluation
• Strong strategic planning and operational experience
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high energy, and team-oriented environment.
• Ability to delegate effectively.
• Skilled in building high-functioning teams capable of meeting departmental and organizational goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear reports for varied stakeholders
• Ability to work collaboratively and cross-functional teams
• Possess an aptitude for technology and proficiency in MS Office Suite products with advanced skills in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Experience/Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in program management, preferably in a non-profit or community-focused organization.
• Minimum of 5 years of management/supervision experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing grant-funded programs and working within regulatory compliance frameworks