Senior Program Manager, VIP Initiative

Boston Public Health Commission; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Boston Public Health Commission is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead the VIP Initiative, ensuring partner accountability, data integrity, and cross-neighborhood coordination. The role bridges community implementation with internal systems, managing a growing network of community partner sites while strengthening VIP's infrastructure across multiple funding streams.

The position requires a strategic, operational leader who can manage contracting, reporting, and stakeholder engagement to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's in public health, public policy, social work, or related field preferred.
• 3–5+ years of experience in program management, grants administration, or community violence prevention/public health programming.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with community-based organizations and government partners.
• Exceptional organizational skills and comfort managing competing deadlines.
• Genuine passion for and connection to community; commitment to serving underrepresented communities.
• Experience working in or with municipal government, public health, or violence prevention settings strongly preferred.
• Background in epidemiology, public health data, or program evaluation a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead early development of a VIP Community Safety Plan, identifying service gaps and aligning prevention, intervention, stabilization, and healing strategies across neighborhoods
• Design and maintain program evaluation tools and standardized reporting templates to track engagement, outcomes, and long-term impact
• Manage contracts and compliance for community partner organizations, including vendor IDs, purchase orders, monthly reporting, and quarterly site visits
• Support strategic initiatives
• Support in facilitating quarterly cross-partner convenings and support incident response coordination
• Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, neighborhood leaders, and trusted local connectors
• Lead the VIP master calendar, tracking grant deadlines, reporting timelines, and community activations
• Provide technical assistance to organizations applying for VIP funding, including info sessions and office hours
• Support community resource mapping
• Produce VIP's monthly newsletter and community-facing outreach materials
• Organize community events and streamline internal systems and administrative processes

Skills

Program management

Grants administration

Community relationships

Communication

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's in public health / public policy

Job description

The mission of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is to work in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities. The BPHC sets an expectation that all staff and leadership commit, individually and as part of the BPHC team, to hold ourselves accountable to establishing a culture of anti-racism and advance racial equity and justice through each of our bureaus, programs, and offices.

Job Description

About the Role

The Senior Program Manager provides strategic, operational, and compliance leadership for the VIP Initiative, ensuring partner accountability, data integrity, and cross-neighborhood coordination in alignment with the Live Long and Well agenda. This role bridges community implementation with internal systems, managing a growing network of community partner sites while strengthening VIP's infrastructure across multiple funding streams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead early development of a VIP Community Safety Plan, identifying service gaps and aligning prevention, intervention, stabilization, and healing strategies across neighborhoods
• Design and maintain program evaluation tools and standardized reporting templates to track engagement, outcomes, and long-term impact
• Manage contracts and compliance for community partner organizations, including vendor IDs, purchase orders, monthly reporting, and quarterly site visits
• Support strategic initiatives
• Support in facilitating quarterly cross-partner convenings and support incident response coordination
• Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, neighborhood leaders, and trusted local connectors
• Lead the VIP master calendar, tracking grant deadlines, reporting timelines, and community activations
• Provide technical assistance to organizations applying for VIP funding, including info sessions and office hours
• Support community resource mapping
• Produce VIP's monthly newsletter and community-facing outreach materials
• Organize community events and streamline internal systems and administrative processes

Minimum Qualifications

What We're Looking For

Someone who moves fluidly between community relationship-building and operational rigor managing multiple deadlines, partner sites, and funding streams without losing sight of the people the work is meant to serve. Above all, we need someone who takes initiative: identifies issues before they escalat, brings solutions rather than just problems, and adapts quickly as conditions change.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's in public health, public policy, social work, or a related field preferred
• 3–5+ years of experience in program management, grants administration, or community violence prevention/public health programming
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with community-based organizations and government partners
• Exceptional organizational skills and comfort managing competing deadlines
• Genuine passion for and connection to community; demonstrated commitment to serving underrepresented communities
• Experience working in or with municipal government, public health, or violence prevention settings strongly preferred
• Background in epidemiology, public health data, or program evaluation a plus

Additional Information

• City of Boston residency is required; Allston, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Dorchester, Downtown, East Boston, Fenway-Kenmore, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mid-Dorchester, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West End, West Roxbury, Wharf district.
• A Criminal Offenders Records Information request must be completed for this position. However, a record is not an automatic bar to employment but is reviewed in relation to the job applied for.
• Certain immunizations will be recommended and/or required prior to commencement of employment duties.
• Any position that requires an advanced degree will be subject to education verification.
• Certain positions at the BPHC may be Grant Funded.
• The Boston Public Health Commission is an EEO Employer and all applicants meeting the minimum requirements are eligible to apply.
• Certain positions at the BPHC may require Child Protective Service Background verification.
• The advertised shift and schedule are subject to change at the department's discretion.

Shift

M-F 9:00am-5:00pm

This is not a remote position. It requires a consistent, visible presence across Boston neighborhoods, regular travel to partner sites, and occasional evening or weekend availability for community events.

This position is not dependent on grants / external funding sources.