Vice President, Program Quality & Compliance

Think Together; Santa Ana, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 215,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Think Together in California seeks a Vice President of Program Quality and Compliance to lead data, reporting, evaluation, quality, and compliance initiatives across the organization. The role oversees data integrity and timely submissions to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with funding requirements and regulatory standards.

The VPPQC will lead the Program Quality division, drive continuous improvement, and partner with leaders to strengthen program performance while

Qualifications

• Executive leadership and strategic thinking required at senior level.
• Experience with data governance, evaluation practices, and grants management.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for program quality, evaluation, and compliance.
• Oversee data collection, reporting, and regulatory submissions across programs.
• Lead the quality program team to ensure accountability and continuous improvement.
• Manage budget for the Quality and Compliance division and align resources.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Data management

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder influence

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Teams

Business intelligence tools

Job description

Overview

Vice President, Program Quality & Compliance

Founded in 1997, Think Together partners with schools to change the odds for kids by providing award-winning programs during and outside the school day. We’re one of California’s largest nonprofits working in school districts from San Diego to San Francisco. Whether you’re interested in early learning, elementary, middle or high school, you can invest in your community by working at a local school or working within our home office providing support!

JOB SUMMARY:

The Vice President of Program Quality and Compliance (VPPQC) is a strategic leadership role responsible for ensuring the organization’s data, reporting, evaluation, quality, and compliance requirements are effectively managed and aligned with organizational priorities. The VPPQC oversees the collection, analysis, integrity, and timely submission of data and reports for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, state and federal regulations, and internal organizational standards. In addition, the VPPQC leads the organization’s Program Quality division, overseeing the Evaluation and Insights and Program Quality teams. This includes directing efforts to evaluate program effectiveness, generate actionable insights, monitor and assess program quality and compliance in the field, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and strengthen accountability and program performance. Through the integration of data, evaluation, field-based quality monitoring, and compliance, the VPPQC provides leadership and insight that supports informed decision-making and advances the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives.

The Vice President of Program Quality and Compliance must embody and support the values and mission of the organization, ensuring that all initiatives and operations reflect a commitment to excellence, accountability, and strategic growth. This role is crucial in maintaining the organization’s commitment to ethical standards and quality service in all aspects of operations, ultimately contributing to the success and sustainability of the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Planning & Implementation: Advance the organization’s strategic priorities by providing leadership for initiatives that strengthen program quality, operational excellence, and compliance. Evaluate and optimize program delivery to ensure alignment with organizational mission, values, and strategic objectives. Champion a culture of continuous improvement that enhances program effectiveness, customer experience, and regulatory compliance while driving sustainable organizational impact.
• Regulatory & Grant Compliance: Maintain strategic awareness of the evolving educational landscape, with a focus on expanded learning, grants management, and safety requirements to anticipate emerging priorities, mitigate risk, and inform organizational strategy. Evaluate all aspects of program delivery to ensure compliance with organizational, grant requirements and regulatory standards. Lead the implementation and oversight of compliance protocols that safeguard program integrity, ensure accountability, and consistently meet organizational, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
• Data Collection & Reporting: Provide strategic oversight of data collection, regulatory compliance, and program reporting, ensuring accurate, high-quality submissions across state, federal, and funding requirements. Establish and monitor reporting timelines, proactively identify and resolve risks, and ensure consistent accountability to internal and external deadlines.
• Quality Program Management: Manage the quality program team, responsible for monitoring, observing, and identifying high-level programs, trends, and risks across various locations. Provide partnership with program delivery leadership and risk management team to ensure strategy is employed to mitigate risk and reduce incidents. Provide strategic oversight of program performance reporting, translating data and trends into actionable insights, identifying emerging risks, and advancing best practices. Partner with program delivery leaders to develop and execute data-informed action plans that strengthen performance, mitigate risk, and drive continuous improvement.
• Leadership & Team Management: Lead, develop, and empower a high-performing team to deliver timely, accurate, and actionable data analysis. Cultivate a culture of integrity, accountability, ethics, and excellence while modeling organizational values and expectations. Partner with the COO and cross-functional leaders to align enterprise strategies, strengthen organizational performance, and drive sustainable business outcomes.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manage the budget for the Quality and Compliance division, ensuring efficient resource allocation. Monitor expenditures and ensure financial accountability in line with organizational goals. Address any variances in budget or performance to meet the strategic objectives of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Proven track record of leading divisions with a focus on quality and compliance within an organization.
• Demonstrated executive-level communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively engage, influence, and align stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ethical leadership and integrity in decision-making processes.
• In-depth understanding of data management, evaluation practices, grants management, and regulatory compliance.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to align departmental goals with the broader organizational strategy.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; master’s degree preferred, or equivalent education and professional experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive leadership experience, with a demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams, foster accountability and collaboration, and drive organizational results through effective people leadership and strategic execution.
• Commitment to Think Together’s vision and mission to partner with schools to change the odds for kids.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Program or administrative leadership experience within education or related field.
• Ability to speak and write in a language other than English, Spanish preferred.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

• Proficiency with all Microsoft Office software products (including SharePoint and Teams).
• Advanced proficiency in using data analysis, budgeting, reporting, and business intelligence tools to analyze information, identify trends, develop insights, and effectively communicate the story behind the data.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Approximately 20%; local travel (within California required. Some out-of-state travel is required to attend industry conferences (approximately 3x annually).
• Must pass Live Scan (criminal background check via fingerprinting), provide a clear TB test.
• Reliable transportation is required to meet the needs of the position.
• While driving is not a regular requirement of this role, employees who operate a personal or company vehicle for work purposes must maintain a valid driver's license and current auto insurance on file with HR.
• This is a hybrid position (2-3 days in the office per week).
• Working evenings and weekends is required as needed.

COMPENSATION:

• Salary Range- $215K-$235K

This is the targeted compensation for the position. A range of factors, including but not limited to; location, skills, experience, will be considered. Actual compensation may vary.

Think Together is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, religious creed, physical disability, mental disability, age for individuals age 40 and over, medical condition (as defined by state law (for example, cancer or genetic characteristics or HIV/AIDS), marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.

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