Program Manager

About the Role

The Program Manager provides day-to-day leadership for ACTS Career Center programs that empower individuals across the lifespan through holistic, community-driven workforce solutions. This position converts grant, contract, and organizational commitments into well-run services, measurable participant outcomes, accurate records, equitable access to opportunity, and strong community partnerships. The Program Manager is accountable for program quality, staff coordination, participant experience, employer engagement, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Program leadership and delivery: Plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate workforce-development programs, including career-readiness training, soft-skills instruction, computer training, job-placement services, youth and young-adult initiatives, paid work experiences, and other grant-funded or community programs.
• Operational planning: Develop program workplans, calendars, staffing plans, participant-flow procedures, partner assignments, and service-delivery standards; ensure programs launch and operate on schedule.
• Participant services: Oversee outreach, intake, eligibility documentation, assessment, enrollment, case coordination, referrals, attendance, completion, placement, retention follow-up, and supportive-service connections.
• Outcome management: Establish and monitor program goals, dashboards, milestones, and corrective actions for enrollment, completion, credential attainment, employment placement, wage progression, retention, and other required outcomes.
• Grant and contract compliance: Translate funding requirements into operating procedures; maintain complete, timely, and audit-ready program files; monitor allowable activities, deliverables, deadlines, and documentation requirements.
• Data integrity and reporting: Ensure accurate and timely entry of participant, employer, service, and outcome data; validate supporting documentation; prepare internal reports and required funder, board, and leadership reports.
• Budget stewardship: Monitor approved program budgets, participant costs, vendor expenses, incentives, and supplies; review spending against program plans; coordinate with finance on reconciliations, invoicing, drawdowns, and supporting documentation.
• Employer and partner engagement: Cultivate relationships with employers, training providers, educational institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to expand placements, work experiences, referrals, and resources.
• Staff supervision and role clarity: Assign work, communicate job expectations and reporting relationships, provide training and regular feedback, review performance, manage schedules, verify time and deliverables, and hold employees and contracted providers accountable. Respond to job-clarification requests within five business days and elevate unresolved questions or proposed material duty changes to the Executive Director.
• Employee-relations responsibilities: Model respectful conduct; act promptly when harassment, discrimination, retaliation, safety threats, suspected abuse or neglect, confidentiality breaches, financial impropriety, or other misconduct is reported or observed; protect good-faith reporters from retaliation; and immediately notify the Executive Director or Human Resources as required by policy.
• Timekeeping and overtime controls: Ensure supervised nonexempt employees accurately record all time worked, missed or interrupted meal periods, and schedule variances. Do not permit off-the-clock work, falsification of records, or overtime without prior approval from the Executive Director.
• Events and outreach: Coordinate job fairs, hiring events, workshops, orientations, employer sessions, and community outreach activities, including logistics, promotion, registration, staffing, and post-event reporting.
• Quality and risk management: Conduct routine file and service-quality reviews; address participant concerns, safety issues, confidentiality risks, missed targets, or noncompliance promptly and escalate material concerns to leadership.
• Mission and values alignment: Represent ACTS with professionalism, compassion, integrity, and respect while advancing its values of Empowerment, Lifelong Learning, Community Connection, Equity, Integrity, and Innovation.
• Other responsibilities: Perform other related duties as assigned to meet organizational, participant, employer, grant, or community needs.

Leadership and Decision-Making Expectations

• Use participant data, program requirements, and employer feedback to make timely operational decisions.
• Escalate suspected fraud, misuse of funds, threats to participant safety, data breaches, legal concerns, or material grant noncompliance immediately.
• Do not materially change approved program scope, eligibility rules, budgets, incentives, reporting methods, or partner commitments without required leadership and funder approval.
• Maintain clear separation of duties and supporting documentation for participant payments, incentives, purchases, reimbursements, and vendor activity.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with participants, avoid dual relationships, disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest in writing, and recuse from decisions when required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, social services, workforce development, education, human resources, nonprofit management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• At least three years of progressively responsible experience in program management, workforce development, employment services, education, community services, grants, or nonprofit operations.
• At least one year of staff, project-team, vendor, intern, or volunteer leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple deadlines, maintain accurate records, analyze performance data, and communicate with varied audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, spreadsheets, virtual meeting platforms, databases or case-management systems, and electronic document management.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel locally between ACTS, employer, training, and community sites, as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering workforce, youth-employment, re-entry, apprenticeship, or government-funded programs.
• Experience with grant deliverables, participant eligibility files, monitoring visits, audits, invoicing, or reimbursement-based funding.
• Knowledge of the Memphis-North Mississippi-Arkansas labor market and regional employers; project-management, workforce-development, human-services, or related professional certification is a plus.

Skills

• Mission-driven leadership and sound judgment
• Program planning and execution
• Staff coaching and accountability
• Participant-centered service
• Employer and community relationship management
• Grant compliance and documentation
• Data accuracy and outcome analysis
• Budget stewardship
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Problem solving, adaptability, and continuous improvement
• Confidentiality, ethics, and professional boundaries

Core Values

• Empowerment: Equip individuals with the tools, training, and confidence needed for personal and professional success.
• Lifelong Learning: Promote continuous education, reskilling, development, and professional competence.
• Community Connection: Build relationships that bridge job seekers, employers, training providers, and community resources.
• Equity: Identify and reduce barriers to employment and career advancement while supporting inclusive access to opportunity.
• Integrity: Act transparently, ethically, accountably, and respectfully in every program and partnership.
• Innovation: Use forward-thinking strategies and continuous improvement to meet evolving workforce needs.

Key Performance Indicators

• Program delivery: Programs, classes, orientations, and events delivered on schedule and within approved scope.
• Enrollment and completion: Enrollment, attendance, completion, and credential targets achieved for each assigned program.
• Employment outcomes: Placement, wage, retention, work-experience, or advancement targets achieved and documented.
• Data quality: Participant and employer records are complete, accurate, timely, and supported by source documentation.
• Compliance: Required reports submitted on time; monitoring findings, questioned costs, and repeat deficiencies minimized.
• Budget performance: Spending remains within approved budgets and is supported, allowable, and aligned with program goals.
• Partnership development: Employer, training-provider, referral, and community partnerships are active and produce measurable opportunities.
• Participant experience: Concerns are resolved promptly and participant feedback demonstrates respectful, useful service.
• Team effectiveness: Staff complete assigned work, documentation, and follow-up accurately and on time.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

The position generally operates in an office, classroom, event, and community setting. It requires regular computer and telephone use; frequent communication with participants, staff, employers, and partners; occasional evening or weekend work; and local travel. The employee must be able to move throughout program and event spaces and occasionally lift or transport materials weighing up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with applicable law.

Confidentiality and Compliance

The Program Manager will have access to confidential participant and client records, personnel files, employer and financial data, program and grant reports, and donor and funding-partner information. Access is permitted only when necessary for assigned duties. The employee must use approved, secure methods to collect, store, transmit, retain, and dispose of information and may not disclose it to unauthorized persons or use it personally. These duties continue after employment ends.

The employee must complete required training and follow ACTS policies and funder requirements concerning nondiscrimination, harassment, records retention, data security, conflicts of interest, financial controls, safety, mandated reporting, and ethical conduct.