Program Manager- CTA SAFE Ride

Position Summary

The Program Manager is the operational hub of Street Samaritans’ CTA Innovation Crisis Intervention Pilot. This role is responsible for keeping the program running — managing day-to-day operations, ensuring grant compliance, coordinating across partners, and providing the administrative and logistical infrastructure that allows the clinical team to focus on the people they serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the CTA crisis outreach program, ensuring staffing coverage, equipment readiness, and field logistics are consistently maintained.
• Maintain and refine program workflows, including the rider report dispatch process, encounter documentation protocols, and referral pathways to WOVEN, MSHC, and community partners.
• Coverage of staff scheduling, travel reimbursements, training logistics, and required certification tracking across the outreach team.
• Serve as the primary liaison to CTA, managing communication, site access, signage coordination, and any operational issues that arise along the corridor.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and cross-partner coordination calls, ensuring alignment across Street Samaritans, WOVEN, IHDD, and MSHC.
• Monitor program expenditures against the approved budget and flag variances to the Executive Director in a timely manner.
• Review and process monthly subrecipient invoices from WOVEN, IHDD, and MSHC, verifying supporting documentation before submission for reimbursement.
• Prepare and submit draw requests to the funding source in accordance with the reimbursement schedule.
• Compile program data and narrative for required funder and CTA reporting, drawing on encounter logs, IHDD tracking systems, and partner reports.
• Maintain organized grant files, subrecipient agreement documentation, and compliance records in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200 and Street Samaritans’ internal policies.
• Provide regular supervision to two Clinical Team Leads, focusing on operational performance, workload management, and professional development.
• Coordinate onboarding for new staff, including training schedules, credentialing, system access, and equipment setup.
• Monitor staff training compliance and certification renewals, including CPI, ASIST, MHFA, and mandatory reporter requirements.
• Escalate staffing concerns, personnel issues, or capacity gaps to the Executive Director as needed.
• Serve as the program’s primary point of contact with IHDD for the rider reporting and encounter tracking system, surfacing operational issues and coordinating iterations.
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation across all program systems, including the IHDD database, HMIS (where applicable), and internal grant tracking tools.
• Contribute to program evaluation by compiling encounter data, referral outcomes, and partner performance metrics on a regular basis.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Nonprofit Management, Psychology, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of program management or coordinator experience in a nonprofit, social services, or public health setting.
• Demonstrated experience managing grant-funded programs, including budget monitoring, compliance documentation, and funder reporting.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously without dropping the ball.
• Experience working in or coordinating services for populations experiencing homelessness, mental illness, or substance use disorders.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and data management tools; comfort learning new platforms quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to represent Street Samaritans professionally with external partners and funders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing subrecipient or subcontractor relationships under federal or city grant awards.
• Familiarity with 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance and reimbursement-based grant administration.
• Knowledge of Chicago’s homelessness services landscape, Continuum of Care, and Coordinated Entry System.
• Experience with HMIS or similar case management and reporting systems.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

About Street Samaritans

Street Samaritans is a 501(c)3 grassroots nonprofit that provides direct support and resources for transition for Chicago’s Homeless population through human connection, technology and partnerships. Learn more at www.streetsamaritans.org