Program Manager, Chicago
Position Summary
The Program Manager will manage the planning, coordination, and delivery of Common Threads programs across Chicago and surrounding communities. This role will work closely with schools, community-based organizations, healthcare institutions, Chef Instructors, and internal teams to ensure programs run smoothly, meet quality standards, and fulfill partner, grant, and contract requirements.
The Program Manager will manage program schedules, coordinate partner communication, supervise assigned Chef Instructors, monitor program data and documentation, and support compliance and reporting. The ideal candidate has experience in project or program management, youth programming, nutrition education, community health, or nonprofit operations. This individual must be highly organized, responsive, relationship-focused, and comfortable managing multiple programs and deadlines.
This is a full-time, exempt position that reports to the Director of Programs & Partnerships. The role follows a fully remote work model. Regular local travel to school and community partner sites throughout the Chicago area is required, with occasional travel outside Chicago.
Program Manager Responsibilities
Program Implementation
- Manage the day-to-day implementation of school-based, healthcare, and community programs throughout Chicago and surrounding communities.
- Coordinate with school administrators, teachers, community partners, and healthcare partners to schedule programs and confirm implementation requirements.
- Develop and maintain program schedules, implementation plans, site information, and internal tracking tools.
- Coordinate program materials, curriculum, groceries, equipment, facility access, and other program needs.
- Communicate program expectations, schedules, changes, and updates to Chef Instructors, partner contacts, volunteers, and internal staff.
- Monitor enrollment, attendance, completion, and program progress against established goals.
- Identify scheduling conflicts, staffing gaps, supply issues, and other implementation barriers. Escalate concerns and coordinate solutions promptly.
- Support the implementation of health-focused initiatives with local healthcare and community partners.
- Coordinate and facilitate special events at schools, community-based organizations, and other partner locations.
- Document program and partner activities accurately and consistently in Salesforce and other approved systems.
Chef Instructor Support
- Support assigned Chef Instructors delivering programs throughout the Chicago area.
- Work with staff to coordinate Chef Instructor scheduling and maintain appropriate coverage for programs, events, training, and observations.
- Support Chef Instructor recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, training, and offboarding as needed.
- Communicate curriculum updates, organizational procedures, partner requirements, and other relevant information.
- Address missing documentation, scheduling concerns, and payment discrepancies in coordination with the Associate Director, Finance, Operations, or Human Resources.
- Foster a supportive and accountable team culture focused on learning, communication, program quality, and participant experience.
Program Quality and Compliance
- Conduct regular in-person and virtual program observations to assess curriculum fidelity, instructional quality, participant engagement, and adherence to program standards.
- Provide timely feedback and coaching to Chef Instructors following program observations.
- Ensure assigned programs comply with organizational policies, partner agreements, grant requirements, contracts, and implementation standards.
- Monitor completion of required background checks, fingerprinting, certifications, training, and other personnel documentation.
- Track attendance, participant rosters, consent and assent forms, surveys, waivers, and other required records.
- Review program documentation for accuracy and completeness before submission.
- Maintain organized program and compliance records in approved organizational systems.
- Escalate compliance concerns, missed requirements, safety issues, and documentation gaps promptly.
- Support corrective action plans and follow-up activities when program or compliance concerns arise.
Data, Evaluation, and Reporting
- Oversee timely and accurate collection of program data, including enrollment, attendance, demographics, pre- and post-surveys, consent forms, and program outcomes.
- Enter or review program information in Salesforce and other required data systems.
- Monitor data completion and follow up with Chef Instructors, staff, or partners regarding missing or inaccurate information.
- Collaborate with Research and Evaluation staff to support program evaluation activities.
- Prepare program updates, data summaries, partner reports, and grant-related documentation.
- Contribute information for quarterly, annual, grant, and contract reports.
- Use program data, observations, and feedback to identify implementation trends and recommend improvements.
Partner Relationship Management
- Serve as a primary day-to-day contact for assigned schools, community-based organizations, healthcare institutions, and other program partners.
- Build and maintain professional, responsive, and collaborative partner relationships.
- Conduct planning meetings, site readiness reviews, implementation check-ins, and program debriefs.
- Respond to partner questions and concerns and coordinate internal follow-up.
- Support the identification and onboarding of new schools, kitchens, and community sites aligned with approved Chicago program goals.
- Gather partner feedback and share recommendations with program leadership.
- Represent Common Threads at school, district, healthcare, and community meetings and events.
- Support efforts to strengthen Common Threads’ visibility and relationships throughout the Chicago area.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with all teams to support program implementation.
- Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, training, and program improvement initiatives.
- Support budget tracking by monitoring program purchases, staffing expenses, and other approved costs.
- Provide program details, schedules, participant data, and implementation updates for proposals, reports, partner agreements, and planning activities.
- Support the Associate Director of Regional Programs with Chicago market priorities and special projects.
- Perform other program-related duties as assigned.
The statements above describe the essential functions of this role and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties.
All Common Threads employees are subject to a background check and fingerprinting before employment.
This full-time position primarily works Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Occasional evening or weekend work is required for programs, partner meetings, or special events.
Regular local travel is required. Employees will receive mileage reimbursement for approved business travel using a personal vehicle or public transportation. Rideshare services are excluded unless approved in advance.
About Common Threads
Common Threads is a national leader in enhancing community health through the power of nutrition and food. For more than two decades, the organization has addressed the connection between nutrition and well-being through nutrition education, cooking skills training, and food access.
Operating through in-person and digital programming, Common Threads has partnered with more than 2,200 schools, provided more than five million meals, and positively impacted the nutritional health of more than one million individuals. Common Threads works with public school districts, community organizations, healthcare institutions, and other partners across the country.
For more information, visit commonthreads.org.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here represent those required to perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to individuals with disabilities.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee occasionally stands, walks, sits, uses their hands to handle objects, reaches with their arms, climbs stairs, balances, stoops, kneels, crouches, talks, hears, tastes, or smells. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.
Required vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Common Threads provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. Common Threads complies with applicable federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws in every location where the organization operates.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Common Threads prohibits workplace harassment and improper interference with an employee’s ability to perform their job duties. Violations may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
