Program & Operations Coordinator

POSITION: PROGRAM & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR  

LOCATION: LIFT-Chicago  

REPORTS TO: PROGRAM MANAGER, PARENT ENGAGEMENT 

SUPERVISES: N/A 

FLSA STATUS: EXEMPT 

SALARY RANGE: $55,000-$57,000 

ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION 

LIFT is a national nonprofit on a mission to invest in families to break the cycle of poverty. We believe that racial and gender wealth gaps stem from structural inequities that keep them trapped in a cycle where poverty, like wealth, is passed from generation to generation. At LIFT, we interrupt the generational transmission of poverty by partnering with parents of young children to build well-being, financial strength, and social connections – or as we like to put it, Hope, Money, and Love. LIFT’s one-on-one coaching program empowers parents to set and achieve goals that put families on the path toward economic mobility – such as going back to school, improving credit, eliminating debt, or securing a living wage. In addition to coaching, LIFT parents also receive direct cash infusions to reinvest in their families and goals.  

LIFT is at an exciting moment in its organizational trajectory. We aim to scale our impact by 1) making continuous improvements to our direct service model, 2) partnering with health care, postsecondary education, early child development, and government organizations to deliver LIFT’s model and influence change in those systems, and 3) influencing policy through the amplification of the voices of parents living in poverty on issues impacting their lives and communities. We are looking for team players who thrive in a growth environment of continuous improvement; are committed to LIFT’s work to combat intergenerational poverty and expand opportunity for families; and uphold LIFT’s values of diversity, equity, excellence, hope, and relationships.   

*LIFT operates sites in Chicago, Los Angeles, DC, and New York. Currently, LIFT is operating as a hybrid work environment. Accordingly, this role will be expected to work in the office as needed, potentially up to twice a week in our Chicago office located in Bronzeville.* 

POSITION OVERVIEW  

This role is an exciting opportunity for a highly organized, detail-oriented multitasker to contribute to the seamless functioning of the LIFT regional office as well as provide operational support to the regional program team. The Program and Operations Coordinator is the first point of contact for parents enrolling in LIFT’s programming. The Program and Operations Coordinator has the critical responsibility of providing LIFT-Chicago with the high-quality operational support it needs to ensure that the team has what it needs to deliver high-quality work across all departments. This person should not only seamlessly manage existing operational systems, but also problem-solve and create and/or enhance systems. 

The main responsibilities of the role are:  

1. Own vital program operations including managing all screening and intakes; managing resources including Coaches’ Corner and the member Sharepoint page; and owning all program communications including daily text platform monitoring to ensure responsiveness to member messages, coordinating all text blasts to members, checking and responding to voicemail, and managing general inquiry email inbox. 

1. Own all office operations including owning all logistical needs for program such as management of storage unit, management of in-person meetings and events at our office space, booking event spaces and vendors, ensuring timely payment of all vendors, etc., as well as providing calendar management for team meetings and the Executive Director.  

1. Assist Development Manager with development operations including Salesforce data entry and coordination of gift processing, tracking email communications, and pulling reports. 

 This position will require travel once per year for LIFT’s annual staff retreat.  

AS A PROGRAM AND OPERATIONS COORDINATOR, DUTIES INCLUDE:  

General Operations 

• Provide operational support to the LIFT Chicago team and partner with the National Office as needed to improve upon systems, tools, and resources  
• Provide administrative support to the Executive Director, which includes scheduling and preparing the Executive Director for critical internal and external meetings 
• Provide coordination support for Chicago team meetings, retreats, and team-building activities  
• Own overall office management, including adhering to building management and safety protocols, ordering supplies, serving as a touchpoint for office and technology support, and manage future office relocations, if needed  

• Track and maintain records for in-kind donations in compliance with LIFT’s National Finance Team  

Program Operations  

• Serve as LIFT Chicago’s first point of contact for parents; welcoming parents to our space or via phone and/or text communications  
• Assess and manage all "front desk" needs including: responding to incoming calls and voicemails on Teams (phone system), responding to voicemails stored in the shared inbox, responding to inquiries in the general new member inbox (email), and monitoring Signalvine (text messaging) to ensure all incoming member messages have been addressed  

• Manage processing incoming new member interest forms and annual fall recruitment cycle. This includes coordinating screening and scheduling new member intakes. 
• In coordination with IT, execute coach laptop transfer between coach cohorts in partnership with Program Coordinator, Training. 
• Oversee logistical needs for program including management of storage unit, booking event spaces and vendors, ensuring timely payment; provide logistical and scheduling support for member workshops, member distribution events and family engagement events. 

Development Operations  

• Work with Development Coordinator and Program Manager of Parent Engagement to support regional program and fundraising events, including donor site visits, family-focused workshops, and celebrations  
• Salesforce data entry and coordination, including gift processing, tracking email commination and pulling reports 
• Work with national grant writer and development manager to maintain grant calendar 
• With the Executive Director and LIFT’s REI committee, help advance LIFT’s commitment to REI, implement LIFT-CHI’s regional REI goals, bring an equity lens to operations and bring forward ideas to improve our REI initiatives 

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:  

• Spanish proficiency strongly preferred 
• 2-3 years administrative and/or operations experience preferred; experience working or volunteering with low-income communities is a plus 
• Work experience in the City of Chicago preferred 

• High school diploma or GED required. Associate’s degree or equivalent work experience preferred.  
• Highly organized with excellent time management skills 
• Proven ability to apply sound judgment to meet deadlines on multiple tasks or projects despite frequent interruptions 
• Have a knack for devising creative solutions to any problem in your path 
• Coordinate multiple workstreams with strong ability to prioritize items effectively 

• Customer-oriented and approach every situation with a spirit of generosity 
• Demonstrate good judgement and discretion 
• Experienced user of MS Office (Word, Outlook, and Excel specifically); Canva is a plus 

Don’t think you have everything for this role but are still very interested? Please don’t hesitate to apply. We’d love to hear from you!  

LIFT believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. LIFT’s goal is for our people to reflect the communities in which we live and serve and to ensure representation of people of color, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities in our organization.  

WHAT WE OFFER   

• Salary Range: $55,000 - $57,000. LIFT’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for our non-profit sector and ensure equity across the organization. Compensation for the role will depend on several factors including qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience.   
• Benefits:   

• Employer-paid health care coverage (100% for employees, 75% for dependents)   
• 403(b) retirement savings plan including an employer match contribution of up to 5%  
• Generous paid-time-off policy starting with 4 weeks in the first year (5 weeks in years 2-4, 6 weeks at 5+ years), Federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, Cesar Chavez day, and wellness days including a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the winter holidays (the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays), and a one-week organization-wide paid closure over the summer fiscal year transition (the week in which Independence Day is celebrated)  

• 12 weeks paid parental leave  
• Partial cell phone coverage   
• Pre-tax accounts for transit, health, and childcare benefits   
• Please see here for a more in-depth overview of LIFT’s Benefits and Culture.   

TO APPLY   
Please visit www.whywelift.org/careers to apply and submit a resume.