Senior Program Manager

If you want to make a living by making a difference, join Acenda as an
Program Supervisor

Position Summary:

The Senior Program Manager oversees the planning, implementation, and performance of CHEW-NJPHI's Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce Development portfolio, including Rural Health Transformation initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Operations and Public Health Programs, this hands-on management role translates strategic priorities into coordinated programs that strengthen New Jersey's workforce and advance health equity. The position manages stakeholder relationships and serves as project officer and contract administrator for assigned subgrantees and partners, ensuring timely completion of scopes of work, deliverables, and reporting requirements through regular monitoring, site visits, technical assistance, and capacity building. The Senior Program Manager also provides day-to-day guidance, coaching, and implementation support to the Workforce Program Coordinator. The ideal candidate brings workforce development expertise, contract monitoring experience, and the ability to manage complex initiatives in a growing, mission-driven organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage assigned public health infrastructure and workforce development initiatives, including workforce recruitment and retention, training, mentorship, community health worker initiatives, academic partnerships, and Rural Health Transformation workforce activities such as Invest Rural NJ.
• Translate organizational priorities and funding commitments into detailed work plans, timelines, budgets, partner responsibilities, and measurable deliverables.
• Coordinate implementation across concurrent projects, identify dependencies and capacity constraints, and address barriers to meeting program goals.
• Incorporate community needs, rural access challenges, workforce data, and health equity considerations into program design and implementation.
• Keep the Director informed of program performance, emerging risks, resource needs, and decisions requiring leadership approval.
• Serve as the day-to-day project officer and contract administrator for assigned subgrants, contracts, and partner agreements, from onboarding through closeout.
• Support development and review of scopes of work, deliverables, performance measures, reporting schedules, and monitoring plans.

Required Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated expertise in public health or healthcare workforce development, including recruitment, retention,
• training, professional development, or workforce capacity building. Strong project and portfolio management skills, with the ability to manage multiple funded initiatives, competing

priorities, budgets, and deadlines.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret scopes of work and agreements, monitor performance, assess deliverable quality,

and address implementation or compliance gaps.

• Ability to provide actionable technical assistance and capacity building to organizations with varying resources and

experience.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement, facilitation, relationship management, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including technical guidance, monitoring reports, funder reports, and

presentations.

• Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative information, monitor performance measures, and use evidence to

improve programs.

• Ability to coach and support staff, delegate work effectively, and maintain shared accountability.
• Proficiency with project management platforms, spreadsheets, virtual collaboration tools, and reporting systems.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to work independently while recognizing issues requiring escalation.
• Commitment to health equity, community-centered approaches, and improving access in rural and underserved

communities.

• Adaptability, openness to feedback, and ability to build effective processes in an evolving organization.

Education, Work Experience and/or Skills Requirements:

• Master's degree in public health, public administration, health administration, health policy, or a related field.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in public health, healthcare, workforcedevelopment, or related nonprofit or government program management.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, or managing public health or healthcare workforceinitiatives.
• Demonstrated project officer, contract administration, grant monitoring, or subgrantee oversight experience,including responsibility for scopes of work, deliverables, reporting, and performa