Contract & Data Operations Manager

The Good Shepherd Services Impact and Evaluation Department’s (I&E) mission is to support programs in managing their contracts and learning from data to strengthen the services and impact. ISD oversees agency-wide efforts in performance management, promoting implementation of evidence-based practices, and supporting evidence-generating activities. Within I&E, the Youth and Family Well Being team supports the programs in Good Shepherd Services’ (GSS) Prevention, Residential and Foster Care programs to meet these goals. The Contract & Data Operations Manager plays a critical project management and strategic coordination role within the Impact and Evaluation Department. In addition to overseeing contract and licensing compliance, this position leads cross-departmental initiatives related to contract execution, data integrity, reporting timelines, and continuous improvement. The Manager independently manages complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams; translates funder requirements into actionable plans; and supports agency leadership and program teams with high-quality analysis, documentation, and recommendations. This role serves as a thought partner to programs and support departments and contributes to strengthening organizational systems, accountability, and learning. Reports to: Director, Youth and Family Well-Being, Impact and Evaluation Location: 305 7th Avenue, New York, New York 10001 Hours: 35 Hours/Week; Exempt (Hybrid – 3 days/week in office) Major Duties: Project Management & Strategic Coordination Lead and manage multiple concurrent, deadline-driven projects related to contracts, reporting, audits, and data quality, ensuring alignment across program, finance, IT, and evaluation teams. Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, tracking tools, and internal documentation to ensure timely completion of deliverables and clear accountability. Proactively identify risks related to contract compliance, data quality, or reporting deadlines and coordinate mitigation strategies with relevant stakeholders. Facilitate cross-functional meetings and working groups to move complex initiatives forward, synthesize decisions, and document next steps. Translate funder requirements, regulatory changes, and internal priorities into clear implementation guidance for programs and support departments. Monitor progress against milestones and follow up with stakeholders to resolve barriers and ensure deliverables are met. Support continuous improvement by documenting lessons learned and recommending process or system enhancements. Contract Management: Serve as the primary liaison between funder staff and GSS program/support departments Analyze contract performance trends and compliance issues to inform leadership discussions and strategic decision-making. Develop standardized tools, templates, and tracking systems to improve contract management efficiency and consistency across programs. Provide technical assistance and strategic guidance to program leadership on contract implementation challenges and funder negotiations. Share contract mandates, relevant policy updates and requirements and expectations with program and support staff (e.g., Finance and Program Evaluation and Planning Departments) upon award and throughout the contract Prepare workscopes with program staff and ensure timely submission of all procurement documents and timely contract registration Ensure proper documentation of contract requirements in internal database (Salesforce) Manage all licenses for programs including renewals and responses to corrective actions Gather information, review and submit all reports; obtain fiscal reporting when it coincides with program reports Coordinate and respond to all audit related activities by government agencies including Performance Evaluation rebuttals, site visits and corrective action plans. Respond to inquiries from funders Address funder-related challenges in coordination with program staff, including but not limited to advocating for changes to workscopes, contractual mandates and budgets; draft programmatic justification for budget modifications as needed Prepare contract-related correspondence and reports requested by government agencies or in response to policy regulations or changes. Prepare and submit city, state, and federal discretionary/ legislative funding requests Participate in system-wide advocacy efforts (e.g., attend coalition meetings, support advocacy activities) Ensure appropriate close-out when contracts end Prepare program related information for the agency audit Assist the Grants team with competitive renewals and new Requests for Proposals Manage contract related information on agency databases, electronic, and hard copy files Attend regular meetings, relevant conferences, trainings and workshops Data Integrity: Lead data integrity initiatives that span multiple programs or systems, coordinating with IT and evaluation staff to strengthen data governance. Design and implement quality assurance processes, including audits, validation checks, and monitoring protocols. Develop documentation (e.g., SOPs, data definitions, workflows) to standardize data practices across Youth and Family Well Being programs. Support agency readiness for external reviews, audits, and evaluations by ensuring data systems and documentation are accurate and defensible. Responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and ensuring the integrity of participant and program activity data entry into the databases that correspond to each program. Manage any reconciliation processes between internal and external data to ensure that GSS is in compliance with program requirements and, where relevant, can receive fiscal reimbursement. Serve as liaison with program staff who are directly responsible for program data entry, advising them on data entry best practices and database usage and troubleshooting. Train staff in the use of various internal and external database systems. Ensure compliance with funder requirements around data, metrics and outcomes. Create and pull reports from the data systems for program and support staff. Partner with Youth and Family Well Being staff to gather all necessary documentation and complete necessary follow-up. Collaborate with staff from GSS’ IT department to ensure our technical/database infrastructure meets the needs of program data entry and analysis. Participate in the distribution, collection and analysis of surveys, pre and post tests, etc. Generate reports from corresponding databases to assist programs in understanding, monitoring and correcting their data. Regularly coach program staff (formally and informally) to support an effective feedback loop between program and I&E. Collaborate with other I&E team members to support data integrity across systems. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and two years of evaluation experience required . Master’s degree in social work or related field preferred. Demonstrated experience managing complex projects or initiatives with multiple stakeholders. Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and exercise sound judgment in ambiguous situations. Experience translating policy, regulatory, or funder requirements into operational practice. Comfort presenting findings, recommendations, or project updates to senior staff. Must demonstrate strong critical thinking skills with the ability to analyze issues, anticipate challenges, and propose practical solutions Strong expertise database management and contract compliance Strong organizational and analytical skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong data management skills; understanding and love of data Must be able to work independently and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of people is essential. Ability to use public transportation for travel to program locations throughout New York City. Two years social services experience preferred. Enthusiasm for collaboration; friendly and responsive #J-18808-Ljbffr