Capacity Building Manager

Capacity Building Manager

Status: Regular, Full-Time, Exempt
Salary: $60,000–$70,000
Reports To: Senior Manager of Programs
Location: Hybrid; on-site Mondays and Thursdays
Office: 600 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago, IL 60616
Residency: Chicago metro area required

AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits is an intermediary organization that provides capacity-building support to small nonprofits on Chicago’s West and South sides to strengthen organizational health and support long-term sustainability. AMPT’s work is grounded in a commitment to advancing racial equity, with a focus on supporting Black and Latine leaders and organizations working to build power, strengthen communities of color, and improve community well-being. Through this work, AMPT also seeks to help transform philanthropy by addressing systemic racial inequities and modeling anti-racist systems, practices, and processes.

We are a small, nimble team with a strong sense of mission and a deep commitment to building internal systems that reflect our values. We move quickly, hold ourselves to high standards, and believe that strong operational infrastructure is a form of organizational integrity, not just administration.

Position Overview

The Capacity Building Manager works closely with the Senior Manager, Programs to design, deliver, and continuously improve AMPT programming. The role exists to serve nonprofit leaders who are seeking capacity-building support to strengthen the sustainability of their organizations. Its work is concentrated in three program areas:

• Cohorts: Cohort-based learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders to gain tangible tools and skills to move their organization closer to their goals for success based on the capacity-building needs indicated on their organizational assessment.
• AUYO [AMPT Up Your Organization] : A series of single-issue capacity-building workshops that provide access to specific expertise, templates, tools, and skills to support organizations in topics ranging from Program Development to Nonprofit Accounting.
• AMPT Connect: In-person events to support nonprofit community-building and capacity through panel discussions and networking.

The Capacity Building Manager leads curriculum design and iteration, facilitates learning sessions as lead or co-lead, and manages each cohort from application through off-boarding. They contribute to shared team decisions about curriculum and facilitation across AMPT’s program offerings, based on the priorities and needs of participating organizations.

This role is ideal for someone who is flexible and nimble within a start-up environment, exercises creativity and “out of the box” thinking on programming issues, leads collaboratively, brings a customer service disposition, and finds joy in delivering high-quality learning experiences.

Core Responsibilities

Cohort Design and Delivery

• Design and iterate cohort curriculum that responds to the priorities and needs of participating organizations.
• Facilitate cohort sessions as lead or co-lead, virtually and in person.
• Manage each cohort end to end, including the application process, applicant review, onboarding, session delivery, and off-boarding.

AUYO and AMPT Connect

• Work with the program team to determine curriculum and facilitation approach for AUYO, and facilitate or co-facilitate sessions.
• Work with the program team to determine curriculum and facilitation approach for AMPT Connect, and facilitate or co-facilitate sessions.

Relationships and Session Coordination

• Build and maintain relationships with nonprofit leaders, consultants, and other partners.
• Coordinate session planning with facilitators, including agendas, presentation slide decks, facilitation guides, and feedback.
• Support the set-up and break-down of sessions when AMPT programs are held in person at the AMPT office.

Communications and Continuous Improvement

• Support program communications by providing language and feedback on flyers, infographics, and session recaps.
• Administer end-of-session and end-of-cohort surveys, and use the results to iterate and innovate for the improvement of the participant experience.
• Decide on program timelines and cohort applicant selection, seeking input from the Senior Manager, Programs and the broader program team before finalizing.
• Complete other duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in programming, operations, or nonprofit organizations.
• Demonstrated commitment to AMPT’s mission and to social, economic, and racial justice.
• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit relationship building and management.
• Demonstrated experience designing, iterating, and facilitating curriculum or adult learning experiences, both virtually and in person.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, meet deadlines, and handle multiple projects in a rapidly changing start-up environment, including interruptions and adjustments to priorities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to make effective oral presentations to large and small groups in a culturally competent manner.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills that demonstrate the ability to build innovative, creative, and strong relationships with individuals and groups from diverse cultural, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.
• Ability to maintain composure, professionalism, flexibility, and enthusiasm when working with a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and personalities.
• Ability to apply creativity and flexibility; strong problem solving, quantitative, and analytical abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent Apple OS and application skills, including Office 365, Google Suite, Asana, and Zoom.

Skills and Competencies

• Cultural competence, a commitment to advancing equity, and the practice of anti-racism.
• Emotional intelligence and diplomacy.
• Time management: skillfully planning, prioritizing, and allocating time to efficiently achieve goals and tasks.
• Strong relationship development and management, so that relationships with staff, partners, and vendors persist when exposed to tension.
• Skilled workshop facilitation that engages participants virtually and in person.
• Curriculum design: translating capacity-building content into practical learning experiences that respond to the needs of participating organizations.
• Accountability, transparency, and candor: a willingness to say and hear no, to take feedback productively, and to engage productive conflict.
• Strategy, influence, and negotiation as advisor, pusher, and strategic risk-taker.
• End-user design and project management, ensuring projects are designed and managed with the end user and end goal in mind.

Work Environment and Position Requirements

• This position is hybrid: Mondays and Thursdays in office, with occasional extra days.
• Residency required within Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will County.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to adjust to various physical and environmental conditions as the position may require, including computer work and sitting or standing for long periods of time, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $60,000–$70,000 per year. Benefits include:

• Flexible work schedule.
• Group medical (PPO or HMO) for the employee, with 90% coverage for the individual employee, and coverage available for dependents.
• Group dental available for employees and dependents.
• Vision coverage for the employee.
• Group life insurance and long-term and short-term disability insurance for the employee, 100% covered by AMPT.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan after three months, with a 4% employer match.
• $1,000 annual professional development budget.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Paid parental leave.
• Two all-staff paid wellness weeks where the office is closed.

Why Join AMPT

This is a meaningful opportunity to shape how nonprofit leaders on Chicago’s West and South sides experience capacity-building support. The person in this role will design and deliver the learning experiences at the center of AMPT’s three program areas, and will help a growing, mission-driven organization strengthen the organizations it serves.

If you are a skilled facilitator and curriculum designer who enjoys building learning experiences with and for community-rooted organizations, we encourage you to apply.

Application Process and Timeline

We encourage interested candidates to apply early. AMPT reviews applications as they arrive, so submitting sooner means your materials are seen sooner.

This position will remain open through October 16, 2026. Candidates invited to move forward can expect a structured process that may include an initial screening conversation, interviews with AMPT leadership, and a final interview or role-related exercise.

We are committed to keeping candidates informed and to providing a clear, respectful, and timely hiring experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AMPT: Advancing Nonprofits is an equal opportunity employer. AMPT makes employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, business needs, and job-related criteria.

AMPT does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, parental status, order of protection status, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, arrest record, conviction record, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.