Program Manager, Free Tax Help

United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to dismantle the root causes of poverty and build equitable pathways to prosperity. UWBA brings together partners from the nonprofit, business, and government sectors to address Bay Area poverty. We partner across sectors, develop solutions, capture the data we need, and use those insights to support public policy and create research-backed community initiatives. These initiatives include:

• Housing Justice: Improve access to stable, affordable housing and homelessness prevention.
• Employment & Career Opportunities: Build systems and pathways to career and employment opportunities.
• Financial Stability: Help families increase income and savings on their way to financial stability.
• Basic Needs: Ensure access to basic needs like food, housing, and legal services.

United Way Bay Area (UWBA) is leading a network of corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and individuals to create lasting change for Bay Area residents and families. With a history that spans over 100 years and programs that tackle the issue of local poverty from every angle, UWBA is uniquely positioned to mobilize and motivate all sectors of the community toward the vision of ending the cycle of poverty.

About the role

The Program Manager plays a key leadership role in supporting the success, quality, and sustainability of the Free Tax Help coalition. Initially hired as a seasonal position, this role has the potential to evolve into a year-round position based on organizational needs, funding, and performance.

The Program Manager oversees assigned program areas, partner organizations, and VITA sites while providing leadership, coaching, and technical assistance to site coordinators and volunteers. This position ensures high-quality, compliant service delivery while strengthening partner capacity, improving operational effectiveness, and enhancing the volunteer and client experience.

We are seeking a collaborative, strategic, and mission-driven leader who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about strengthening communities through equitable access to free tax preparation services.

The successful candidate is someone who takes ownership, exercises sound judgment, and can be entrusted with complex responsibilities. They assess challenges, ask thoughtful questions, develop practical solutions, follow established guidelines and procedures, collaborate effectively with stakeholders, and independently drive work to completion with minimal supervision. They are proactive, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement while maintaining compliance, operational excellence, and exceptional service delivery.

This is a part-time position. Candidates must be based in the Bay Area, California and be able to attend in-person events as part of this hybrid role.

What you'll do

Coalition & Partner Site Management

• Manage assigned counties, partner organizations, and VITA sites.
• Serve as the primary liaison and trusted advisor to assigned site coordinators.
• Build collaborative relationships while promoting accountability, consistency, and shared success.
• Conduct site visits and provide operational coaching and technical assistance.
• Support onboarding and development of new site coordinators and partner organizations.
• Assess operational capacity, identify opportunities for improvement, and help partners implement sustainable solutions.
• Identify risks, anticipate challenges, and proactively develop solutions.

Volunteer & Program Operations

• Support volunteer recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and retention initiatives.
• Help sites maximize volunteer capacity and operational effectiveness while promoting sustainable service models.
• Collaborate on special initiatives, including virtual tax preparation and coalition-wide projects.
• Foster positive volunteer and coordinator experiences that encourage long-term engagement.

Tax Law, Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Serve as a technical resource for tax law questions, client screening, and scope determinations.
• Support resolution of complex tax situations and operational issues.
• Ensure adherence to IRS VITA/TCE Quality Site Requirements, grant requirements, coalition policies, and operational procedures.
• Reinforce consistent implementation of established standards while supporting continuous improvement.

Training & Capacity Building

• Deliver training, coaching, and technical assistance to volunteers and site coordinators.
• Develop and maintain training materials, guides, and operational resources.
• Promote knowledge sharing, leadership development, and continuous learning throughout the coalition.

Project & Process Management

• Lead multiple projects with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Document, evaluate, and improve operational processes to increase efficiency, consistency, and sustainability.
• Support implementation and adoption of technology platforms, CRM systems, and online tools.
• Maintain organization, accountability, and follow-through while working independently in a remote environment.

Data, Reporting & Community Impact

• Support grant reporting, data collection, and program evaluation.
• Monitor performance metrics and identify opportunities to strengthen coalition capacity.
• Capture qualitative stories and community impact that complement production metrics and demonstrate program value to funders and stakeholders.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate willpossessthe following experience,knowledgeand skills:

Leadership & Ownership

• Takes initiative and assumes ownership of projects and responsibilities.
• Independently manages priorities and drives work to completion with minimal supervision.
• Exercises sound judgment and demonstrates accountability.

Strategic Thinking

• Uses data, observation, and thoughtful inquiry to identify opportunities, challenge assumptions, and develop sustainable solutions.
• Think beyond immediate tasks to strengthen long-term coalition capacity and effectiveness.

Operational Excellence

• Strong project management, organizational, and time management skills.
• Balances multiple priorities while maintaining high-quality work.
• Continuously evaluates and improves processes to increase efficiency and sustainability.

Compliance & Quality

• Demonstrates exceptional attention to detail.
• Consistently follows established guidelines, procedures, quality standards, grant requirements, and IRS regulations.
• Understands when strict adherence to procedures is required, when issues should be escalated, and when process improvements should be recommended.
• Successfully responds to changing priorities, funding environments, tax law updates, and operational needs.
• Demonstrates flexibility while maintaining quality and compliance.

Relationship Management

• Builds trust and credibility with partner organizations, volunteers, site coordinators, and colleagues.
• Provides coaching, technical assistance, and constructive feedback with professionalism and respect.

Learning Agility

• Quickly learns complex tax law, technology, regulations, and operational procedures.
• Translates technical information into practical guidance for volunteers, partners, and site coordinators.
• Demonstrates curiosity by asking thoughtful questions, identifying root causes, and seeking opportunities to strengthen coalition operations.
• Preserves practices that add value while improving those that can better support volunteers, partners, clients, and organizational sustainability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or other compliance-driven community service programs.
• Experience preparing individual income tax returns and providing tax law guidance.
• IRS Advanced Certification or ability to obtain certification.
• Experience with grant-funded programs, CRM systems, or volunteer management platforms.
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), or Vietnamese preferred.

This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement and is represented by OPEIU, Local 29.

UWBA is committed toequitableand transparent compensation practices. We use a structured internal model todeterminestarting pay within the posted range. The model considers role scope, responsibilities, and documented compensable factors, and includes equity checks across the organization. As part of this approach, we do not engage in salary negotiations.

The pay range for this role is:

39.23 - 42.72 USD per hour (San Francisco)