Program Manager, Missouri Employment & Apprenticeship

General Summary: 

Full-time (37.5 hours/week), benefited Program Manager to manage state and federally funded projects based at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) affiliated with the University of Massachusetts in Boston. The Program Manager will be responsible for project coordination, collaborating with staff assigned to the team, overseeing or implementing activities and protocols related to grants and contracts in the area of employment-related training and technical assistance. The Program Manager’s primary responsibility be overseeing the development and implementation of contracts with the Missouri Department of Mental Health - Division of Disabilities, Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, and related service agreements. Activities will include providing services which have areas of focus such as: service flow and structure, business engagement, building of staff competencies, engaging participants and their families and systems of support, diversifying funding sources, and the development of community partners. Related administrative activities include developing annual contracts and scopes of work, budget development and monitoring, writing quarterly reports, and supervising staff. Position allows for individual to work remotely but must have flexibility to attend meetings within Missouri and travel within the state, when necessary, to meet university and project requirements. They will be expected to maintain Principal Investigator status through development of projects involving integrated employment services and training and technical assistance. National travel may also be required.

Examples of Duties:

• Coordinate and implement projects (grants and contracts) related to the Missouri Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD) Employment First policy, and implementation of the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation’s customized employment initiative; oversee initiatives focused on the areas of integrated employment services, training and technical assistance to ensure that project development and implementation is consistent with current and emerging practices in the field; submit project reports as required by funding agencies;
• In partnership with the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) oversee implementation and expansion of DMH’s direct support professional apprenticeship program;
• Identify and actively pursue funding and contract opportunities to support, sustain, and expand current programming efforts; provide leadership to ensure that project development and implementation is consistent with current and emerging practices in the field; create and submit project reports as required by funding agencies; and maintain a leadership role in the areas of training and technical assistance and integrated employment services;
• Supervise and mentor a team of integrated employment professionals in the state of Missouri, including hiring, onboarding, reviewing, and providing professional development;
• Oversee the development and provision of synchronous and asynchronous staff training and technical assistance on integrated employment related topics to a range of personnel including disability agency staff, case managers (i.e., MO Division of Developmental Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, community providers, target case managers);
• Oversee content development and ongoing maintenance of the Employment First Missouri website;
• Maintain productive and effective relationships with funding agencies including but not limited to the Missouri Department of Mental Health and Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation;
• Identify opportunities within and outside Missouri for new grants, contracts, and fee for service work in support of ICI’s mission and organizational development; serve as a member of grant-writing teams;
• Contribute instructional content (face to face, online learning modules, distance education) for employment related training;
• Participate in the development and editing of written products for multiple constituencies,.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to provide knowledge and resources within the Institute in the areas of integrated employment policy, research, training and technical assistance; contribute to the development and implementation of projects; promote the development of technical assistance and training skills in project staff.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in integrated employment services in local, state and national organizations, conferences, task forces and committees;
• Collaborate with other ICI staff to increase cohesiveness across projects and focus areas through shared staff resources, project collaboration, integrated work plans and other relevant approaches;
• Stay abreast of changes in the field related to integrated employment and the supports and services available for individuals with disabilities and individuals from diverse linguistic and ethnic backgrounds
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

Work requires the knowledge of theories, principles, and concepts typically acquired through completion of a Master’s degree in such areas as vocational rehabilitation, social work, human services, special education, or other related field, and a minimum of three to five years of direct experience assisting individuals with significant disabilities with employment. An additional 2-3 years of experience in project management or direct experience assisting individuals with significant disabilities with employment may be substituted for the Master's Degree. Must have knowledge of person-centered planning and/or social role valorization, employment services & supports for individuals with disabilities that leads to competitive integrated employment and braided models of services and supports. One year of supervisory experience is required. Preference will be given to candidates with project management experience including providing training and technical assistance for community providers, public agencies, schools, parents, consumers, and community-based organizations in the following areas: employment, transition from school to employment, state and regional alliances, collaborative team facilitation and community building that promotes successful outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities. Strong preference for candidates living and working in the state of Missouri.

The work requires strong collaboration and self-management skills to meet daily, weekly and yearly deadlines. Job duties require a candidate who is able to effectively summarize information and data in order to establish and implement scopes of work to enhance the delivery of integrated employment policy in Missouri.

Work requires the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to a range of colleagues and partners across projects within the university and in the community.

Application Instructions: 

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date. 

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting.  All other candidates will be considered after that period. 

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link: 

Grade: 33             

This is an exempt union position. This is a grant funded position with a current end date of June 30, 2027, subject to renewal contingent on funding and university needs.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Show email View phone number on employmentopportunities.umb.edu.