Sr. Program Operations Manager

Job Overview

Educare Chicago provides high-quality care, best‑in‑class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old on Chicago’s South Side. As a program that serves low‑income families, Educare’s research‑based program helps children develop literacy, language, early math, and social‑emotional skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

Job Type: Full‑time

• Administrative Operations & Office Systems
• Oversee all administrative functions, including scheduling, correspondence, supply management, invoice processing, and record‑keeping for the Director and Site Administrator, Management Team.
• Facilitate logistics for all Management Team meetings in collaboration with the Director and Site Administrator, including coordinating agenda development with the full Management Team, preparing and distributing all meeting documentation, sending communications to inform attendees, and ensuring the meeting space is fully prepared; may delegate tasks to the administrative team as needed. Maintain complete, audit‑ready documentation, including program binders, licensing records, contracts, correspondence logs, and personnel file compliance tracking in collaboration with People & Culture.
• Manage the program's document management systems and ensure policies and procedures are current, organized, and accessible to all staff. Support preparation and packaging of compliance submissions, self‑assessments, and funder reports across content areas. Support the maintenance of the Educare Chicago site page in collaboration with the Start Early Marketing team, ensuring program communications are accurate, current, and aligned with organizational branding standards.
• Licensing, Accreditation & Compliance Coordination:
• Lead the renewal and maintenance processes for Illinois state licensing, City of Chicago licenses, and Illinois Excele Rate Gold Circle accreditation. Serve as the internal point of coordination for DCFS, DFSS, and Office of Head Start monitoring visits — organizing documentation, scheduling, and follow‑up action tracking. Track compliance deadlines across content areas and provide timely alerts to the Director and Management team.
  
  Organize and facilitate monthly monitoring in close collaboration with the Site Administrator, including support for implementation and documentation of the Program Self‑Assessment cycle and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). Ensure policies, procedures, the Parent Handbook, and the Emergency Preparedness Plan remain current and accessible; coordinate updates with relevant content area managers.
• Finance & Procurement Support:
• In collaboration with the Child Care Food Program Coordinator, manage the ISBE meal reimbursement process, including required monthly reporting and submission. Support the submission and tracking of consultant and contractor procurement documents and contracts; process invoice requests per the Finance department established procedures.
• Process program expenses for the Director and Site Administrator through the organization's expense management system.
• Assist in tracking program expenditures and support the Site Administrator in annual budget planning for operations and facilities. Maintain accurate vendor files and support the contract renewal process in collaboration with the Finance team. Monitor and track expense reports and purchase orders for the administrative and Management Team to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with Finance department procedures. Ensure the accuracy and timely submission of timecards for the Management Team in coordination with the Payroll department.
• Facilities & Safety Oversight:
• In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Workplace and Community Experience, provide direct supervision to the Facilities Supervisor, including regular reflective supervision, performance goal‑setting, and annual evaluation aligned with Start Early's performance management framework. Maintain strategic oversight of all facility operations at Educare Chicago, ensuring a safe, clean, and fully compliant environment for children, families, and staff.
• Review and approve facility work…