Program Manager

UNO Chicago is a Pilsen-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls through leadership development, fitness, and community connection. We run two core programs:
GirlsMPowered, our school-year mentorship and leadership development program, and Run Her, our year-round fitness and wellness initiative. Together, these programs serve girls across multiple Pilsen community sites and schools.

Our annual race events Carrera de las Madres (May) and Carrera de los Muertos (October) are our signature fundraisers and community celebrations that generate visibility for our programs. But our programs are our mission. Everything we do is in support of the girls we serve.

We are a small, passionate team at an exciting moment of growth. The right Program Manager will help us expand our reach, deepen our impact, and ensure that UNO Chicago is known first and foremost for what we do for girls every day.

UNO Chicago’s programs are strong and growing. As we expand our sites, deepen school partnerships, and build out after-school and summer programming, we need dedicated leadership focused entirely on the programs and the girls in them.

This is a builder’s role. The Program Manager will own the day-to-day and long-term strategy for GirlsMPowered and Run Her, with the support of a Youth Program Facilitator already in place, and will have the opportunity to shape what these programs look like pensation starts at $60,000–$65,000 and grows as our programs grow.

Understanding the current structure is essential for this role. Here’s where we are today:

Season: School year (September–May)

Current Sites: Perez Elementary (weekly), Cooper Elementary (weekly) and

Current Staff: Program Manager (this hire)

Season: Year-round, including summer

Current Sites: Perez Elementary, Pilsen Academy and Summer:
Dvorak Park & Gad’s Hill

• Own the day-to-day operations of GirlsMPowered and Run Her across all active sites, working closely with the Youth Program Facilitator who supports Run Her
• Maintain and evolve program curricula and activity frameworks grounded in youth development best practices and aligned with UNO Chicago’s theory of change
• Adapt program design based on theory of change findings, evaluation data, and participant feedback, continuously refining our approach to ensure we’re delivering meaningful outcomes for girls
• Develop a student leadership pipeline by creating opportunities for participants to lead activities, facilitate service projects, and serve as Girls Mpowered ambassadors within their schools and communities.
• Supervise and support program staff and interns, setting clear expectations, providing ongoing coaching, and building a team culture rooted in UNO Chicago’s values
• Plan and lead end-of-session recognition events that celebrate participant milestones and bring our community together
• Manage program budgets and track expenditures in coordination with the Director of Operations & Events

GirlsMPowered is more than a leadership program, it’s a window into what’s possible. The Program Manager will be responsible for curating an engaging session experience that connects girls to real-world careers and pathways:

• Build each session around weekly themes tied to speakers’ careers and industries, creating cohesive, engaging programming that sparks curiosity and broadens participants’ sense of what’s possible for their own futures
• Recruit, onboard, coordinate, and prepare diverse guest speakers, mentors, and volunteers to deliver engaging career exploration experiences aligned with Girls Mpowered curriculum and program goals.
• Build and steward long-term relationships with speakers, mentors, volunteers, and community partners to create a sustainable network that supports Girls Mpowered participants and advances UNO Chicago's mission.
• Prepare participants before each speaker visit or field trip and facilitate debrief conversations afterward to deepen the learning experience
• Coordinate field trips to post-secondary institutions and professional environments, including four-year universities, community…