Position Summary

The Community Safety Manager provides day-to-day leadership for UCAN's Riverdale Community Convener initiative funded through the Illinois Department of Human Services and Safe Passage programming delivered in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. The position aligns staff, community partners, schools, and public agencies around consistent operations, coordinated responses, and safe environments for young people and families. The Community Safety Manager is accountable for program quality, staff performance, contract compliance, fiscal stewardship, accurate reporting, and achievement of approved program outcomes.

Essential Responsibilities

Integrated Program Leadership

· Direct implementation of the approved work plans for the Riverdale Community Convener and Safe Passage programs, ensuring that each program meets its contract scope, schedule, staffing requirements, and deliverables.

· Translate funder requirements into operating calendars, staffing plans, coverage assignments, partner expectations, documentation standards, and internal deadlines.

· Coordinate shared planning across both programs while maintaining clear separation of staff time, expenses, documentation, and deliverables by funding source.

· Track program milestones, operational risks, and corrective actions, and elevate decisions or barriers to senior leadership in a timely manner.

Riverdale Community Convener Oversight

· Lead the Riverdale convening structure and maintain regular communication with funded providers, community-based organizations, residents, schools, faith partners, service systems, and public-sector stakeholders.

· Plan and facilitate recurring partner meetings with clear agendas, decisions, meeting records, assigned action items, and follow-up dates.

· Strengthen coordination among violence intervention, victim services, case management, behavioral health, reentry, youth services, and other community resources serving Riverdale residents.

· Monitor partner commitments and required deliverables within UCAN's scope, address performance concerns, and coordinate technical assistance or corrective action when needed.

· Maintain awareness of emerging conflicts, shooting incidents, service gaps, and neighborhood conditions, and support timely, coordinated community responses consistent with UCAN and IDHS protocols.

Safe Passage Program Oversight

· Manage daily Safe Passage operations, including school assignments, approved routes, deployment schedules, attendance, field coverage, and contingency plans for staffing gaps or schedule changes.

· Ensure Safe Passage personnel report on time, remain visible and attentive, follow designated routes and posts, use approved communication protocols, and maintain professional conduct with students, families, school personnel, and community members.

· Serve as the primary operational liaison with designated CPS administrators and school leaders regarding arrival and dismissal schedules, school calendar changes, route concerns, incidents, and program expectations.

· Ensure timely documentation of attendance, route observations, safety concerns, incidents, referrals, and response actions in the required systems and formats.

· Coordinate readiness for the start of the school year, seasonal and calendar changes, special school activities, weather-related adjustments, and critical incidents affecting student travel routes.

Staff Leadership and Development

· Supervise assigned staff through regular individual and team meetings, field observations, coaching, performance feedback, and documented accountability plans.

· Partner with Human Resources and senior leadership to recruit, interview, onboard, schedule, train, and retain qualified staff.

· Review timekeeping, schedules, leave requests, coverage, workload distribution, and performance documentation for accuracy and timely approval.

· Ensure staff complete required training, background clearances, certifications, and annual performance processes within established timelines.

· Promote trauma-informed supervision, staff wellness, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and a workplace culture grounded in safety, respect, and accountability.

Contract Compliance and Financial Stewardship

· Maintain a compliance calendar for IDHS, CPS, and internal reporting deadlines, monitoring visits, required meetings, training, invoicing support, and grant deliverables.

· Review program records, time and attendance, service documentation, incident records, and fiscal backup for completeness, accuracy, and alignment with contract requirements.

· Monitor approved budgets, spending patterns, staffing allocations, and projected variances in partnership with Finance and program leadership; request corrective action before a variance affects program delivery or compliance.

· Prepare or approve accurate narrative and performance reports for submission to funders and UCAN leadership within required timelines.

· Support audits, site visits, monitoring reviews, and corrective action plans, ensuring requested documentation is organized and readily available.

Data Quality and Performance Management

· Use required data systems and internal tracking tools to monitor staffing, coverage, partner participation, activities, referrals, incidents, and program outcomes.

· Conduct routine documentation reviews and resolve missing, late, duplicate, or inconsistent records with responsible staff.

· Analyze performance against contract targets and the annual performance plan, including convenings, partner engagement, community activities, trainings, Safe Passage coverage, and timely reporting.

· Provide leadership with concise updates on accomplishments, trends, emerging needs, performance gaps, and decisions requiring executive attention.

Partnership and Community Engagement

· Represent UCAN in IDHS, CPS, school, coalition, community, and cross-system meetings related to the assigned programs.

· Build responsive working relationships with residents, parents, youth, school leaders, community partners, service providers, and government representatives.

· Coordinate with leadership to ensure required memoranda of understanding, partner agreements, contact lists, referral pathways, and escalation procedures remain current.

· Communicate program information accurately and protect confidential participant, student, personnel, and incident information.

Safety and Incident Response

· Maintain field awareness and respond to operational concerns affecting staff, students, participants, or community partners in accordance with UCAN, IDHS, and CPS procedures.

· Ensure urgent incidents are reported and escalated promptly, required notifications are completed, and follow-up actions are documented.

· Participate in safety planning, coordinated community response, and after-action review when serious incidents affect program operations or assigned communities.

· Perform other duties reasonably related to program leadership and organizational needs.

Supervisory and Decision Authority

The Community Safety Manager assigns daily work, approves routine schedules and coverage changes, monitors performance, and initiates corrective action within UCAN policy. Contract changes, unbudgeted expenses, public statements, personnel actions, material program redesign, and exceptions to funder requirements require approval through the appropriate UCAN channels.

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in social work, public administration, criminal justice, community development, education, human services, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience.

· At least four years of progressively responsible experience in community violence intervention, youth development, school or community safety, human services, community organizing, or a related field, including at least two years of staff supervision or program management.

· Demonstrated experience managing public or philanthropic contracts, program deliverables, budgets, documentation, performance data, and written reports.

· Ability to lead field-based teams, manage competing schedules and deadlines, address performance concerns, and make sound decisions during urgent situations.

· Strong facilitation, written communication, relationship management, problem-solving, and conflict de-escalation skills.

· Ability to use Microsoft Office and required case management, workforce, school, or grant reporting systems.

· Ability to satisfy all background, screening, training, and site-access requirements established by UCAN, CPS, IDHS, and applicable law.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience with an IDHS-funded community violence intervention, Reimagine Public Safety Act, community convener, or comparable violence prevention initiative.

· Experience managing CPS Safe Passage, school arrival and dismissal operations, or another school-based community safety program.

· Knowledge of Riverdale and the surrounding South Side and South Suburban service network, community organizations, schools, and violence prevention resources.

· Training in trauma-informed practice, crisis response, mediation, or restorative approaches.

Core Competencies

Work Environment and Schedule

This position works in office, school, community, and outdoor field settings. The Community Safety Manager must be able to travel throughout Riverdale and assigned CPS service areas, observe field operations, and work outdoors in varying weather when program oversight requires it. The schedule includes early morning arrival periods, afternoon dismissal periods, and occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, or urgent response outside standard business hours. Reasonable accommodations will be considered through UCAN's established process.

Performance Expectations

· Required funder and internal reports are complete, accurate, and submitted by established deadlines.

· Staffing, school coverage, convening activities, and partner follow-up meet approved work plans and annual performance targets.

· Program documentation is timely, audit-ready, and consistent with UCAN, IDHS, and CPS requirements.

· Budget use, staffing allocations, and program expenses remain aligned with approved funding and are escalated promptly when a variance is identified.

· Safety concerns, serious incidents, performance gaps, and compliance risks receive documented follow-up and timely leadership notification.

Job Description Administration

This job description describes the position's primary responsibilities and does not contain every duty that may be assigned. Duties may change based on contract requirements, school and community needs, and organizational priorities. Human Resources will confirm the final reporting relationship, employment classification, compensation range, physical requirements, and approved equal employment opportunity language before posting.