ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

Wisconsin Literacy, Inc. (WL), the leading state adult and family literacy agency in Wisconsin, seeks a Refugee Services Program Manager to help fulfill its mission to change lives by strengthening literacy statewide. It does this by offering training, professional development, resources, and advocacy to 70+ adult and family literacy agencies.

With our local members, we help people improve their lives through literacy services, English language acquisition, work readiness, citizenship, GED completion, and digital literacy. WL also supports a division, Wisconsin Health Literacy (WHL), which works to improve how people access, understand and act upon health information and services by promoting clear communication between individuals and health care.

WL is a growing organization with a staff and board of creative and dedicated people who support the organization’s core values of lifelong learning, collaboration, integrity, inclusion and equity, innovation, and teamwork. Passion for moving people forward through literacy and education is a constant among the team.  WL has a current annual budget of more than $3 million and a total of 20 staff including 9 serving from regional offices.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Associate Director, the Refugee Services Program Manager will provide administrative, fiscal, and program supervision for WL member agencies and partners contracting with WL to provide English Language Learning (ELL), Refugee Support Services, Services to Older Refugees, and other related programs. These programs are funded through the Department of Children and Families, Division of Family and Economic Security (DFES), Bureau of Refugee Programs (BRP)

The position requires a high level of knowledge about ELL, refugee programs and service-delivery,  grant/contract administration and management, and multi-stakeholder collaborations and partnerships.

This position requires travel throughout the state. A valid driver’s license and personal vehicle are required.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following are the primary functions of the position, although are not all-inclusive.

      a.  Administer sub-contracts to WL members and partners. These are federal grants managed by BRP in WI. ;

      b.  Monitor performance, program outcomes, and compliance with grant policies and contract requirements.

      c.  Provide program support, training/technical assistance, and evaluation to sub-contractor agencies.

            i.    Conduct on-site compliance and performance monitoring at sub-contractor offices to assure that reports submitted have source documentation on file and that services provided to refugees are of high quality and lead to the achievement of targeted outcomes.

            ii.   Develop and implement corrective action plans as necessary.

            iii.  Prepare semi-annual and annual reports for BRP on achievement of grant requirements through the performance of Wisconsin Literacy program staff and sub-contractors, ensuring compliance with all federal reporting requirements concerning data integrity.

      d.  Develop training/technical assistance to statewide members and partners in adult refugee education and ELL. These opportunities are open to all refugee-serving entities, not just sub-contractors.

      e.  Serve as a representative of WL in coordination of services and educating receiving community groups about refugee programs, cultures, languages, and the federal refugee resettlement program.

      f.   Stay current on the goals and priorities of BRP; Develop initiatives that align with BRP and WL project goals including incorporating health literacy, digital literacy, and job readiness skills into English language acquisition.

     g.   Work with and provide oversite of program assistant on necessary financial and administrative procedures in support of sub-contractor reimbursements requirements.

MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRAM SUPPORT

      a.  Manage the sub-contractor application process for WL member agencies (“members”) and other partners

      b.  Review all documentation and requests for reimbursements from members provided by the Program Asistant.

      c.  Once approved, submit reimbursement requests to WL Controller for payment processing

      d.  Train member agency staff/volunteers on BRP database

      e.  Maintain consistent communication with all sub-contractors including email, phone, virtual and in-person meetings to ensure compliance with grant requirements

      f.   Ensure that member agency staff/volunteers are uploading student data into BRP database as required

      g.  Synthesize data into monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports for WL and BRP

      h.  Working with WL regional staff, provide statewide refugee eligibility training

      i.   Working with WL regional staff, provide coaching and training for literacy instructors and volunteers across the state

      j.   Working with WHL staff, provide opportunities for ELL in the context of understanding health and the United States’ health system.

      k.  Working with WL Digital Literacy and Tutor Training Project Manager, ensure opportunities for digital skill building within ELL services.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work in a typical office environment involving exposure to fluorescent lighting, potential ink fumes, contact with synthetic materials and air conditioning.
• Ability to sit and/or stand for 8 hours.
• Ability to type at a computer for 8 hours.
• Ability to lift 10 lbs.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge and Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and multi-task
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills (in-person and virtual)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in a refugee language is a plus.
• Considerable knowledge of federal refugee resettlement goals, processes, stakeholders, and policies; and experience working with refugees and/or refugee-serving agencies.
• Considerable experience in grant administration, program oversight, or program development.
• Considerable knowledge of best practices in monitoring and evaluation, especially related to social programs and the achievement of target outcomes.
• Considerable experience in effectively managing government contracts, or other contracts or agreements in which funding is exchanged for services.
• Considerable experience in collecting and interpreting data.
• Considerable experience in providing technical assistance, training, or other educational services to culturally diverse audiences, and to both professional and lay audiences.  Some experience in providing such services to organizations that serve refugees or other marginalized populations.

Education/Certification and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field (preferred)
• Associate degree
• Experience collecting and synthesizing data for reporting
• Experience working with diverse groups
• Experience in managing other staff a plus
• Experience working with adult learners a plus
• Knowledge of adult literacy and ELL programming
• Knowledge of federal refugee resettlement goals, processes, stakeholders, and policies; and experience working with refugees and/or refugee-serving agencies
• Considerable experience in grant administration, program oversight, or program development.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Salary Range: $58,000 - $63,500 This is a grant-funded position.

To apply, please send a letter of interest outlining your education and experience as they relate to the job description, a resume, and three professional references by December 8 to:

Michele Erikson, Wisconsin Literacy, 211 S. Paterson St., Suite 170, Madison, WI 53703

Email: info@wisconsinliteracy.org