Reports to: Director of Strategy

Job Location: Hybrid, with expectations to work at the Cleveland office as requested

Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision and Retirement, Paid Time off, Holidays

Date Posted: February 2024

To Apply: please contact Emma Mitchell at Scion Staffing by email at

emma@scionstaffing.com.

Overview of Kinnect:

Kinnect is a private non-profit that was founded in 2005. Kinnect leverages its leadership

expertise to design programs, products and services that transform the child welfare system.

Kinnect leads innovation to reduce the time that children spend in the child welfare system and

to prevent entry into the child welfare system. Kinnect achieves this by partnering with

organizations to transform beliefs, values, and actions to ensure permanent families for all

children in the shortest time possible. We believe that childhood is a fundamental human right

and that all children deserve permanent families. We believe that every day that a child is in

foster care, separated from their kin and community is a day in crisis. We embrace hope,

possibility and innovation and we treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Overview of the OhioKAN Program:

OhioKAN is an innovative statewide Kinship and Adoption Navigator Program supporting formal

and informal kin caregivers and adoptive parents by providing information and referral services

and assistance obtaining support services. Building on current and previous Ohio kinship

navigator programs, OhioKAN is distinguished by its planned statewide implementation, broad

population of families served, and provision for rigorous evaluation. Contingent on evaluation

results, OhioKAN may establish a new evidence-based practice model that may be considered

for federal payments under the Family First Preservation Act of 2018.

OhioKAN builds community and systems capacity necessary to support families and works

directly with kinship and adoptive families to build confidence and connections. Anticipated

outcomes to be measured include greater family resilience, improved family functioning,

increased stability and permanency for children, and improved child well-being.

Position Summary:

The KinFirst Program Manager is a full-time position leading Kinnect’s KinFirst Project, in

partnership with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth and Kinnect’s Implementation

Center Framework. The Program Manager will work under the direction of the Director of

Strategy, in collaboration with the OhioKAN Program Director, to lead, co-design, implement,

and monitor the KinFirst Project priorities and program innovation strategies.

The KinFirst Project focuses on three primary areas: (1) Understanding and testing solutions to

the problem of equitable access to legal services across the state of Ohio for kinship caregivers

(2) Designing kinship caregiver training and learninig opportunities in partnership with those

with lived expertise (3) Building strategies that will help strengthen navigator sites by building

their capacity with the goal of achieving stability for kinship caregivers. The Program Manager

will work in collaboration with state and Kinnect leadership, as well as external consultants and

subject matter experts, in all these areas to analyze and design implementation strategies to

test innovative solutions that (1) build upon kin, family and community strengths and gifts (2)

reduce barriers for kinship caregivers and (3) strengthen OhioKAN programming and services.

The KinFirst Program Manager will work in concert with Kinnect’s Implementation Center, a

newly created function of the organization that supports programs and partners at any stage of

implementation with innovative approaches to support and enhance change efforts. The Center

provides robust and consistent tools and methods for designing breakthrough programs and

services for families, young people, and children,

Essential Functions:

Program Management

• Co-create, implement, and manage KinFirst Project Plan.

• Establish key performance indicators and monitor tracking and reporting processes of

project and programmatic outcomes to inform strategies and tactics with all

appropriate internal and external stakeholders.

• Actively participate in pilot and project activities related to advancement and success of

programs.

• Cultivates external partnerships, stakeholders, and professional relationships to support

the successful exploration, implementation and execution of project deliverables and

program enhancements. Create and maintain program specific Standard Operating

Procedures as needed.

• Budgeting, contract management and supervisory responsibilities.

• Works with strategic partners and consultants to further project and program

development efforts.

• Attend internal and external meetings, as needed.

• Effective presentation skills in one-on-one, small, and large groups, with peers, direct

reports, local and national audiences. Be able to manage group process during

presentations and able to adapt midstream.

• Maintain confidentiality regarding Kinnect, partner organizations, and families and

children served.

• Work with Kinnect leadership to develop micro and macro supplemental supports to

kinship families served by the program. Support special projects and assignments, as

needed.

Relationship Management

• Educate and support partners to ensure all partner commitments are understood and

actualized.

• Work collaboratively with Program Director(s) and other(s) to manage implementation

benchmarks of all regions.

• Develop high quality relationships both internally and externally to move the work

forward.

Management & Leadership

• Supervise and motivate program staff while creating a climate where people can be

their best.

• Be willing to provide direct reports with timely and high-quality feedback while adhering

to a continuous growth mindset.

• Establish clear directions and feedback loops, create stretch goals, and manage

workload of direct reports while maintaining two-way dialog.

• Be able to learn, grow, participate, and lead Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access

initiatives (IDEA).

• Assist with staff orientation and onboarding as needed.

Strategy Execution

• Work with strategic partners and consultants to further program development efforts.

• Lead and Facilitate Continuous Quality Improvement process, Learning & Reflection, and

Process Team.

• Be able to communicate the vision and purpose of KinFirst and the Implementation

Center to motivate and inspire internal and external partners both verbally and in

writing.

• Think across functions and strategically during internal and external meetings.

• Perform other responsibilities assigned by the Project Director.

Guiding Principles and Competencies:

Partnership: Bringing our collective experience and skillsets to relationships that support our

connectedness and achievement of our mission.

• I build constructive and effective relationships to find common ground and solve

problems

• When I participate in teamwork, I will ensure that I am giving everyone accurate and

timely information as needed to move forward on our common goals

• I reprioritize when needed and create focus to strengthen partnerships throughout

times of change

• I strive to help people feed included, respected, and valuable about being a member of

the team

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA): As a learning organization, we pledge to ongoing

and sustained work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility through collaboration with

families, communities, Kinnect team members and our partners.

• I pause for self-reflection and to analyze my own assumptions, behaviors, and

previous/current experiences

• I take responsibility for my own growth and development in this space (i.e., self-

education through TED Talks, books, articles, and how new information can be applied

in practice)

• I am willing to speak up if I witness exclusionary behaviors, bias, and discrimination

• I give other’s grace in our learning journeys, we give each other time to process, and we

give each other the space to circle back

• I strive to be a catalyst for change, thought partner and leader in bridging the work of

systems innovation and disruption, anti-racism, and transformation

• I foster belonging by committing to centering the voices of those who have been

historically and are presently marginalized

• As a learning organization I pledge to ongoing and sustained work in diversity, equity,

inclusion, and accessibility through collaboration with families, youth, communities,

Kinnect team members and partners

Innovation: Continuous and dynamic process where creative ideas are valued, discussed, and

implemented to significantly disrupt routing and prevailing structures.

• I am willing to share my ideas, even the new and unique ones, when brainstorming,

problem solving and in my daily work

• I explore issues through a lens of equity and inclusion by co-creating solutions with

people, not for people. I am committed to centering and elevating the voice of those we

serve, whether it be families, youth, caregivers, team members or our partners. I am

willing to design programs and solutions for the future we want to have.

• When faced with challenges, I remain curious, look beyond the obvious and my own

lens and perspective to push myself to look for multiple solutions even though I might

not have all the answers. I am open to iterating and continuous learning

• I choose to view failure as an opportunity to learn

Integrity: Having the courage to live the Kinnect values of dignity, respect, and honesty.

• I strive to be self-aware and open to feedback that allows for development and growth

• I stay aligned with Kinnect’s values while maintaining flexibility to incorporate new ideas

and perspectives

• During difficult times, I strive to maintain composure, self-regulate, maintain my sense

of self-awareness, and stay in empathy when working through issues

• I take responsibility for contributing to high quality and inclusive end results, for the

good of the greater team

• I take responsibility for my own boundaries, self-care, and rest so that I am able to

engage meaningfully in my work at Kinnect

Outcome Focused: We strive to measure our work, to pivot, iterate, and improve to accomplish

desired results.

• I make time and space to assess process, progress, and results

• I work with my team to make sure we all have up-to-date information so we can make

accurate and informed decisions

• I ask for what I need to be able to contribute and perform to the best of my ability

• I keep families, youth, community partners and Kinnect team members in mind when

creating goals and throughout the course of the project

Communicate Effectively: Develop and deliver communications using various methods that

convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of the different audiences we communicate

with.

• Attentively listens to others

• Provides timely and helpful information to others across the organization

• Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions

• Ability to utilize multiples communication methods such as telephone, email, letters,

reports, to name a few to share information and to keep people informed of progress or

what is needed

Leadership Acumen:

Understands the complexities involved in organizational functioning as it relates to people, to

overall strategy, and to policies/procedures. Is able to achieve high quality results through

informed decision making and applying knowledge from experience, education and through

partnerships.

• Comfortably navigates through complex policies and processes

• Successfully manages team related dynamics

• Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity

• Understands the meaning and implications of key data indicators and decisions.

• Interprets and applies data analysis to generate, evaluate, and act on strategic options

and opportunities

Effective Team Development

Ability to build strong identity teams that are inclusive and can apply their diverse skills and

perspectives to achieve common goals.

• Creates a sense of belonging and strong team identity that allows members of the team

to apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals

• Develops people to meet both their professional goals and the organization’s goals

through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments

• Fosters innovation and learning from mistakes to support individuals and the team in

achieving the mission and vision of the organization

• Demonstrates self-awareness and actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged

Administers and Supports Efforts to Achieve Goals

Provides leadership and direction to the team to ensure success in achieving common goals. Is

able to provide appropriate support, guidance, and accountabilities to achieving organizational

goals.

• Provides direction and delegation by planning and prioritizing work

• Intervenes to remove obstacles when needed to achieve organizational goals

• Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments and results

• Focuses on continuous improvement by marshaling resources and orchestrating

multiple activities to accomplish goals

• Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives

Manages Complexity and Innovation

Understands and is skilled in making sense of complex situations and challenges to effectively

resolve issues. Has skills and an understanding on how to support the use of innovation and

implementation science to understand opportunities and challenges that arise at the

organizational level and within teams.

• Asks questions and acquires information to make quality decisions that effectively solve

problems

• Adapts approaches to match different situations and shifting demands

• Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the

organization to exchange ideas and resources

• Cultivates innovation and actively learns through using both successes and failures as

growth opportunities

Education/Qualification:

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Services, Business Administration, related field, or equivalent

• Master’s Degree preferred.

• Certifications in project management or continuous improvement or change

• 5-7 years’ experience in program management or related field, required.

• Demonstrated experience working with interdisciplinary teams utilizing innovative

strategies to overcome obstacles.

• Some nonprofit and/or government sector experience is preferred.

• Experience building and managing a high performing team.

• Lived experience as an adoptee or raised in a kinship family, kinship caregiver, adoptive

Inclusion Diversity, Equity, and Access:

Kinnect is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of inclusion diversity,

equity, and access. These commitments are not just part of our value system but are at the core

of our intentional actions to eliminate systemic barriers that have produced inequities based on

differences.

We commit to a sustained investment of time, resources, and people to advance equitable

realities for our employees, and for the children, families, and communities that we serve. We

do this by intentional advocacy for social justice and the continuous scrutiny of the systems that

we create and those in which we operate.

Our employees are the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual

differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and

talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our

culture, but our reputation and success, as well.

We embrace our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital

status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and intellectual or

emotional ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation or identity, socio-

economic status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran or disabled

veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Kinnect’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and access initiatives involve, but are not limited to, our

practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional

development and training; promotions; transfers; staffing decisions; terminations; and the

ongoing development of an inclusive work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for

employment. All aspects of employment with us will be governed on the basis of competence

and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or

gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national

origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or

family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with

applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s

main office and on the intranet.

Working Conditions:

• Travel required, as needed. Must have access to own transportation.

• This job requires occasional overnight travel

• Kinnect as an organization has a Hybrid Work Model that combines remote and on-site

work at Kinnect, as well as routine on-site or in-person work with team members,

partner sites, community events, and direct service in the field.

• This role will utilize standard office equipment that will be provided by Kinnect

Hiring Process:

• Background Check Information: The final candidate selected for the position will be

required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not

necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual

assessment of an applicant's prior criminal conviction(s) will be made before excluding

an applicant from consideration.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of
work to be performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all
responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position.
Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for
employment. All employment decisions at Kinnect are based on organizational needs, job
requirements and individual qualifications, and will be governed on the basis of competence
and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or
gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national
origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or
family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with
applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s
main office and on the intranet.
American’s with Disabilities Act: This position involves sitting in a stationary position for at
least 50% of the time and the ability to ambulate without assistance to attend on-site meetings,
as needed. The job requires movement in a typical office environment with file cabinets, office
machinery, office furniture and typical hallway and access doorways. The position must operate
typical office equipment, such as copiers, telephones, computers, and peripherals. This job

requires that the person must have the ability to access transportation to attend meetings and
special events. The organization provides reasonable accommodations for this position.