A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact. 

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What We Offer:

  Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 

  Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 

  Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.

  Opportunities in Tech - Don’t wait for the future, shape it.

  Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service (MOCEVS) is committed to increasing long-term, sustainable civic engagement throughout the city. To support this goal, we offer a variety of training opportunities for community members, nonprofit partners, and City agencies. In addition, we support internal and cross-sector convening and collaboration to reduce silos and increase the efficiency and efficacy of engagement and volunteer programs and tactics. MOCEVS is housed within the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement. 

The Program Director will be responsible for successfully managing, providing strategic vision, and ensuring successful execution of the Serve Philadelphia VISTA Program. The Serve Philadelphia VISTA Program places 60+ full-time AmeriCorps service members across 25+ City Departments for one year to fight the injustices and causes of poverty. 

Essential Functions

• Oversee all Serve Philadelphia VISTA program operations 
• Provide supervisory oversight for the VISTA team, VISTA Program Manager, and Coordinators 
• Set goals and provide strategic vision for the Serve VISTA Program 
• Lead strategic planning and goal setting efforts to imbed anti-racist policies and practices into Serve VISTA Program  
• Lead efforts to align VISTA Program outcomes with Mayoral goals and administration priorities 
• Oversee recruitment strategy of VISTA members with the intention of building a diverse corps 
• Use and collect data to evaluate program success and improve operations 
• Build and manage VISTA budget, cost shares, and AmeriCorps funding 
• Oversee all aspects of federal grant reporting and compliance 
• Identify cross-departmental and cross-sector areas of collaboration 
• Lead manager training efforts for VISTA Program supervisors  
• Develop resources to decrease barriers to VISTA service 
• Drive program expansion and process improvement through relationship building, collaboration, and innovation 
• Act as liaison for the City between AmeriCorps and the Serve VISTA Program  
• Manages program operating budget and maintains communications and reporting to the federal grant funder while monitoring compliance with grant requirements and regulations 
• Provide basic HR functions for AmeriCorps members 
• Develop a vision for and oversee ongoing training, professional development, and retreats for Serve VISTA  members to support culture-building and engagement  
• Implement and sustain trauma-informed practices within the program to maintain community guidelines and create a framework to address issues related to privilege, identity, and inclusion  
• Other relevant duties as assigned 

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Understanding of team dynamics and a strong ability to mediate and problem solve 
• Ability to motivate teams 
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in staff and program management. 
• Ability to promote healthy staff-supervisor relationships 
• Strong presentation skills  
• Data driven approach to problem solving. Strong ability to implement innovative solutions and analysis to assist in making decisions  
• Significant financial and grants management skills 
• Clear understanding of best practices in community engagement and volunteer recruitment/retention. 
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen existing programs, create and/or enhance implementation strategies, and work with a diverse team to implement action plans. 
• Action oriented; an individual not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get into the details of the operation. 
• Excellent time management skills with capacity to work simultaneously on multiple tasks and projects and deliver on deadline. 
• Experience in managing programs, including developing and monitoring budgets, supervising staff and ensuring program impact 

• 5+ years experience with staff/team management 
• Program management experience, preferably managing AmeriCorps programs in government or nonprofit settings. 
• Ability to manage program finances and submit grant reports  
• Experience recruiting AmeriCorps members or volunteers with ability to design and implement innovative recruitment strategies 
• Experience training and developing large groups of diverse individuals 

Salary: $75,000

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and reference list with your application.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• Employees are eligible for a 25% tuition discount program (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available 

Successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected]. For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx

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