Chief Program Officer

About the role

• The Chief Program Officer (CPO) provides executive leadership for the full continuum of CIS Dallas programming and is accountable for the strategy, quality, integration, growth, compliance, and performance of all program offerings. The CPO leads a unified Program Department that includes traditional campus programming, clinical programming, internship/practicum programming, and program data coordination. The position ensures that services are high-quality, contract-compliant, data-informed, financially responsible, and aligned with the CIS model, organizational strategy, and the needs of students, families, schools, and district partners.
• As a member of the Executive Management Team, the CPO serves as the organization’s senior program strategist and translates the President & CEO’s vision into programmatic priorities, systems, and measurable results. The CPO leads and develops program directors/managers, strengthens cross functional alignment, builds and sustains school and community partnerships, and identifies opportunities to improve, expand, and financially sustain CIS Dallas programming.

What you'll do

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

STRATEGIC PROGRAM LEADERSHIP & INTEGRATION

· Provide strategic direction and executive oversight for all CIS Dallas program offerings, including traditional campus programming, clinical/mental health programming, internship/practicum programming, and program data coordination.

· Translate organizational strategy and the President & CEO’s vision into clear program priorities, annual goals, implementation plans, and measurable outcomes.

· Ensure program offerings operate as an integrated continuum of student and family supports rather than as separate or siloed functions.

· Lead the design, evaluation, continuous improvement, scaling, realignment, or sunsetting of program models based on outcomes, partner needs, funding realities, organizational capacity, and mission alignment.

· Maintain awareness of education, student support, behavioral health, workforce, and community trends that may affect program strategy or service delivery.

· Provide executive-level recommendations regarding program structure, staffing, resource allocation, service models, and organizational risk.

PROGRAM QUALITY, OUTCOMES, DATA & COMPLIANCE

· Establish and oversee systems that support consistent, high-quality, contract-compliant programming across all sites and initiatives. Monitor progress toward established measurable goals and implement corrective actions when performance falls below expectations.

· Maintain executive oversight of program performance indicators, student outcomes, service delivery, data quality, and compliance requirements; use findings to drive improvement and accountability.

· Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of program data collection, analysis, and reporting for TEA, school districts, federal/state grants, funders, and internal and external audiences.

· Partner with the data liaison and other data/research staff to establish useful dashboards, reporting rhythms, quality-assurance processes, and actionable program insights.

· Ensure appropriate quality-assurance and audit processes across traditional and clinical services, including case record review and other required program monitoring.

· Interpret and ensure adherence to applicable policies, standards, contracts, guidelines, and program requirements.

· In collaboration with appropriate organizational leaders, maintain systems for compliance with applicable student-record, health-information, privacy, and confidentiality requirements, including FERPA and HIPAA where applicable. Ensure access to sensitive records is limited to authorized individuals with a legitimate job-related need.

· Maintain program procedures for suspected child abuse or neglect reporting, student safety concerns, crisis escalation, and incident documentation. Ensure staff understand that internal reporting procedures do not replace or delay an individual’s legally required report to the appropriate authorities.

· Oversee corrective-action processes for identified program deficiencies, audit findings, safety concerns, and contractual noncompliance, escalating material risks to the President & CEO.

TRADITIONAL CAMPUS PROGRAMMING

· Provide executive oversight to the Director of Traditional Programming and ensure effective implementation of the CIS model across partner campuses.

· Ensure appropriate staffing, supervision, training, service delivery, campus integration, and performance management for traditional programming.

· Establish and maintain strong, supportive relationships with school and district administrators and ensure program leadership responds effectively to campus and district needs.

· Oversee program implementation and performance under school district, school, TEA, and other program-related agreements in collaboration with appropriate internal departments. Negotiate, approve, or execute agreements only within documented delegated authority and required organizational approval processes.

CLINICAL & MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING

· Provide executive oversight to the Director of Clinical Programming and ensure mental health and clinical services are strategically integrated within the broader Program Department.

· Ensure CIS Dallas maintains a meaningful, sustainable, high-quality mental health service model responsive to school and community needs.

· Provide executive guidance on clinical service delivery, crisis response systems, incident reports and clinical consultation processes, staffing needs, training, program evaluation, partnerships, and grant development, while relying on appropriately licensed clinical leaders for clinical judgment and supervision.

· Support development and sustainability of mental health partnerships, service modalities, training initiatives, and innovative clinical programming that complement the CIS core model.

· Ensure clinical programming maintains appropriate professional, ethical, licensure, documentation, confidentiality, and quality standards.

· Provide administrative and operational oversight of clinical programming. Clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment decisions, and supervision for professional licensure remain the responsibility of appropriately licensed and, where required, board-approved clinical professionals. This position does not independently authorize the incumbent to provide clinical services or licensure supervision.

INTERNSHIP & EMERGING PROGRAM MODELS

· Provide executive oversight to the Internship Program Manager and ensure internship/practicum programming is strategically aligned with campus needs, organizational capacity, workforce development, and student/family outcomes.

· Support the development and scaling of employee-based and community-based internship pathways and partnerships with universities, field education programs, and other institutions.

· Ensure intern-supported family engagement, college and career readiness, and other programming is integrated into the broader CIS Dallas service model and measured for effectiveness.

· Identify and cultivate innovative program models and higher-education partnerships that expand organizational capacity and mission impact.

· Ensure internship and practicum placements operate under appropriate agreements that define responsibilities, supervision, learning objectives, permitted activities, confidentiality, and evaluation requirements.

· Partner with Human Resources and appropriately qualified program leaders to confirm applicable screening, onboarding, training, placement eligibility, and supervision requirements before interns begin assigned activities.

· Ensure interns perform only activities appropriate to their training, credentials, placement agreements, and level of supervision. Clinical supervision must be provided by appropriately credentialed professionals.

· Coordinate with Human Resources to evaluate employee, student, volunteer, and other placement classifications under applicable wage-and-hour requirements rather than relying solely on an internship designation.

PEOPLE LEADERSHIP & PROGRAM CULTURE

· Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable the Program Department leadership team, establishing clear roles, decision rights, expectations, performance measures, and communication rhythms.

· Create a healthy, collaborative, accountable program culture that encourages direct communication, cross-team problem solving, professional judgment, continuous learning, and shared ownership of outcomes.

· Ensure program leaders effectively supervise, develop, and support their teams and address performance, staffing, and employee-relations matters in partnership with Human Resources.

· Ensure direct service provider and program support positions are appropriately structured and filled by qualified professionals in a timely manner.

· Develop and ensure execution of an annual professional development strategy for program staff, including required state, contractual, clinical, and organizational training.

DISTRICT, COMMUNITY & EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS

· Serve as a senior program representative with school districts, campus leaders, community partners, higher education institutions, and other external stakeholders.

· Respond to and proactively pursue opportunities to establish, renew, expand, or redesign CIS Dallas programming in consultation with the President & CEO.

· Partner with the President & CEO and Advancement team to articulate program value, support district negotiations, cultivate prospective partners, and strengthen the organization’s external visibility.

· Prepare program staff and campus partners for presentations, site visits, funder engagements, and other external opportunities.

· Represent CIS Dallas at TEA meetings, district meetings, conferences, committees, and community convenings as appropriate.

BUSINESS, FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY & RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP

· Develop and manage the Program Department budget in alignment with organizational priorities, contractual commitments, staffing models, and available resources.

· Partner with Finance and the President & CEO to understand the true cost of program delivery, monitor program financial performance, and inform pricing, resource allocation, and sustainability decisions.

· Evaluate new and existing program opportunities through both mission and business lenses, considering impact, capacity, cost, funding, risk, and long-term sustainability.

· Partner with Advancement on grant/RFP design, program narratives, budgets, outcomes, and funder reporting; identify program concepts that may generate or attract sustainable revenue.

· Ensure program commitments are operationally feasible and that staffing and service models align with available funding and contractual expectations.

· Exercise budget, purchasing, staffing, and resource-allocation authority within approved budgets, organizational policies, grant restrictions, and delegated approval limits. Obtain required authorization before making commitments that exceed these limits.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL ALIGNMENT

· Serve as an active member of the Executive Management Team and contribute to organization-wide strategy, decision-making, culture, risk management, and change leadership.

· Collaborate closely with Finance, Human Resources, Advancement, Data/Research, and other departments to ensure program decisions are coordinated with organizational priorities and constraints.

· Bring forward clear recommendations and proposed solutions on program matters, exercising appropriate executive judgment and autonomy while escalating material risks or decisions to the President & CEO.

· Complete required executive reports and perform other responsibilities assigned by the President & CEO.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in education, social work, human services, nonprofit management, public administration, business, or a related field required; master’s degree strongly preferred.

· Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in education, youth services, nonprofit programming, social services, or a related field, including significant program and people-management responsibility.

· Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-site or multi-program operations and managing leaders.

· Demonstrated experience with program strategy, implementation, evaluation, continuous improvement, budgeting, and performance management.

· Experience working with school districts, public-sector partners, funders, or community-based organizations strongly preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

· Strong strategic and business acumen with the ability to connect program quality and mission impact to financial sustainability, organizational capacity, and long-term strategy.

· Knowledge of program management, school-based service delivery, contract compliance, quality assurance, and outcome measurement.

· Knowledge of fiscal planning, budget preparation, monitoring, resource allocation, and program sustainability.

· Strong leadership, coaching, team-building, and change-management skills with demonstrated ability to lead through other leaders.

· Ability to analyze complex information and data, identify risks and opportunities, make sound judgments, and translate findings into clear action.

· Strong relationship-management and negotiation skills with school administrators, district leaders, community partners, funders, and internal stakeholders.

· Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing organizational needs, and maintain pace in a complex environment.

· Ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, diplomacy, discretion, and confidentiality. Ability to work collaboratively across functions while maintaining clear accountability and decisionmaking authority.

· Working knowledge of behavioral health/clinical programming sufficient to provide executive program oversight in partnership with licensed clinical leadership.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The essential functions of this position may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Work is performed primarily in office, school, and community settings, with travel to meetings, campus and district visits, trainings, conferences, and other organizational activities.

• Regularly use computers, software, and standard office equipment to review information, prepare reports, communicate, and complete administrative responsibilities.

• Participate in meetings, presentations, and site visits that may involve periods of sitting, standing, or moving between locations.

• Occasionally transport meeting materials or office supplies, using assistance or reasonable accommodation when appropriate.

• Maintain a schedule that supports executive responsibilities and organizational operations, including occasional evening or weekend commitments and travel, as needed.

• Ability to meet job-related travel requirements within and outside the Greater Dallas area. A valid driver’s license and applicable insurance are required if driving is an assigned job responsibility.

Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded locally in 1985. The Communities In Schools intervention is a series of evidence-based best practices within the community school model, placing trained staff on campuses to provide daily intervention to high-need students and families. The four main components of service delivery include academics, behavior/mental health, social services, and attendance. Once these barriers to success are addressed, Communities In Schools is able to re-direct these K–12 children towards improved outcomes in a coordinated, caring, and individualized way.

In partnership with eleven area school districts, Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region is housed on campuses across North Texas to address the issues that place a child on the Texas Education Agency’s statewide “at-risk” list. These indicators measure a student’s potential academic success based on a series of key points in the child’s history (failed standardized test, failed core subjects, limited English proficiency, etc.). Many of these markers are beyond the students’ control (foster care, family crisis, etc.), but based on TEA metrics, it places them at a higher risk of dropping out of school, retention, and failure to complete high school in four years.