Reach Out and Read Program Manager, Pennsylvania

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania supports early literacy and healthy family relationships across all 67 counties of the Commonwealth. With 280 program sites — concentrated in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the central corridor of the state — we distribute books and train pediatric providers to promote reading aloud with young children during well-child visits. Our work spans urban health systems to single-provider rural practices, serving children from diverse communities including those from low-income families and medically underserved regions.

This is a newly created position, reflecting a period of significant growth and investment for the Pennsylvania affiliate. As Program Manager for Central and South-Central Pennsylvania, you will serve as a primary point of contact for approximately 85–100 clinical sites across a defined geographic territory. You will build and sustain relationships with medical providers, assess program quality and fidelity, and help sites thrive through hands-on support and creative problem-solving. This role reports directly to the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania and is a critical piece of the affiliate's expanding regional structure.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include:

Programmatic Assistance and Quality Assurance Support (60%)

• Conduct site visits — in-person and virtual — to assess program fidelity and provide tailored support (goal: 4 visits/year per site, 2 in-person and 2 virtual; scaled in first 12–18 months)
• Build genuine, trust-based relationships with medical directors, site coordinators, and clinical staff who volunteer their time to support the program
• Develop quality improvement plans for sites not meeting program standards; approach these conversations with diplomacy and a solutions-oriented mindset
• Recruit and onboard new clinic sites, identifying and cultivating champions within medical and administrative teams
• Prioritize expansion and support for sites serving BIPOC communities, Medicaid populations, and rural or underserved families
• Support clinics in creating literacy-rich waiting room and exam room environments
• Assist sites that are at risk of closing due to book budget constraints; coordinate with the Executive Director on bridge funding options and multi-year sustainability planning

Program Data and Reporting (25%)

• Oversee completion of twice-yearly progress reports and maintain accurate data in the myROR database
• Complete all visit documentation within five business days of each site visit
• Report site-level concerns, capacity gaps, and emerging needs to the Executive Director promptly
• Collect stories and testimonials from program sites for development and communications purposes

Community Engagement and Fundraising Support (10%)

• Build relationships with early childhood education organizations, health systems, and community partners to strengthen Reach Out and Read's regional presence
• Represent the affiliate at regional and statewide events
• Assist the Executive Director in identifying community fundraising opportunities that can support individual site book budgets — particularly for small, rural, or independent practices that raise their own funds

Book Support and Funding (5%)

• Assist sites in selecting and ordering developmentally appropriate books to meet patient needs
• Help identify sites with critical book budget needs and communicate those to the Executive Director for potential affiliate support

Qualifications and Experience:

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and families
• 2+ years of professional experience in healthcare, social work, early education, literacy, or a related field (equivalent education and lived experience considered)
• Familiarity with the healthcare environment — understanding the pace, constraints, and culture of busy pediatric practices is a strong asset in this role
• Demonstrated ability to build warm, credible relationships with diverse stakeholders quickly, including medical professionals, administrators, and community partners
• Creative, entrepreneurial spirit — comfort with independently identifying problems and generating practical solutions, including occasional community outreach and partnership-building
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to maintain professionalism and warmth across a wide range of audiences
• Ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, adapt flexibly, and handle unexpected changes with composure
• Prior remote work experience strongly preferred, with demonstrated ability to work independently and manage time without direct supervision
• Experience with program implementation, quality assurance, or professional development support
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Zoom, and Slack; intermediate Excel skills essential
• Strong organizational skills with ability to plan proactively and manage a regional site visit schedule

Other Requirements/Considerations:

• Reliable personal vehicle and valid driver's license; ability to travel regularly across the assigned territory (25–30% travel)
• This position serves clinical sites in Central and South-Central Pennsylvania. The ideal candidate lives within this region to support sustainable regional travel. Preferred counties of residence include (Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, York, Lancaster Counties)

Position Specifications:

This is a full-time, non-exempt position requiring 40 hours per week. The Program Manager will work primarily from a home-based office within the assigned territory in Central or South-Central Pennsylvania. Regular regional travel to clinic sites is required (approximately 25–30% of time), with flexibility around scheduling. Occasional overnight travel may be needed for sites in more distant parts of the state. Required in-person commitments include:

• Annual Pennsylvania State Meeting (currently held in Harrisburg)
• Weekly one-on-one with the Executive Director (virtual)
• Bi-weekly all-program-manager team meetings (virtual)
• 1–2 National Reach Out and Read convenings every 18 months

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $67,800–$73,000, commensurate with experience, reflecting Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania's commitment to equitable and competitive compensation. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, paid time off, and additional perks.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application through our online portal. The interview process will include a preliminary questionnaire, followed by a hiring manager interview, and for advancing candidates, a virtual final interview with other members of the Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania team. Reference checks will be conducted for finalists. The anticipated start date is late May/early June 2026.

Commitment to Diversity:

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. ROR sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. ROR strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. And, we believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

About Reach Out and Read:

Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read is a national non-profit organization working to ensure all families have the opportunity to create meaningful everyday moments through shared reading aloud and building relationships. By leveraging pediatric care to champion the positive effects of reading daily and distributing books, Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success and reaches 4.4 million children across the county – half of whom identify as BIPOC and two-thirds of whom come from low-income families.

Reach Out and Read’s tens of thousands of trained pediatric providers use books as a diagnostic tool during regular check-ups, and teach parents how to engage their child with a book to promote positive parent-child interactions during the rapid brain growth between birth and age five. The daily practice of

reading aloud with a parent supports children’s literacy and math skill development, their social-emotional development, and prepares them for future success in school. Working together with our sites and providers, we leverage our three decades of expertise, build on our literacy foundations, and engage our shared networks as a catalyst for change, focusing on equitably strengthening and deepening our impact on the children, families, and communities we serve.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,500 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. • Reach Out and Read serves 4.6 million children and their families annually.
• More than 7.7 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well-child visits with families annually.
• 39,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read
• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org. ... is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please email HR @ reachoutandread.org and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.