VISTA Program Manager

About L.A. Works: L.A. Works unites Angelenos and inspires action to help create a more equitable LA. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on service, we create and manage hands on programming mobilizing volunteers throughout the greater Los Angeles area to address the needs of vulnerable Angelenos. We seek enthusiastic, experienced individuals who share our passion for service and civic pride.

About AmeriCorps VISTA: Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a federal anti-poverty national service program. VISTA members serve full-time for one year at nonprofit organizations and public agencies, building organizational capacity so those organizations can better fight poverty and mobilize their communities. VISTA members build systems, recruit volunteers, develop partnerships, and create sustainable infrastructure that outlasts their year of service.

For L.A. Works, the VISTA program builds capacity for our nonprofit partners by expanding their volunteer infrastructure. Each VISTA member placed at a host site is a capacity builder working to strengthen that organization’s ability to recruit, manage, and engage volunteers. As the program continues to grow each year, it will directly contribute to advancing our organization’s strategic goal of reaching 500,000 volunteer service hours annually by 2035.

About the Role: While the Director manages external partnerships and program growth, the VISTA Program Manager leads the relationships and systems that keep the approximately 30 VISTA members connected, compliant, and equipped to succeed, including: member recruitment, orientation, training, day-to-day support, member compliance monitoring, data systems, and member reporting. The Manager runs a full member lifecycle end-to-end, from posting a recruitment listing through exit surveys. Alongside the VISTA Leader(s), the VISTA Program Manager is the architect of member compliance systems that protect the grant, and facilitator of the members’ experience, from day one to end of the term exit.

Essential Job Functions: The following list is not comprehensive; it is intended to provide a representative summary of the position’s primary responsibilities. Incumbents may not be required to perform all roles listed and may be required to perform additional, position specific tasks.

Member Recruitment & Selection

• Develop and execute a full-cycle annual VISTA recruitment strategy to support the recruitment and placement of a cohort of up to 30 VISTA members.
• Manage the posting and promotion of VISTA service opportunities through the My AmeriCorps Portal, Handshake, LinkedIn, Indeed, and other relevant recruitment platforms.
• Lead and oversee the VISTA recruitment and selection process in collaboration with VISTA Leader(s)
• Manage the candidate offer and acceptance process, including communicating offers and next steps through email and completing required actions in the My AmeriCorps Portal.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for incoming VISTA members throughout the preservice and onboarding process, providing guidance on AmeriCorps requirements, documentation, deadlines, and preparation for service.
• Coordinate the onboarding and orientation process for incoming VISTA members to support a successful transition into service.
• Represent the VISTA program at recruitment events, including career fairs, community events, campus outreach opportunities, and other relevant recruitment activities.
• Track and analyze recruitment metrics, including time-to-fill, offer acceptance rates, applicant pipeline health, recruitment sources, and other key indicators; provide updates and insights to the VISTA Director to inform recruitment strategy and planning.

Member Orientation, Training & Monthly Development

• Lead new member orientation for each incoming cohort, ensuring members understand VISTA’s anti-poverty mission, their capacity-building role, and L.A. Works’ volunteer mobilization goals.
• Develop and deliver monthly VISTA member meetings as substantive professional development sessions.
• Align member training curriculum with L.A. Works’ volunteer management best practices; coordinate with the Director on joint training delivery with other L.A. Works programs.
• Lead the annual VISTA member retreat including design, logistics, content, and follow through.
• Build and maintain training resources for ongoing professional development; conduct exit surveys and use results to improve programming.
• Manage the VISTA Leader(s) to extend the member support network.

Member Support & Retention

• Serve as the primary day-to-day support contact for ~30 VISTA members throughout their year of service.
• Run monthly member support calls and office hours; maintain visibility into each member’s experience in the system.
• Conduct 6-month and end-of-year performance evaluations in coordination with host sites; track completion deadlines.
• Complete and submit required AmeriCorps member documentation, including biweekly Sponsor Verification Forms and annual Future Plans Forms for each VISTA member nearing the completion of their service term.
• Support VISTA Leader(s) leadership of the AmeriCorps Appreciation Week programming in collaboration with the RSVP team.
• Support members during government shutdowns and other service disruptions.
• Escalate high level retention concerns and member issues to the Director; prepare briefings for Director level interventions.

Compliance Monitoring & VAD Management

• Monitor VISTA member compliance through data and reporting submitted by members and build and maintain the compliance and performance tracking systems that catch issues early.
• Format and upload all Volunteer Assignment Descriptions (VADs) to the AmeriCorps portal after Director review and approval.
• Build and iterate compliance systems for members, SOPs, and evaluation tools that catch issues before they become grant risks.
• Track corrective action follow through; escalate unresolved issues to the Director.
• Conduct annual skip level meetings with each VISTA member to gather direct feedback on host site compliance and member experience.

Data, Member Reporting & Program Systems

• Own all member facing data: member records, performance measures, and member compliance tracking.
• Manage all monthly report submissions; lead Monthly Report Office Hours to help members complete accurate, timely reports.
• Maintain member program records required for AmeriCorps grant compliance.
• Feed operational performance data to the Director to inform strategic planning and grant narrative development.
• Build and maintain tracking systems for member lifecycle, recruitment pipeline, volunteer opportunity postings, and training completion.

Volunteer Opportunity Posting System

• Build and maintain the workflow and SOP for VISTA members posting volunteer opportunities on the L.A. Works website.
• Train incoming VISTA members on the posting system during orientation; provide refresher support as needed.
• Track posting compliance across all host sites: number of active listings, freshness, and listing quality.
• Prepare quarterly posting activity reports for Director review; flag underperforming sites for Director follow up as needed.

Team Participation & Internal Operations

• Participate in team meetings and weekly 1-on-1s with the Program Director.
• Manage the VISTA Leader(s) and, when hired, the Program Coordinator.
• Cultivate the VISTA member alumni network on LinkedIn to support ongoing recruitment and program development.
• Foster team belonging and connection.
• Participate in all staff engagement opportunities including Taskforce, ad hoc leadership opportunities, large scale signature events, and other organization wide commitments when necessary.
• Experience with (or the ability to quickly adapt to) Zoom, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.
• Ability to commute for occasional travel throughout Los Angeles County. • Some evening and weekend commitments.
• Initiate NSWOP and check criminal history before hiring.
• Any and all other duties assigned by the supervisor.

About You:

• Collaborative, humble, responsive to constructive feedback, and a genuine team player.
• Positive attitude with a customer-service mindset, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to relate to a diverse team.
• Excellent judgment and sound decision-making skills.
• A motivated self-starter who identifies initial and next steps and performs well with minimal day-to-day oversight.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive materials and confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Extremely organized and detail oriented. • Ability to balance multiple competing projects and priorities.
• Flexible, with a strong desire to learn.
• Dedication to L.A. Works’ mission and values.
• A team player that strives to make everyone feel valued.
• Systems and detail-oriented, energized by clean data, reliable processes, and accurate reporting.
• A natural supporter and connector, who keeps ~30 members feeling seen, supported, and set up to succeed.
• Process driven and proactive, able to catch compliance issues early and keep operations running smoothly.

Key Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit management, human services, business, or related field.
• Progressive experience in program operations, coordination, or member/volunteer support, including some supervisory experience.
• Strong data and systems skills, with hands-on experience in CRMs (e.g., Salesforce) and tracking/reporting tools.
• Familiarity with AmeriCorps/VISTA member compliance and reporting (or comparable grant-funded program experience) strongly preferred.
• Excellent organization and follow-through, with the ability to manage a full recruitment pipeline and member lifecycle.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for supporting a large, diverse member cohort.
• Some form of State Issued Identification.

Interested in learning more? Visit our website for the full job description, including salary, qualifications, and application details: https://www.laworks.com/careers

L.A. Works offers a competitive benefits package, including health insurance, professional

development opportunities, a non-match 401k, and an open vacation policy, we believe

you should take the time you need, when you need it!