CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER (CPO)

The Chief Program Officer (CPO) leads Self Enhancement, Inc.’s (SEI’s) work with young people, families, residents, and community, ensuring that services are connected, responsive, and grounded in SEI’s mission. The CPO provides executive leadership for three departments (Youth Services, Community & Family Programs, and Resident & Wrap-Around Services) so that participants receive high-quality, culturally specific services that help them recognize their potential and move toward greater opportunity and stability.

The CPO turns SEI's strategic growth plan into clear program priorities and measures of progress, evaluates existing programs, and develops new services as community needs emerge. A central focus of the role is building Resident & Wrap-Around Services: identifying emerging needs, launching new programs, and forming partnerships with community providers so that residents receive integrated support that promotes stability, well-being, and long-term success.

PRIMARY DUTIES

- Provides executive leadership for SEI’s Youth Services, Community & Family Programs, and Resident & Wrap-Around Services departments, including In-School, After-School, parent education, family support, anti-poverty, and home-based stabilization services.

- Supervises, supports, and develops the directors of the three program departments, ensuring each leader has clear goals, adequate resources, appropriate authority, and opportunities for professional growth.

- Connects services across departments so that young people, families, and residents experience SEI as one organization, with coordinated referrals, shared practices, and integrated support.

- Works with the CEO and the executive team to translate SEI’s 10-Year Strategic Growth Plan into clear program priorities, supports, and measures of progress.

- Leads the design and launch of Resident & Wrap-Around Services in partnership with staff, residents, housing leaders, and program teams, including assessing emerging needs, designing new programs, building partnerships with community providers, and scaling services that promote residents’ stability, well-being, and long-term success.

- Protects and strengthens SEI’s culturally specific approach, and ensures that the SEI Relationship Model, philosophy, and mission are consistently and ethically practiced across all programs.

- Represents SEI’s programs as an African American culturally specific provider with school districts, public agencies, funders, community partners, and the public, coordinating external messaging with the Chief Impact Officer.

- Sustains strong partnerships with Portland Public, Reynolds, Centennial, and Parkrose school districts and other agencies engaged in cooperative programming.

- Oversees the annual budgets of the three program departments in partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, ensuring resources are allocated to current and long-range program needs and expenditures are monitored.

- Ensures program contracts and grants are implemented as agreed and that financial and performance reporting to funders is accurate and timely, in collaboration with Finance and Compliance.

- Partners with the Chief Compliance Officer and Director of People & Performance to ensure all programs meet legal, regulatory, and safety requirements, including mandatory reporting, fair housing obligations, and the safety and well-being of students, families, and staff; ensures program staff are trained on these requirements and that incidents are reported and addressed promptly.

- Provides program design, budget, and outcome expertise for grant and contract applications in partnership with Development, Finance, and Compliance.

- Partners with the Chief Impact Officer and Data & Technology to define program outcomes, strengthen data collection and evaluation, and use what SEI learns to improve services.

- Establishes program policies, service standards, and behavioral and performance expectations for program staff, and oversees curriculum and program design.

- Partners with Human Resources to ensure program staff receive the training, supervision, and development needed to deliver excellent services, and creates a climate that attracts, motivates, and retains talented people.

- Collaborates with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Chief Impact Officer so that SEI’s short- and long-range strategic plans are achieved within budget and established timeframes.

- Serves as an active member of SEI’s Executive Management Team.

- Performs other duties as assigned by the CEO.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, education, human services, business, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred. Extensive experience directly related to the job duties may be substituted for education requirements.

- At least seven (7) years of progressive program leadership experience, including at least three (3) years at the director level or above overseeing multiple programs, managers, and budgets, preferably within a nonprofit, public, or academic environment.

- Demonstrated experience leading culturally specific programs serving African American communities, and a deep commitment to SEI’s mission.

- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and retain staff within culturally specific organizations, and to build trust with staff, participants, and community.

- Experience in youth development, education, family services, or wrap-around services; experience with resident or housing-connected services preferred.

- Experience designing, launching, and scaling new programs or departments.

- Knowledge of nonprofit fiscal operations, funding sources, and reporting, including federal, state, and local rules and regulations that apply to government grants and contracts.

- Knowledge of public school systems, curriculum, and benchmarks preferred.

- Experience using data and evaluation to improve program quality and outcomes.

- Visionary and progressive leadership qualities with the ability to motivate excellence and influence positive organizational growth and change.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including policy and process development and the ability to present program strategy and outcomes to the Board, funders, partners, and the public.

- Proven interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact effectively with people at all levels and of diverse educational, economic, social, and cultural backgrounds.

- Must have a current and valid state driver’s license, be insurable under SEI’s auto insurance policy, and be able to work evenings and weekends as needed.

- Must pass a pre-employment background check.

Note:  This job description may change as programming evolves. SEI management reserves the right to amend this description at any time.   Updated 10072026