Senior Manager, Fair Chance to Advance

About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 200 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF 

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for all.

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we hire based on qualifications, and experience, and we are committed to fair opportunity for all qualified candidates – including those without a 4-year degree or with a conviction history.

About the Center for Justice & Economic Advancement

JFF’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement (CJEA) works to expand economic advancement for people with records of arrest, conviction, and incarceration by transforming employer practices, talent systems, and policy conditions. CJEA’s work spans several impact areas, including Employer Initiatives, Talent Development, Policy & Systems Change, and Communications & Narrative Change.

About Fair Chance to Advance

Fair Chance to Advance (FC2A) is a multiyear initiative led by CJEA to help states align corrections, education, workforce, and employment systems so people with histories of incarceration can access education, careers, and economic mobility. FC2A is designed to replace fragmentation with coordination, helping states build stronger fair chance ecosystems and pathways to quality jobs.

About the Position

The Senior Manager, Fair Chance to Advance is an individual contributor role that sits within JFF’s Field Implementation Team (FIT) and is fully aligned to CJEA. This role will lead core project management, stakeholder engagement, and event coordination functions that support FC2A’s State Action Networks and State Readiness Networks, with a particular focus on onboarding new network members, managing steering committee operations, coordinating with external partners, and supporting in-person and virtual convenings. The Senior Manager will report to Lisa Durkin, FIT Cluster Director, and will collaborate closely with colleagues across CJEA, FIT, and external project partners. While this role will initially provide support to FC2A and State Readiness Networks under CJEA, this Senior Manager could be deployed across projects sponsored by different Practices and Centers at JFF over time; this would be based on JFF's evolving needs and your skill sets and interests.

This role is well suited for someone who is energized by building strong cross-sector relationships, keeping complex state-based work-streams moving, and translating strategy into clear operational systems. The ideal candidate will bring strong project management skills, an ability to navigate ambiguity and is seen as a strong collaborator and connector. They will demonstrate subject matter expertise in engaging and supporting programs, initiatives and/or work-streams that impact people with histories of incarceration.

What You'll Do 

State Network Member Onboarding and Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage the onboarding of new State Network members, including hosting 1:1 onboarding meetings, tracking onboarding progress, and helping members understand how to engage effectively in the network.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with state network stakeholders, helping surface priorities, questions, opportunities, and feedback.
• Support strong communication channels across State Networks so that insights, updates, and emerging needs are elevated clearly to project leadership and relevant internal teams.
• Coordinate closely with external project partners supporting FC2A workstreams to help track progress, maintain communication, and ensure timely follow-through on shared priorities.

State Network Steering Committee Management

• Serve as a project manager for FC2A State Networks by maintaining work-plans and project plans in Asana, creating status reports, facilitating JFF internal project team meetings, and ensuring the team delivers on key deliverables and timelines.
• Manage recurring meetings for each state network’s steering committee, including scheduling, agenda development, documentation, recording, transcription, follow-up notes, action items, and continuity across meetings.
• Track member engagement and participation trends, and help identify where additional follow-up, re-engagement, or support may be needed.
• Partner with state-based coordinators to maintain each network’s communications systems, including SharePoint file-sharing, email lists, Teams chats, and shared calendars.
• Co-own and co-manage the FC2A inbox and shared drive for external project partners.
• Contribute to regular updates or newsletters circulated to keep affiliate network members informed.

Event Logistics and Convening Support

• Partner with state partners and JFF’s Events team on the planning, coordination, and documentation of annual state summits, site visits, and related FC2A convenings.
• Serve as a key point of contact for communications, invitations, logistics, and follow-up tied to state summits and other FC2A events.
• Travel as needed to support in-person meetings, summits, site visits, and relationship-building activities connected to state network implementation.

Who You Are

• You bring strong project management experience and a track record of coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from planning through execution, preferably with stakeholders across state agencies, workforce development institutions, corrections agencies, postsecondary institutions and/or policy. New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5–8+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance roles.
• You bring subject matter expertise in engaging and supporting programs, initiatives and/or work-streams that impact people with histories of incarceration.
• You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and brainstorming creative solutions to challenges as they arise.
• You are highly organized and have a strong instinct for building systems that improve reliability, clarity, communication, and follow-through.
• You have strong written and verbal communication skills and are comfortable with building relationships and managing communications with external partners, especially state agency representatives.
• You are comfortable facilitating meetings, coordinating agendas and action steps, and helping teams use meeting time efficiently and stay focused on outcomes.
• You are comfortable learning and navigating multiple technology systems in parallel, including platforms such as Asana, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Salesforce, and related project management and collaboration tools.
• You are confident managing documentation, file organization, records, and communications with care and consistency.
• You are comfortable coordinating virtual and in-person event logistics and are willing to travel to support FC2A network meetings, state summits, and site visits.
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work.   
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s inclusion, belonging, and well-being values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing and celebrating the differences that each individual brings to JFF. 
• You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own.

What We Offer 

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers. 

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.

To Apply 

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Lisa Durkin, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

We are accepting applications through Friday, July 10th by 5pm ET. Applications submitted by that date and time will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of July 13th and 20th.

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.