8 Cents in a Jar, Inc Program Lead, Family & Parent Engagement Apopka, FL · Full time Company website

Apply for Program Lead, Family & Parent Engagement

8 Cents in a Jar is a cornerstone of financial stability in Central Florida, guiding students within the ALICE population and families living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. Since 2016, this nonprofit has steered students aged 8 to 28 toward economic mobility through targeted financial education. Our mission is to enlighten youth from under-resourced communities with financial life skills and resources to prevent poverty and rise to a higher economic position.

We nurture fiscal responsibility and self-reliance through meticulously designed educational initiatives, integrating personal finance, financial social work, and community wealth-building. This approach helps students heal from financial traumas, make informed financial decisions, and contribute to the local economy.

The impact is evident in the tangible progress of our students, who have collectively saved substantial amounts and are moving closer to a positive net worth. In a region marked by financial disparities, 8 Cents in a Jar offers students a chance to break free from generational poverty and forge a future filled with economic opportunities.

If working with parents and families, and helping households build greater economic stability energize your soul, you'll love to:

1. Program Leadership & Parenting Advancement

• Lead the planning, implementation, and ongoing management of parent and family programs, ensuring activities align with organizational goals and funded commitments.
• Manage cohorts, workshops, family-centered activities, and signature program experiences from initial planning through successful completion.
• Lead parenting programs focused on child development, family functioning, effective communication, wellness, financial capability, economic stability, and parent leadership.
• Coordinate services for young and expectant parents, helping participants navigate parenting responsibilities, education, employment, and family well-being.
• Develop program calendars, session plans, activities, and delivery approaches that respond to participant needs.
• Coordinate qualified facilitators and subject-matter experts while remaining prepared to lead discussions or facilitate appropriate activities when needed.
• Create welcoming, culturally responsive experiences that reflect the realities, interests, and challenges of participating in families.
• Support related to emerging-adult programming as organizational needs require.

2. Family Recruitment & Parent Engagement

• Develop and execute outreach strategies to recruit, enroll, and retain parents, caregivers, young parents, and families.
• Conduct targeted outreach throughout Orange County, with particular attention to families residing in East Orlando (preference in 32822 and 32809).
• Build trusted relationships with participants and maintain consistent communication before, during, and after program activities.
• Coordinate participant enrollment, orientation, follow-up, and ongoing engagement to support program participation and completion.
• Identify barriers such as scheduling, transportation, access to resources, and competing family responsibilities, and develop practical approaches to improve participation.
• Create meaningful opportunities for families to engage with one another, access support, and apply what they learn.
• Monitor recruitment and retention efforts, adjusting strategies to meet program goals and participant needs.

3. Program Engagement & Reporting

• Coordinate program logistics, schedules, facilitators, materials, locations, and resources to ensure programs are organized and ready for delivery.
• Collaborate with the Director of Programs & Strategic Partnerships to engage community partners and identify resources that enhance program experiences.
• Coordinate with the Volunteer Program Manager to identify volunteer needs and incorporate assigned volunteers into program activities.
• Help create repeatable systems and partnerships that strengthen program quality, consistency, and scalability.
• Monitor enrollment, attendance, participation, retention, and participant progress using organizational systems and tools.
• Maintain accurate participant records and collaborate with program and data staff to document assessments, surveys, referrals, milestones, and outcomes.
• Track progress toward funded commitments, identify performance gaps, and take appropriate action to keep programs on course.
• Communicate program updates, challenges, and recommendations to leadership while using participant feedback and data to improve delivery.

4. Thought Leadership & Advocacy

• Champion the mission of 8 Cents in a Jar and its Economic Succession approach to preventing poverty and increasing economic mobility.
• Understand the experiences of parents and families from ALICE households and economically marginalized communities.
• Recognize that family needs often extend beyond a single program and help participants access appropriate resources and opportunities.
• Build relationships grounded in empathy, cultural awareness, accountability, consistency, and high expectations.
• Demonstrate the organization's core values of Fluid, Determined, Intentional, Connected, and Enlightenment through daily decisions, collaboration, and service delivery.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of experience supporting or leading community-based programs serving parents, caregivers, families, young adults, and economically marginalized communities.
• Background in parenting education, family services, human services, education, workforce development, economic mobility, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience engaging parents and families through outreach, education, family services, or community-based programming.
• Verbal communication proficiency in both English and Spanish preferred.
• Proven ability to independently plan, coordinate, and execute programs, workshops, cohorts, or community initiatives from start to finish.
• Experience recruiting, enrolling, engaging, and retaining participants while building trusted relationships within the community.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to evolving needs.
• Knowledge of Orange County communities, particularly family-serving organizations and resources in East Orlando, preferred.
• Experience using participant management and data collection systems, including Salesforce, preferred.
• Ability to work remotely while regularly traveling throughout Central Florida for field-based programming, including occasional evenings and weekends.