Program Manager - Iowa CONNECT - Psychiatry

UIOWA•Iowa City, IA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry is hiring a Program Manager to provide day-to-day operational leadership for Iowa CONNECT, a new SAMHSA-funded multidisciplinary specialty program serving adolescents and young adults ages 12–25 who may be at clinical high risk for psychosis, along with their families. The program emphasizes early identification, youth- and family-centered care, shared decision-making, culturally responsive and trauma-informed practice, and supporting participants in relationships, school, work, and community life. The Program Manager will serve as the SAMHSA-designated Program Coordinator and work closely with the Project Director/psychiatrist, clinicians, community engagement staff, supported employment and education staff, trainees, program partners, and administrative colleagues. The role focuses on building and improving program operations, including workflows, team coordination, staff onboarding and training, data and performance reporting, quality improvement, grant compliance, and budget and financial management. The Program Manager will also support strategic planning, sustainability, and integration of Iowa CONNECT within existing clinical and community systems. Following satisfactory completion of training and performance requirements, the position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement combining in-person and remote work within Iowa, subject to University policies and annual review. This is a specified-term position for 12 months, with the possibility of extension.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, public health, social work, health administration, health sciences, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
At least one year of experience managing or coordinating complex healthcare, behavioral health, research, community-service, or federally funded programs.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple workstreams, timelines, priorities, and deliverables.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
Experience with budget management, financial tracking, or administration of sponsored projects.
Experience working effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to develop, implement, and improve operational systems and workflows.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in public health, social work, psychology, health administration, or a related field.
Experience with SAMHSA, NIH, or other federally funded programs.
Two or more years of experience managing or coordinating complex healthcare, behavioral health, research, community-service, or federally funded programs.
Experience implementing behavioral-health or clinical-service programs.
Experience with serious mental illness, early psychosis, youth mental health, or community behavioral health.
Experience supervising or coordinating staff.
Experience with program evaluation, quality improvement, implementation fidelity, or performance monitoring.
Familiarity with federal grant budgeting, allowable costs, personnel effort, or financial reporting.
Experience working with institutional grants management, finance, procurement, or human resources offices.

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day implementation and operation of Iowa CONNECT and serve as the SAMHSA-designated Program Coordinator.
Develop, implement, and continuously improve workflows for referral, screening, eligibility, assessment, enrollment, treatment, follow-up, and transitions in care.
Coordinate activities across the multidisciplinary team and support communication and follow-through among clinical, outreach, vocational and educational, trainee, and administrative staff.
Work with the Project Director/psychiatrist on program priorities, staffing, clinical-program interfaces, implementation challenges, and strategic planning.
Coordinate staff onboarding, role-specific training, and implementation of program procedures.
Monitor referral volume, enrollment, census, clinician capacity, service engagement, deliverables, and program timelines.
Coordinate weekly multidisciplinary team and program meetings and ensure follow-through on operational decisions.
Identify implementation barriers and develop practical solutions with program leadership and staff.
Develop and maintain policies, procedures, tracking systems, and other operational infrastructure.
Monitor implementation and fidelity to the Iowa CONNECT service model and coordinate quality-improvement activities when gaps are identified.
Use program and participant-level data to identify opportunities to improve access, engagement, efficiency, and outcomes.
Coordinate SAMHSA performance reporting and other required program data collection with clinical and evaluation staff.
Support progress reports, continuation materials, site visits, and other federal grant requirements.
Partner with the Project Director and departmental grants and finance staff to monitor the program budget, personnel expenditures, and other costs.
Track spending against the approved budget and identify anticipated surpluses, shortfalls, staffing changes, or needed reallocations.
Assist with annual budget development, budget justifications, personnel projections, and other financial documentation.
Coordinate with University finance, sponsored programs, human resources, purchasing, and other administrative offices as needed.
Help ensure appropriate expenditure documentation and use of grant funds within applicable budget periods and federal and University requirements.
Support long-term sustainability planning and integration of Iowa CONNECT within existing clinical and community systems.
Foster a collaborative, supportive team culture focused on youth- and family-centered care, shared problem-solving, and continuous learning.