Founded in 2003, GiGi's Playhouse Inc.’s mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome and send a global message of acceptance for all. This is accomplished through national campaigns, purposeful programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. All programs are free and are therapeutic or educational in nature. Each one of our programs is designed to work on specific skill development, including speech and language, literacy, socialization, and fine and gross motor skills. GiGi’s Playhouse currently has over 61+ locations across North America and is growing by several locations annually.  

 

Position Summary: 
The National Group Programs Manager is responsible for overseeing the development, execution, and continuous improvement of GiGi’s Playhouse group programs for all ages, focusing on fitness & nutrition, therapeutic, and social-development programs. This position ensures high-quality program delivery at the National Playhouse while serving as a mentor and subject matter expert for group programs across the network. The Manager collaborates with Playhouses, volunteers, and national teams to ensure consistency, engagement, and measurable outcomes, ultimately promoting excellence in program execution nationwide. 

 

Essential Job Functions:  

Program Development and Management 

  • Develop, revise, enhance and implement a robust curriculum for group programs ensuring consistency and alignment with GiGi’s Core Values. 

  • Collaborate with the virtual programs team to deliver hybrid and remote programming, enabling more playhouses to offer group programs without dedicated program staff. 

  • Establish and update program materials, guides, and tools to support local and virtual facilitation, enabling a broad reach and high-quality program delivery. 

  • Serve as the subject matter expert on group therapeutic and education programming, supporting the creation of best practices and training materials to be shared across the network. 

  • Pilot new group programs and develop clear timelines, objectives, and roll-out plans for the national network. 

 

Community Engagement 

  • Develop and oversee group program curriculum, collaborating with playhouses and the outreach team to expand program reach and opportunities. 

  • Promote GiGi’s Playhouse programs and initiatives to build awareness and foster acceptance of the skills, talents, and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome. 

  • Collaborate with local Playhouse teams to understand community needs and align program offerings accordingly. 

  • Gather feedback from families and participants to improve program planning and delivery. 

  • Actively participate in Playhouse and national events to represent group programs and promote engagement. 

  • Support marketing efforts by providing stories, impact statements, and photos for newsletters, social media, and promotional materials. 

 

Volunteer and Staff Training and Coordination 

  • Develop and implement comprehensive training curricula for group program volunteers. 

  • Provide Playhouses with the tools, resources, and best practices needed to recruit, onboard, and train volunteers independently. 

  • Empower Playhouses to manage volunteer placement and scheduling by offering guidance on effective processes and strategies. 

  • Create and deliver training materials that emphasize program delivery excellence, participant engagement, and volunteer retention strategies. 

  • Equip Playhouses with techniques to recognize, motivate, and retain volunteers to support long-term program success. 

  • Partner with Playhouses to identify and address gaps in volunteer knowledge or skills, ensuring volunteers are prepared and confident in leading group programs. 

 

Program Monitoring and Impact Measurement 

  • Track program participation, volunteer hours, and outcomes using Salesforce and other tools. 

  • Monitor and evaluate participant progressions to ensure programs achieve measurable impacts. 

  • Collect and report on program data for grants, fundraising, and network-wide trends. 

  • Work with Playhouses to minimize administrative burdens while ensuring data accuracy. 

 

Continuous Improvement and Innovation 

  • Manage an Excellence Committee to evaluate and enhance therapeutic objectives. 

  • Maintain a project log for continuous improvement ideas for programs, curricula, and tools. 

  • Regularly review program performance, gather best practices, and implement innovative solutions. 

  • Approve and guide proposals for new specialty programs submitted by Playhouses. 

 

Collaboration and Leadership 

  • Work with the National Programs team to ensure that group programs align with the overall strategic goals of GiGi’s Playhouse Inc. 

  • Serve as an ambassador of GiGi’s Playhouse, embodying its core values and representing the organization at events, conferences, and meetings. 

 

Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in education, Special Education, Social Work, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred. 

  • Minimum of three years’ experience in program management. 

  • Proven ability to develop curriculum and manage program implementation across multiple locations. 

  • Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience in training and managing volunteers. 

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce or similar CRM tools. 

 

Core Competencies: 

  • Team Collaboration: Works well with others and is open to feedback; contributes to a positive team environment. 

  • Community Engagement: Builds relationships with employers and community partners to create opportunities for program participants. 

  • Problem-Solving: Ability to identify challenges and develop solutions collaboratively and effectively. 

  • Adaptability: Flexible in managing competing priorities and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment. 

  • Customer Service: Responds promptly to the needs of program participants and their families. 

  • Initiative and Work Ethic: Proactively seeks opportunities for program improvement and is willing to go above and beyond to ensure successful program outcomes. 

 

GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values:     
GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the following core values:    

  • Enthusiasm: Bringing positive, high energy to our work    

  • Best of All: Always looking to improve in all that we do.  Challenge yourself every day.    

  • Get It Done: Making things happen and blasting through barriers when needed; figure it out.    

  • Believe: Believe in ourselves, believe in our mission, believe we can achieve all that we set out to achieve    

  • Locally Concerned, Enterprise Minded: Bringing our Best of All to our local playhouse while being mindful of how our work affects the broader GiGi’s network.    

   

The job duties listed in this job description may not be inclusive of all the requirements of this position. Other duties may be assigned by your supervisor to meet organizational needs. As part of your role at GiGi’s Playhouse, attendance at the Annual Leadership Conference and any designated offsite planning events is mandatory and considered a condition of employment. Additionally, participation in GiGi’s Playhouse signature events, such as the Gala, GFAC (GiGi’s Fit Acceptance Challenge), and other Inc.-sponsored initiatives, may also be required. These events are integral to fostering collaboration, advancing our mission, and supporting organizational success.