Program Manager, Free Tax Help
A part-time, hybrid program manager role at United Way Bay Area overseeing the Free Tax Help coalition: managing VITA tax-prep sites and partner organizations, coaching volunteers and site coordinators, ensuring IRS VITA/TCE compliance, and supporting training, CRM/data reporting, and grant reporting. Requires Bay Area residency and in-person presence.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Part time
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Must have
- Must be based in the Bay Area, California and able to attend in-person events (hybrid role)
- Takes initiative and assumes ownership of projects and responsibilities
- Independently manages priorities and drives work to completion with minimal supervision
- Strong project management, organizational, and time management skills
- Exceptional attention to detail and consistent adherence to guidelines, grant requirements, and IRS regulations
- Builds trust and credibility with partner organizations, volunteers, site coordinators, and colleagues
- Quickly learns complex tax law, technology, regulations, and operational procedures
- Adaptable to changing priorities, funding environments, and tax law updates
Nice to have
- Experience with IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or other compliance-driven community service programs
- Experience preparing individual income tax returns and providing tax law guidance
- IRS Advanced Certification or ability to obtain certification
- Experience supervising volunteers or supporting community-based partnerships
- Experience with grant-funded programs, CRM systems, or volunteer management platforms
- Bilingual proficiency in Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), or Vietnamese
Full description
About the role
The Program Manager plays a key leadership role in supporting the success, quality, and sustainability of the Free Tax Help coalition. Initially hired as a seasonal position, this role has the potential to evolve into a year-round position based on organizational needs, funding, and performance.
The Program Manager oversees assigned program areas, partner organizations, and VITA sites while providing leadership, coaching, and technical assistance to site coordinators and volunteers. This position ensures high-quality, compliant service delivery while strengthening partner capacity, improving operational effectiveness, and enhancing the volunteer and client experience.
We are seeking a collaborative, strategic, and mission-driven leader who thrives in dynamic environments and is passionate about strengthening communities through equitable access to free tax preparation services.
The successful candidate is someone who takes ownership, exercises sound judgment, and can be entrusted with complex responsibilities. They assess challenges, ask thoughtful questions, develop practical solutions, follow established guidelines and procedures, collaborate effectively with stakeholders, and independently drive work to completion with minimal supervision. They are proactive, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement while maintaining compliance, operational excellence, and exceptional service delivery.
This is a part-time position. Candidates must be based in the Bay Area, California and be able to attend in-person events as part of this hybrid role.
What you'll do
Coalition & Partner Site Management
- Manage assigned counties, partner organizations, and VITA sites.
- Serve as the primary liaison and trusted advisor to assigned site coordinators.
- Build collaborative relationships while promoting accountability, consistency, and shared success.
- Conduct site visits and provide operational coaching and technical assistance.
- Support onboarding and development of new site coordinators and partner organizations.
- Assess operational capacity, identify opportunities for improvement, and help partners implement sustainable solutions.
- Identify risks, anticipate challenges, and proactively develop solutions.
Volunteer & Program Operations
- Support volunteer recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and retention initiatives.
- Help sites maximize volunteer capacity and operational effectiveness while promoting sustainable service models.
- Collaborate on special initiatives, including virtual tax preparation and coalition-wide projects.