Program director Jobs in Austin, TX

Program Director

Since 1995, Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas (CACTX) has led efforts to effectuate change, empower communities, and make the safety of children a top priority in Texas. CACTX and our network of children's advocacy centers (CACs) have helped over one million children and their families impacted by abuse and crime achieve safety, justice, and healing.

Our dual approachresponding to crimes against children and preventing child sexual abusesafeguards childhood, building a future in which Texas children can thrive and reach their full potential.

Under the supervision of the Chief Prevention Officer and in alignment with organizational strategy, the Program Director will play a key role in advancing innovative approaches to protecting children, including the expansion of our child sexual abuse prevention initiative, and the development of additional strategies that protect childhood.

This position supports a dynamic portfolio of strategies and projects, providing leadership in project management, strategic development, evaluation, and cross-sector partnership building. The ideal candidate is highly organized, a strong communicator, collaborative, and thrives in evolving environments. This is a high-autonomy role suited for a mid-career professional equally comfortable managing details and contributing to big picture strategy.

Essential Job Functions

• Manage complex projects, including, but not limited to, research projects, pilot initiatives, program development, and contracts with vendors and/or consultants
• Support the design, incubation, testing, and scaling of innovative strategies, including expansion efforts related to our child sexual abuse prevention initiative.
• Develop issue specific content and messaging for a variety of audiences and applications, including reports, presentations, proposals, and campaigns focused on programmatic initiatives
• Create practical tools, guidance, and resources to support key programmatic implementation, continuous improvement, and field adoption
• In partnership with a cross-functional team, engage proactively in the identification and cultivation of strategic partnerships and stakeholders to advance programmatic strategies
• Translate strategic priorities into clear workplans, timelines, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
• In partnership with team members and vendors, identify evaluation and data collection needs, methods, and opportunities that will enable meaningful impact measurement of programmatic efforts
• Stay informed on emerging research and best practices and contribute to the organization's thought leadership in child abuse prevention and related strategies.

Minimum Educational and Professional Requirements

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• 5-8 years of relevant professional experience (e.g., high-impact program development, strategy, philanthropy, communications, or related fields).
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects and driving initiatives from concept through execution.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information and tell compelling, data-informed stories.
• Strong interpersonal skills with high emotional intelligence, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Familiarity with issues related to child abuse prevention, trauma-informed approaches, and/or children's advocacy centers preferred.
• Ability to connect day-to-day work to broader organizational and field-wide impact.
• Demonstrated learning agility, with the ability to absorb new subject matter and apply insights rapidly.
• Ability to travel.
• Must have own transportation.

CACTX is an equal opportunity employer. All applications will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.