Implementation Manager: Social Work Research & Public Service - UTK

• The Implementation Manager provides day-to-day operational leadership for
• Tennessee Kinship Connect, Tennessee's replication of the evidence-based Ohio
• Kinship and Adoption Navigator Program (OhioKAN). Reporting to the Applied
• Research Manager, the position leads the six-month Planning Phase and 30-month
• Implementation Phase; coordinates SWORPS, DCS, Kinnect, kinship caregivers,
• implementation sites, and community partners; and ensures approved plans,
• workforce supports, fidelity monitoring, performance reporting, continuous
• quality improvement, and sustainability activities are completed on time.

This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of

the grant.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project and Grant Implementation:
• Develop, manage, and control the integrated work plan, milestones, risks, and

deliverables for the Planning and Implementation Phases.

• Lead the development, review, and submission of planning documentation to

secure Children’s Bureau approval; manage revisions through approval.

• Manage day-to-day operations across selected sites and ensure alignment with

the NOFO, award terms, and approved narrative.

• Own the performance reporting cycle; set timelines, validate inputs, and

deliver accurate semiannual reports and other Children's Bureau requests.

Partnerships, Governance, and Site Readiness

• Lead cross-partner implementation coordination; align stakeholders on

• deliverables, timelines, and decision points, and negotiate resolution of
• conflicts.

• Establish governance and communication processes; coordinate meetings,

workgroups, and shared-learning activities.

• Support site selection, organizational readiness assessments, and

execution/maintenance of at least 10 partnership agreements or MOUs.

• Strengthen referral pathways and cross-system coordination while

incorporating caregiver and stakeholder feedback.

Workforce, Operations, and Technology

• Implement and manage coaching/supervision support processes; monitor

participation and address readiness gaps for Navigators.

• Lead development and maintenance of the Tennessee Kinship Connect Program

Manual, eligibility criteria, referral workflows, and service protocols.

• Coordinate technology-supported referral, case documentation, data, and

communication infrastructure.

• Monitor workforce readiness and arrange technical assistance with Kinnect and

Children's Bureau providers.

Fidelty, Performance, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI):

• Partner with the Evaluator and Kinnect to operationalize fidelity tools,

document approved adaptations, and monitor service delivery.

• Track implementation benchmarks, enrollment, service utilization, follow-up,

partner engagement, and milestone achievement.

• Chair quarterly CQI reviews; develop corrective action plans, assign owners

and deadlines, and drive closure with documented outcomes.

• Escalate implementation barriers and monitor completion of improvement

actions.

Sustainability, Communication, and Dissemination

• Lead sustainability planning and integration efforts; develop the

• sustainability road map and drive execution of assigned work streams with
• Tennessee's child welfare and kinship-support infrastructure.

• Prepare implementation briefings, manuals, lessons learned, presentations,

and dissemination products for varied audiences.

• Support required meetings, site visits, outreach activities, and future

replication or expansion planning.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Required Qualifications
• Education and/or Experience:
• Master’s degree in social work, public administration, public health, human

services, education, organizational leadership, or related field.

• At least three years of progressively responsible experience managing

• complex human-services, child-welfare, prevention, or evidence-based
• program implementation, including multi-agency coordination, work plan
• management, and performance reporting.

• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be

considered.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Knowledge of child welfare, kinship care, evidence-based program

replication, implementation science, and fidelity concepts.

• Knowledge of federal grant deliverables, performance reporting, partnership

agreements, and CQI principles.

• Skill in project management, workplan and risk management, facilitation,

documentation, and cross-agency communication.

• Skill in translating program models and data into practical workflows,

training supports, and corrective actions.

• Ability to coordinate with diverse partners and caregivers, manage

competing deadlines, and lead work across multiple sites.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, protect confidential information, and

communicate clearly in writing and presentations.

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a
• full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for
• employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:
• Experience with federal grants; Kinship Navigator or child-welfare

• initiatives; evidence-based model replication; fidelity, CQI,
• organizational readiness, workforce development, data systems, and regional
• or statewide implementation.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Knowledge of Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Programs, OhioKAN, Tennessee

• child welfare/Relative Caregiver Program systems, implementation readiness,
• data dashboards, and sustainability planning; skill in federal grant
• administration and change management.

Work Location

• This is a remote position. The successful candidate must reside in Tennessee and
• be able to work remotely from a Tennessee residence. Occasional travel
• throughout Tennessee may be required.

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR11
• Anticipated hiring range: $70,000.00
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

[https://hr.tennessee.edu/pay/market-ranges/]

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

[https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/]

Application Instructions

• Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7
• days from posting.

Interested individuals should provide the following

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College/Department/Division

• The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is an applied
• research center of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (CSW).  We
• are a dynamic and close-knit interdisciplinary team of individuals with a shared
• vision of thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all. We do that by
• building partnerships that leverage research, technology, and human connection
• to improve lives in Tennessee and beyond.

• Over the past fifty years, SWORPS has worked with local nonprofits such as the
• United Way of Greater Knoxville, University of Tennessee departments and faculty
• researchers, state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Human Services,
• and federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our
• annual portfolio consists of 25-40 sponsored projects spanning a wealth of
• different content areas, but one common thread -each project contributes one
• more building block for thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all.

• Learn more about SWORPS and some of our programs and resources by visiting our
• webpage: https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/ [https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/]

• The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and
• innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more
• than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold
• the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and
• service.

• UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting
• colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its
• footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie
• classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry
• leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory,
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

• The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the
• Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of
• Public Service.

• UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that
• focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols
• are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career
• development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of
• development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience
• implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent,
• fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and
• engagement for everyone.

• The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning
• and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that
• Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked
• nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large
• Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best
• Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!