Senior Manager, Direct Services

About Think of Us

Think of Us (TOU) is transforming the child welfare system into one where young people and families can heal, develop, and thrive. We drive purpose-driven work aligned with meaningful systems change, powered by data and the insights of lived experience. Our focus is on prevention, keeping families strong before crisis, and on building kinship-first systems so children grow up with people they know and trust. Through bold collaborations with leaders and innovators across the public and private sectors — from Presidential Administrations to local providers — we identify leverage points and co-create solutions that re-architect child welfare for the future.

Here’s what this looks like:

• Built the Lived Experience Engine into the largest dataset of its kind (51,000+ voices), powering AI tools and shaping reforms
• Partnered with California to launch the Kinship Accelerator in 8 counties, backed by $150M and a budget increase from $317M → $896M
• Drove a national kin-first shift: 39 states (plus 5 tribes) adopting kinship standards, unlocking $3B for families
• Operate one of the largest direct resource networks, connecting 1,827 families to $28M+ in support 

Our team members share a commitment to driving systems change through creative problem-solving, obsessive curiosity, and a love of quickly driving innovative, measurable, and impactful results. 

Position Overview

Department: Programs & Services - Direct Services 

Reports to: Senior Director, Care Navigation 

Direct Reports: Care Navigators 

Location: Hybrid; Washington, DC (min. 3 days in the office) 

Category: Full Time; Exempt 

Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates and will be provided based on organizational guidelines and approved eligibility criteria. 

Category: Full Time; Exempt 

Think of Us (TOU) is seeking a mission-driven, relationship-centered leader to serve as Senior Manager of Direct Services — providing frontline program leadership and day-to-day operational oversight of TOU's Care Navigation model. This role leads a team of Care Navigators delivering whole-person, relationship-centered support to kinship families, foster youth, and transition-age youth (TAY), with lived experience centered as a core design and accountability mechanism throughout. 

This role also holds management responsibility for the team's chat bot feature — a function newly introduced to Care Navigation to help extend timely, always-available support to help seekers alongside the team's human navigators. The Senior Manager will ensure this tool is deployed thoughtfully, monitored for quality and safety, and continuously refined based on frontline and help-seeker feedback. 

This role sits at the intersection of frontline team leadership, service quality oversight, and human-centered innovation. The Senior Manager will ensure Care Navigators deliver consistent, high-quality support; will integrate learning from real-world practice into the evolving service model; and will help refine the tools, workflows, and methods that combine human connection with AI-powered navigation. 

At Think of Us, direct service is not separate from systems change — it is systems change in action. The Senior Manager of Direct Services holds the vision that every family and young person served is both supported in the moment and contributing, through their team's practice and insight, to the evidence base that transforms child welfare at scale. This role reflects Think of Us's belief that the future of support combines the best of human compassion and technology — where Care Navigators, AI-assisted tools, and human connection co-execute to meet the needs of kinship families and transition-age youth efficiently, equitably, and with deep empathy. 

Candidates must be based in Washington, DC and able to meet the hybrid requirements (minimum 3 days per week in office) of this role in order to be fully considered. 

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise and coach a team of Care Navigators, setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and unconditional positive regard. 
• Provide weekly supervision, daily support, and ongoing coaching to ensure alignment with Think of Us's values, service ethos, and data quality standards. 
• Develop and maintain team workflows that promote collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement across the Care Navigation team. 
• Support Care Navigators in adapting to evolving tools, practice frameworks, and case manage