Project Manager

About Us:  Caminar is a leading behavioral health organization that supported over 48,000 youth and adults across six counties in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area last year. ​
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Caminar's mission is to build strength and stability through comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment and wrap-around services delivered through evidence-based, whole-person care. The organization was founded in 1964, and our vision is to be a BEACON of SAFETY, COMPASSION, and FULFILLMENT, supporting all those in our communities who need it most. ​

Caminar values diversity. People of all races, ethnicities, countries of origin, faiths, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities are welcome here. To learn more, please visit www.caminar.org.

Position Summary: As Caminar expands its portfolio of behavioral health services, this role plays a critical part in building the organization’s capacity to design, launch, and sustain new programs with precision and rigor. The Project Manager leads the structured implementation of multiple organizational initiatives, with an initial focus on the Caminar Teen and Family Wellness Center — a new, high-priority service startup.

This is not a coordination-only role. The Project Manager is responsible for translating clinical and operational goals into disciplined implementation plans, establishing the systems and infrastructure needed for program longevity, and ensuring that Caminar’s launch processes reflect the quality and accountability standards required of a high-performing behavioral health organization. The ideal candidate brings deep familiarity with clinical environments, a structured approach to change management, and the judgment to navigate the complexity of multi-stakeholder healthcare programs.

The overall scope of this role includes responsibility for leading organization-wide implementation efforts that advance strategic priorities, strengthen cross-functional execution, and create scalable practices that support consistent, high-quality program launches across Caminar.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Program Implementation & Launch Readiness

• Develop and manage comprehensive project plans, implementation of roadmaps, milestone trackers, and go-live readiness assessments for all assigned initiatives.
• Define clear scope, schedule, and resource requirements for each program; proactively identify gaps between current state and launch-ready conditions.
• Lead structured pre-launch planning processes including workflow design, staffing readiness reviews, training coordination, documentation standards, and operational dry runs. Identify project risks, maintain issue logs, and escalate implementation barriers to executive leadership with clear recommendations for resolution.
• Drive the transition from planning to activation and through stabilization, ensuring programs reach sustainable operations with fidelity to design intent.

Organizational Capacity Building

• Partner with clinical, operational, and administrative leaders to strengthen Caminar’s internal implementation infrastructure — including tools, templates, protocols, and competency frameworks that can be applied across future program launches.
• Document implementation of learnings, establish repeatable processes, and contribute to a growing library of organizational best practices for new program development.
• Support the development of staffing models, clinical workflow standards, referral pathway design, and documentation practices that reflect both regulatory requirements and evidence-based care delivery.
• Identify and address gaps in team readiness, systems integration, and operational capacity before they launch barriers.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate workstreams across clinical operations, compliance, quality assurance, IT, facilities, finance, HR, training, internal and external communication leads, and external vendors to ensure aligned and accountable execution.
• Facilitate regular project meetings, maintain decision logs, track action items, and ensure timely escalation of risks, dependencies, or blockers.
• Partner with compliance and quality teams to ensure all program activities align with regulatory requirements, payer and contract expectations, and organizational standards.
• Manage vendor relationships, equipment procurement, technology implementation, space readiness, and other launch logistics with structured accountability.

Reporting & Stakeholder Communication

• Provide clear, concise, and timely project status updates to executive sponsors, program leaders, and key stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain executive-ready dashboards, launch readiness reports, risk registers, and implementation summaries.
• Monitor progress against scope, budget, and timeline; proactively surface variances and recommend course corrections.

• Drive own vehicle to treatment facilities and liaison destinations as required, documenting and reporting mileage per agency procedures.
• Perform other related duties, responsibilities, and special projects as assigned.