Chief Program Officer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Chief Program Officer roles qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in public administration, nonprofit management, or a related field. Many CPO positions sit inside large nonprofits and healthcare systems that have active PERM and H-1B filing histories, making employer-sponsored green card pathways genuinely achievable from day one.
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INTRODUCTION
Organization is seeking a Chief Program Officer to join its executive management team. Working with the Chief Executive Officer, the CPO will help articulate and carry out the agency's strategic vision while overseeing the organization's broad portfolio of programs, which support people affected by mental health issues, addiction, health challenges, and homelessness.
Programs include:
- Behavioral Health – Mental Health and Substance Use Services
- Health Homes – including adult programs and a 340B Pharmacy Program
- Prevention Education - Including Harm Reduction, HIV/STI services
- Supportive Housing, DOHMH, OASAS and HASA
Responsibilities
- With the CEO and executive team, guide strategic planning, service delivery, and management across multiple sites and departments.
- Under the Board's advisement and in partnership with the CEO and Chief Financial Officer, implement new strategic plan and develop new initiatives that advance the mission.
- Engage with the Board of Directors at the CEO's direction.
- Stay current on developments in the behavioral health workforce and community services to strengthen the organization's structure.
- Participate in budget development and maintain fiscal responsibility for a $20 million budget.
- Help diversify funding across government and private philanthropy, including supporting the annual fundraising event, government and foundation proposal writing, and stewardship of funder relationships alongside the CEO.
- Serve as liaison to key government agencies and major funders, including the AIDS Institute, SAMHSA, OASAS, HPA, and DOHMH.
- Represent the organization and its CEO on committees, task forces, and coalitions, and at speaking engagements, conference panels, and trainings.
- Directly supervise program directors, fostering a culture of transparency, inclusiveness, and openness with professional development opportunities for all staff.
- Build a high-performing, team-based culture aligned with the organization's core values of confidence, discipline, and professionalism by communicating the agency vision clearly, implementing yearly staff development plans, and mentoring.
- Guide program leadership and staff to take ownership of their work and improve program effectiveness.
- Set annual program, departmental, and staff goals, balancing workload and accountability with regular, constructive feedback.
- Oversee the coordination, integration, and delivery of all programs, contracts, and related services, fostering collaboration across program areas and consistently meeting the expectations of funders, partners, clients, and other stakeholders.
- With the CEO, COO, and Director of Behavioral Health, develop new program ideas and pilot projects.
- With development and senior staff, respond to government and foundation RFPs and RFAs, including developing model program designs.
- Monitor emerging needs among clients, government, philanthropy, and employers to keep programs relevant.
- Work closely with the finance department to budget for and monitor programmatic operations, ensuring sound fiscal and system management.
- Evaluate program effectiveness against qualitative and quantitative goals and develop an assessment protocol to determine program feasibility and sustainability and improve service delivery.
- Analyze data to inform programmatic and operational decisions, and use the existing EHR platform to increase efficiency, transparency, and collaboration across teams.
- Implement corrective measures when data show they are needed and ensure compliance with BAC's Privacy/Security and Compliance Programs and all applicable laws and regulations (HIPAA, OSHA, OMH, OASAS, and other state and federal requirements).
- Determine staffing plans to meet program goals and participate in hiring decisions for new program staff.
- Provide resources for ongoing Trauma-Informed Care training for supervisors and clinicians.
QUALIFICATIONS
- At least 12 years of experience in a nonprofit, government, or philanthropic organization overseeing multiple programs or contracts, including at least 8 years in leadership; experience at an organization serving low-income communities is ideal.
- Advanced degree in social work, psychology, public health, public administration or similar.
- Active NYS Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) license is strongly desired.
- Experience managing budgets over $8 million, with demonstrated leadership in change management and strategic planning.
- Expertise in one or more of the following: behavioral health/healthcare, health homes, workforce development, employment, or prevention education.
- Thorough knowledge of current local, state, and federal behavioral health/healthcare program trends and OMH/OASAS regulations.
- Strong management skills and experience leading a high-performing team across multiple sites, including professional development and mentorship; skilled at developing leaders from within.
- Extensive experience in program planning, organizational structure, budgeting, administrative operations, and fundraising.
- Positive track record of partnering with a Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors.
- Skilled grant writer with experience managing city, state, and federal grants.
- Ability to analyze and compile complex data for planning and reporting.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to represent BAC to a wide range of stakeholders.
- Strong relationship builder who finds common ground, builds consensus, and strengthens collaboration among internal and external stakeholders.
- Community awareness and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and empowerment.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, outcomes-driven, entrepreneurial environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; knowledge of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems; ability to keep pace with new technology.
PAY
Pay: $150,000.00 - $170,000.00 per year
BENEFITS
- 403(b)
- Health insurance
LOCATION
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Brooklyn, NY 11237
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Chief Program Officer Jobs
Align your credentials to specialty occupation standards
CPO roles must meet the H-1B specialty occupation test. Gather transcripts, job descriptions, and any professional credentials showing your degree field directly relates to program design, evaluation, or organizational strategy, not general management.
Target nonprofits and health systems over startups
Large nonprofits, federally qualified health centers, and university-affiliated research institutes file H-1B and PERM petitions far more routinely than early-stage organizations. Their HR teams already have immigration counsel on retainer, which shortens your offer-to-filing timeline significantly.
Search verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Filter CPO-level roles by employers with confirmed LCA filing history on Migrate Mate. This cuts out organizations that list 'visa sponsorship considered' but have never actually filed, saving weeks of back-and-forth during offer negotiations.
Request a PERM conversation before accepting any offer
CPO positions are typically permanent, full-time roles, the right profile for EB-2 or EB-3 PERM sponsorship. Ask during final-round interviews whether the employer has completed PERM filings before, since the recruitment documentation burden often surprises organizations doing it for the first time.
Verify prevailing wage tier before your offer letter
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for your occupation code and work location before you receive a written offer. CPO titles frequently map to Level III or IV wages, and an offer below that threshold will block LCA certification regardless of your negotiated salary.
Document your program scope to satisfy specialty occupation RFEs
USCIS increasingly issues Requests for Evidence on CPO petitions where the role blends administrative and programmatic duties. Prepare a detailed duty breakdown showing that at least 50 percent of your work requires specialized knowledge, citing budgets managed, populations served, or federally funded program components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Chief Program Officer role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, provided the employer documents that the position normally requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as public health, social work, public administration, or nonprofit management. Generic executive titles can attract scrutiny from USCIS, so the job description should tie each core duty to a particular academic discipline rather than describing broad leadership responsibilities.
Which visa types can a Chief Program Officer realistically pursue?
H-1B is the primary work visa for CPO candidates, covering initial three-year status extendable to six years. Australians can use the E-3 visa, and Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN visa if the role maps to an eligible USMCA profession. For longer-term residence, EB-2 and EB-3 green card paths via PERM labor certification are both viable given the degree requirements most CPO postings carry.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor visas for Chief Program Officer roles?
Migrate Mate shows CPO-level positions at employers with verified LCA and sponsorship filing history, so you can focus your search on organizations that have actually sponsored workers rather than those that claim openness to it. This is especially useful at the senior leadership level, where sponsorship willingness varies widely across the nonprofit and healthcare sectors.
Is a PERM green card realistic for a Chief Program Officer?
It is, but the recruitment documentation requirements are demanding at the CPO level. PERM requires the employer to demonstrate through a formal recruitment process that no qualified U.S. workers applied and were rejected. Senior roles attract more applicants, which means the employer's immigration counsel needs to carefully document each candidate review to satisfy DOL requirements and avoid an audit.
What degree background does USCIS expect for a Chief Program Officer H-1B petition?
USCIS looks for a direct relationship between the degree field and the job duties. Public health, public administration, social work, nonprofit management, and organizational leadership are all defensible fields depending on your employer's program focus. A general business or management degree may require additional evidence if the CPO role involves specialized program domains like behavioral health, housing policy, or workforce development.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Chief Program Officer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.