Job Description

Job / Position Title: Wish Manager (Bilingual, local wishes)

Department: Mission Delivery

Supervisor: Vice President of Mission Delivery

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. From our humble beginnings with one boy’s wish to be a police officer, we have evolved to be one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 100 local volunteers, Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana granted 650 children’s wishes last year.

Position Summary: This role offers the opportunity to directly impact the lives of children with critical illnesses by leading the wish experience from start to finish. As part of one of the nation’s leading chapters, you’ll help bring hope, strength, and joy to families while contributing to a high-performing, mission-driven team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Wish Planning & Execution

• Works within the structure and design of wish granting policies and procedures to ensure quality wishes are granted while maintaining sensitivity to the needs of wish families and their unique circumstances. Always looking for a solution that enables a child to receive their one true wish within the Make-A-Wish standards and guidelines.
• Ensures that vision of the child is met to best of organizational ability. Exercises independent judgement through wish discovery in circumstances where children are undecided or are unable to verbalize their wish.
• Independently analyzes applicable medical data and social work information for each child receiving a wish to ensure that any medical needs are adequately addressed in the wish process. Communicates directly with medical professionals to obtain any additional medical information needed to proceed with wish planning.
• Manages all specific aspects involved with each wish, including but not limited to: transportation, accommodation, services, assisting chapters, project planning, medical equipment, necessary medical forms, liability forms, and itineraries.
• Responsible for developing and ensuring an appropriate and unique budget for each wish.
• Monitors cash costs closely adjusting wish expenses as needed.
• Inputs, updates, and maintains wish information in Salesforce database as planning/progression of wish occurs.
• Ensures all wish follow up work is completed; anecdotal reports, wish receipt, in-kinds, wish file close out, etc.

Team & Volunteer Leadership

• Mentors and supports Wish Coordinators in collaboration with the Vice President of Mission Delivery:
• Oversee performance and provide input for annual performance evaluations.
• Perform communication follow-up sessions with wish granting team to assure completion of assigned tasks and goal achievement.
• Provides support and training on high acuity/challenging wishes (i.e.: medical needs, family dynamics, rush wishes, etc.)

Medical & Crisis Coordination

• Provides 24-hour on-call coverage on active wishes in case load as needed.
• Responsible for responding to any medical emergencies, or other emergencies during the timeframe that the wish child/family is engaged in the wish. Accountable for independently modifying wish plans as necessary to accommodate wish emergencies. Will responsibly return wish family emergency phone calls within 1 hour of emergency notification.
• Effectively performs crisis communication and reflective listening techniques with wish families.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Provides excellent customer service and communication to wish children, wish families, volunteers, affiliates, medical professionals, vendors, donors, and co-workers.
• Identifies, obtains, and maintains donors as wish resources on a continual basis.
• Represents Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana at annual events; works as a liaison and support figure for wish families who are in attendance.

Team & Volunteer Leadership

• Responsible for training, guiding, and managing volunteers in each wish granted. Provide wish granting volunteers with the most up-to-date and current tools to help facilitate volunteer responsibilities in the best way possible as it relates to wishes.

Program Oversight & Reporting

• Works in close collaboration with VP of Mission Delivery and retains sole discretion for planning and managing the quality of each wish from initial determination to completion.
• Ensures wishes are granted expeditiously, with uniformity, using the highest standards of excellence while adhering to budget and policies.
• Briefs Vice President of Mission Delivery on progress of goals and updated program activities.
• Reviews wish satisfaction survey results monthly and addresses any concerns expressed by wish families with the team to correct them.

Compliance & Culture

• Maintain sensitivity and confidentiality to families being served by the Foundation.
• Adhere to all Make-A-Wish® America performance standards and Make-A-Wish® Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana policies and procedures.
• Perform other job duties, as assigned.

Knowledge and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills.
• Ability to navigate sensitive conversations with empathy and professionalism.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks effectively.
• Detail-oriented and well organized.
• Ability to motivate and support a diverse constituency in a team-oriented atmosphere.
• Provide excellent customer service and representation of Make-A-Wish to external supporters and all wish families.
• Fulfill wishes and interact with families in a compassionate and caring manner, sensitive to the challenging circumstances that may be present in families’ lives.
• Able to successfully work in, motivate, and support a collaborative, team-oriented organization.
• Commitment to and have a passion for the mission of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.
• Confidentiality and personal integrity are essential.
• Experience in volunteer management or working directly with mission critical volunteers
• Experience with developing and implementing creative solutions to time sensitive work.
• Proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office and database management (Salesforce).

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 1–3 years of leadership or supervisory experience (leading teams or departments).
• Project management experience required (overseeing timelines, budgets, and teams).
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, goal setting, and evaluating program effectiveness through qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams toward shared goals.
• Demonstrated skill in conflict resolution and performance management.
• Fluency in Spanish (spoken and written) required to effectively support Spanish-speaking families and stakeholders.

Working Conditions

This position is in Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana chapter, and will be based at the Stafford, TX office The position requires the individual to work in an office environment in a shared office space. Incumbent must be willing to work some nights/weekends. This position primarily requires in-office work, with the flexibility to telecommute two days per week. Some local travel may be required for wish coordination and chapter events.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including 100% employer paid for healthcare, dental, and vision insurance; basic life insurance; short-term and long-term disability. Medical coverage for employee’s family members is available through company policy, with a portion of this coverage subsidized by employer.

After one year of service, employees become eligible to participate in a company 401(k) retirement savings plan, with an employer match up to 6% of compensation.

We offer full-time employees a hybrid work schedule, beginning with one remote day per week, moving to two remote days per week after six months. Our chapter provides generous paid time off, as well as 14-16 paid holidays in a calendar year, including a week near the end of December.

Join Our Team of Inspired People Transforming Lives

We are more than a great place to volunteer - our work is life changing. We are an inclusive and diverse group of people who, through a mosaic of backgrounds, thoughts and experiences are united in purposeful work. We are fueled and guided by our values - values that are represented in the inspired people we work with and the transformational work we do every day.

We respect and ensure equal opportunity, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, perceived disability, and other legally protected characteristics.

Job Tags

Full time, Temporary work, Work at office, Local area, Remote work, Night shift, Weekend work, 2 days per week, 1 day per week,

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