Position Title: Youth Worker FLSA Code: Exempt

Department: Youth Development Report to: Youth Program Manager

Position Overview
Founded in 1971, Centers for New Horizons, Inc. (Centers) is a nonprofit organization that assists children, youth, and families to become self-reliant. With 200 full-time staff, most of whom live in or near its service communities, Centers provides programs in seven locations throughout the Bronzeville and Riverdale communities of Chicago's Southside that reach over 1,000 individuals daily

Position Description
Work collaboratively with partnering school to coordinate after-school academic, social-emotional, and enrichment interventions. Manage and direct all program instructors; ensure the safety of all students and participants of the programs; facilitate strong working relationships with school principals, other administrators, teachers and other school staff, implement monthly events that engages the participants’ families in enriching and educational workshops. Manage Out of School Time program and work in collaboration with parents, students, teachers, CNH Directors and School’s administrators to develop new and sustainable programs. Individual accountabilities and work volume will be established through the development of annual Success Objectives, within the framework outlined below. Coordinate and organize public events that unite the community utilizing schools as the center for learning and positive engagement.
Essential Functions

• Manage after-school programs and work in collaboration with students, teachers, parents, CNH administrators and School’s administrators to develop new and sustainable programs
• Create plan for programs to be offered at school (during and after school programming for adult and children) that directly relate to the compliance requirements of the funding source that will provide the funds for the services
• Work with school leaders to develop and implement a recruitment plan for program and services
• Maintain timely and accurate attendance records for all programs, including: program rosters, paper attendance forms and sign-in sheets, electronic attendance tracking.
• Develop a plan or procedure to ensure all instructors submit attendance on time
• Collect attendance on a regular basis to ensure compliance by all instructors.
• Follow payment schedule to ensure timely submittal of check requests
• Keep copies of documentation submitted
• Ensure that instructors are submitting a timesheet and reporting hours on a timely basis for all scheduled pay periods
• Work with CNH and school administrators to develop and maintain budgets and expenses for all programs
• Supervise and evaluate the performance of staff including instructors, security, and volunteers.
• Coordinate and help to facilitate meetings of the Leadership Team that works to evaluate and strengthen programs offered.
• Strengthen and enhance the partnership between school and CNH to ensure it is a strong and sustainable partnership.
• Cultivate relationships with other local schools and social service organizations to continually enhance the services provided at the Community School.
• Tracks participant activity and Progress data
• Assists instructors in the collection of educational materials as requested
• Special projects as assigned by the Program Director.
  

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in social work, education, or related human service field from an approved accredited college/university
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with children and/or adults in a non-profit, social service or community development organization

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to resolve and/reframe conflict.
• Experience with providing supervision of youth/young adults.
• Two years of experience working with elementary or high school age youth
• Ability to understand and interpret the policies, procedures, and general organizational structure of the Chicago Public Schools
• Strong written and oral communication skills, as well as ability to present information effectively in one-on-one and small group situations.
• Competency in MS office applications.
• Background check conducted as a condition of employment.
• Must have working knowledge of Microsoft Office or at minimum, Microsoft Word.
• Must have reasonable proficiency in keyboarding.

Worker Traits:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to get along with diverse personalities, tactful, mature, and flexible.
• Excellent organizational skills, demonstrates ability to plan and manage projects, to juggle multiple responsibilities simultaneously to meet deadlines.
• Flexible and creative.

Work Environment:
The typical work environment is in an office setting and representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to travel locally and work/visit various sites.
• The employee may be required to visit customers in their offices, factories and/or institutional settings.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.
• The noise in the work environment is moderate.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee may be required to remain on Organization premises during breaks and/or meal periods and may be required to stay on Organization premises until their replacement arrives.
• May be required to visit clients in their homes or in institutions.
• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear.
• The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Equipment Used:
Employee will generally use the telephone, computer, calculator, copier, overhead projector, paper shredder, paper cutter, and filing systems.


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