Associate Director of Programs

OVERVIEW:

The Associate Director of Program will report directly to the Site Director, ensuring consistency in the delivery of excellent service to students, leading site staff in defining and achieving goals against Year Up’s mission, and managing a team of Program Managers whose direct service with program staff and students allow us to achieve positive program outcomes. Working closely with the leadership team, you will define and delegate projects, serving as a leader to your team and working with and across other functional teams. Successful outcomes for this role include maintaining 85% retention during the Learning and Development phase and no more than 10% attrition in the internship phase, student satisfaction with the Program, and 75% positive outcomes 4 months after graduation.

As an ideal candidate, you’ll thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy leading efforts to constantly and consistently improve the site’s programmatic performance. You’re someone who is skilled at anticipating the needs of others and proactively takes on new challenges to support business needs, with a continued focus on planning and preparing for growth.

In keeping with Year Up’s values, the Associate Director of Program will also have the opportunity to interact with students as an advisor, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in creating and sustaining a positive educational environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

People Management

• Onboard and integrate new members to the team
• Provide close and regular management/development to each of the Program Managers, and other functions, as defined by the role
• Balance directive style with consensus while constantly moving the team to action
• Give constant strength-based feedback to individuals and to teams; have tough conversations as necessary
• Lead effective meetings and provide strong follow up
• Be an “expert at large” Learning Community member, remaining present and active in all Learning Communities
• Attend cross-site Program calls and meetings to gain context for strategic conversations; be an expert liaison back to Program Managers and other programmatic staff, as defined y the role
• Collaborate with other teams and across sites to share strategies and bring in new ideas
• Lead succession planning/pipeline development to support growth planning

Team Leadership

• Establish vision for Learning Community (LC) excellence and lead a shift towards alignment across Learning Communities
• Ensure all staff are on-boarded to LC membership and understand expectations; coordinate necessary trainings for LC members (facilitation, contract, student support, resources)
• Be the team’s resident strategic thinker; delegate as needed in order to remain high level
• Lead and facilitate weekly Program Manager team meetings to ensure collaboration, quality and consistency in working with LC staff and supporting students (through contract, individualized plans, LC activities)
• Ensure high-quality Career Development and Interpersonal Relationship curriculum delivered within and across Learning Communities
• Serve as a member of the local Program Leadership Team (if the site has one in place), collaborating with Program leaders in all other departments to ensure strong connection across functions and support goals for programmatic excellence and change management
• Coordinate/ensure coordination of cross-functional meetings and collaboration to ensure consistent, high support of students and alignment in management of performance, during all phases of the Program
• Understand and share trends in student performance (contract, resources needed, survey data) and post-graduation placement
• Coordinate critical strategy sessions for LCs, including lookbacks and planning for future cycles
• In PTC sites, develop and maintain strong relationship with college partner staff, to support strong partnership and coordination of student support

Site Team/Learning Community Member

• Serve as a coach for a small number of current students
• Join and sometimes facilitate weekly group sessions with students
• Participate in staff meetings and trainings

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional experience in workforce development or education
• Experience in management
• Proven ability to effectively lead teams and invest in the professional development of others
• Proven ability to juggle competing priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• A proactive and resourceful work style
• Ability to balance independent work with collaboration
• Clear communication style and openness to feedback and coaching
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-up
• A passion for working with young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Salary: Competitive and commensurate with relevant experience and skills.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.
• Professional Development: Funds available to support staff in achieving career objectives ($2,500 per year)

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country—a gap that Year Up is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up’s intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up has directly served more than 3 5 ,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up 's nationwide presence includes Arizona, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.

Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

Year Up actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to our young adults as we work to close the Opportunity Divide. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive work environment. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/

As an equal opportunity employer, Year Up is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.

Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We respectfully request no phone calls.

COVID-19 UPDATE:

To ensure the safety of our young adults, staff, and families as we return to in-person work, Year Up requires that all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 2, 2022, unless someone qualifies for an exception. The vaccination deadline for our Seattle staff is November 1, 2021. Subject to reasonable accommodations for individuals with medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated. Face masks and physical distancing are also required in Year Up spaces.