Program Director

Our mission is to impact generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors—12 years, no matter what. Unlike other programs, we exclusively focus on children who are also facing many systemic obstacles for whom short-term solutions and single-programmatic solutions will not work. Throughout the 12 years in the program, our team supports youth to set and accomplish academic and developmental goals, while consistently supporting each of them through the unique challenges they face. Over the long-term, our goals ensure that youth graduate from high school ready for post-secondary education, employment, or military service, steer clear of the juvenile justice system, set positive life goals, and adopt healthy lifestyles. Ultimately, our trauma-informed approach supports youth to develop skills for self-sufficiency, breaking the cycle of generational poverty, so they will thrive as mentally and physically healthy, empowered members of society.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

A. Organizational Leadership

• Participate in organizational meetings with the Leadership Team, the Board of Directors, and Board committees
• Participate in development and oversight of annual budget and organizational strategic planning
• Partner with Director of Operations to hire and onboard effective, qualified team members:
  • Conduct interviews
  • Lead program staff onboarding
  • Identify partnerships to provide employee recruitment pipelines
    • Colleges and universities
    • Community partners
    • Job Fairs
• Value and foster an organizational culture of philanthropy
  • Participate in donor meetings
  • Facilitate program participation in fundraising and donor cultivation events
  • Collaborate on grant applications and manage deliverables
• Collaborate with the Friends network
  • Build strong relationships with network Program Directors and National staff
  • Monthly Program Director calls
  • Participate in program initiatives
  • Attend annual network program convening at different chapter locations
  • Serve as a strategic thought partner with National and network chapters
• Comfortable communicating with a wide range of audiences:
  • Timely, transparent, appropriate communications for a team that is largely remote
  • Multi-cultural youth and families
  • Community resources, partners, and businesses
  • Donors
  • Public speaking engagements
• Participate in and support meetings and programming for our organization during times that may fall outside of the traditional work week
• Ability to pivot and respond to unplanned, urgent situations
• Develop, implement, and oversee other projects as required

B. Program Leadership

• Build and maintain a culture that celebrates, collaborates, reflects, and adjusts to ensure the greatest outcomes for our youth and families
• Lead and supervise growing Program Leadership Team (PLT), consisting of the Program Managers (PMs) and the Programming & Wellness Manager (PWM):
  • Facilitate and lead meetings
  • Build cohesive team that values collaboration
  • Partner to address the adverse life experiences of our youth and families
• Program development:
  • Responsive to growth, programmatic challenges and opportunities
  • Build and maintain intentional relationships with the schools and community partners.
  • Evaluate and ensure that our child selection process aligns with National fidelity requirements and is responsive to current local data
  • Utilize data to inform program evolution to meet current needs of youth and families
    • Trends in youth outcomes
    • Performance management
    • Growth
• Be able to provide appropriate support and guidance for the team when mandated reporting calls must be made
• Ability to wear multiple hats in different spaces

To be successful in managing the program, you will:

• Be data driven and informed in decision making
• Be relentlessly committed to ensuring that youth and caregivers achieve their goals and successful long-term outcomes
• Value engagement with community resources and partners
• Seek to always know the current needs and issues of the youth and families served
• Prioritize the wellbeing, development, and growth of team.
• Educate and inspire the team
• Seek and appreciate coaching and feedback, valuing opportunities for improvement
• Be innovative in approaches with the team and with youth and families, demonstrating a readiness to provide support and strive for resolution of issues
• Value team building and look for opportunities to celebrate and laugh

Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong communication, time management, collaborative, and organization skills
• Ability to research, analyze data, design/develop, propose, implement, and sustain programming
• Manage several issues concurrently and meet deadlines in a fast-paced constantly changing work environment
• Experience in supervising others, including interviewing, appraisals, corrective plans, and terminations
• Knowledge of child development and child issues, particularly those most relevant to our program youth
• Bilingual Spanish or Chuukese preferred but not required
• Have a safe and reliable vehicle for driving to various work locations and transporting youth
• Maintain First Aid/CPR certification
• Technical skills that include ability to utilize a computer, MS Outlook email and calendar, smart phone, and the ability to learn and adapt to other various types of web-based platforms for expense reporting, time tracking for payroll, etc.

Salary Range:

Full-time, exempt salaried position of $78,000 - $82,000 annually

Benefits:

The benefit package is comprehensive and includes the following:

• Medical, dental, EAP, and vision coverage paid 100% for the employee by the organization; 25% of the premium for dependents is paid for by the organization
• 401k plan with matching of up to 2.5%
• Long-term Disability, Life, and ADD coverage paid 100% for the employee by the organization
• Subsidized AAA membership

Plus a robust paid time off package that includes the following annually (prorated based on start date):

• 120 hours vacation (with progressive increases based on longevity)
• 80 hours sick
• 10 paid holidays
• 6 mental health days
• Paid time off for the work days that occur during our closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day

Professional Level:

Professional

Minimum Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field; Master’s degree preferred
• Seven to ten years’ experience working with child-related programs in progressively responsible roles  
• Three to five years in leadership or management role with significant supervisory duties and responsibilities

Location:

Vancouver, Washington

Additional Information:

Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Friends of the Children is growing rapidly as communities across the country are experiencing the power of how “One” changes a child's story: One Friend. One Child. 12 years. No matter what. #ThePowerOfOne

 To learn more about Friends of the Children go to: https://friendsswwa.org/

Salary : $78,000 - $82,000