Project Director, Summer Youth Employment
Urban Affairs Coalition | Website
The Project Director will be responsible for the design, strategic direction, day-to-day operations and overall project management of UAC’s preeminent Summer Youth Employment Program providing over 1,000 youth with seasonal paid work experience and professional development assistance each summer. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, analytical, and a leader with a skill set that includes: expertise in detail and data driven project management, staff management experience, proficiency in program marketing/public relations and an interest and ability to successfully engage with the programs diverse set of stakeholders—youth, parents, employers, and staff. The Project Director will assemble and manage a team of 30-50 seasonal staff.
Program Management
- Responsible for planning, implementation, and day-to-day management of a complex and large-scale seasonal program;
- Ensure a high-quality, meaningful experience for program participants, employer partners, and program staff through setting and achieving program goals in line with funder expectations and best practices;
- Interview, hire, and manage a team of 30-50 seasonal staff, including 2-4 program managers, to ensure program goals are met;
- Provide day-to-day oversight over all phases of the program including:
- Recruiting, enrolling, and maintaining relationships with youth program participants and organizational host worksites;
- Placing qualified youth participants at participating worksites;
- Processing of youth payroll and pay distribution;
- Planning and implementation of youth professional development activities and contextual learning projects;
- Managing inquiries and concerns from youth, their families and caregivers, organizations, and the general public
- Responsible for financial management of the program including:
- Creating program budgets and tracking expenses vs actuals;
- Entering and tracking invoices and purchase requests in accounting system;
- Other related duties as assigned.
Strategic Planning, Advocacy, and Fundraising
- Support the President & CEO in advocating for the importance of summer youth employment programs at the city, state, and federal level, including convening the Summer Youth Employment Cabinet;
- Collect and analyze program feedback from participants, partners, and staff. Prepare reports and program plans based on feedback with a focus on quality improvement;
- Conduct a strategic planning process taking a full look at summer youth employment programming at UAC and develop a plan for how to expand and improve existing programming and structure;
- Responsible for the design, implementation, and management of additional pilot programs to expand youth services and support program growth;
- Identify and pursue funding opportunities, including potential grant opportunities, corporate donors, and individual donors to further grow and support summer youth employment programming at UAC.
- Strong leadership skills – must be comfortable delegating tasks and managing a team;
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage a diverse staff, a large volume of data, and troubleshoot a large volume of inquiries;
- Ability to motivate and support staff, including individual staff development and forming a cohesive team;
- Strong communication, network building, and relationship management skills, including ability to deescalate conflict and stay cool under pressure;
- Strong analytical skills with the proven ability to effectively analyze and interpret data sets;
- Must be a flexible, communicative, and agile team player, able to coordinate and share resources and data;
- Must be able to multi-task while meeting programmatic benchmarks and deadlines;
- Must be comfortable working with youth and young adults ages 14-21;
- Must be willing to work some non-traditional hours, as needed;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; customer-service oriented;
EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s Degree required; Masters preferred
- At least 3-5 years of management experience working in the nonprofit sector required
- Experience working with youth and youth development required
- Experience with large-scale program development and implementation strongly preferred
- Experience with data management and data analysis, including proficiency in Excel, the R programming language, or other related experience strongly preferred
- Proficient in Microsoft Office software, including Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.
Special Note: This position requires a criminal background check, child abuse clearance, and FBI fingerprint-based background check.
Send resume and cover letter to krivera@uac.org with subject line “Project Director”