Program Manager, Scholars Program (YES - LA)

Job Title – Program Manager, Scholars Program (YES - LA)

Reports to – Director of Education

Status – Full-time, Exempt

Organization Overview

United Friends of the Children empowers current and former foster/justice involved youth on their journey to self-sufficiency through service-enriched programs, advocacy, and consistent relationships with a community of people who care.

Founded over 40 years ago, United Friends’ is a leading provider of youth development services to current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Through its housing and education programs, the organization has helped thousands of young people imagine and actualize their own dreams and futures. United Friends’ programs focus on commitment, trauma-informed care, and empowerment by prioritizing a whole-person-development approach. Through a Social Justice Positive Youth Development (SJPYD) model, we center building relationships with youth over an extended period to achieve greater outcomes. Around those relationships, United Friends wraps an array of supportive services to help youth successfully transition to adulthood. As a result of services, United Friends alumni have greater housing and economic stability, higher educational attainment and a stronger sense of community and emotional wellbeing.

Position Overview

Starting as early as the 6th grade and following students through college graduation, UFC’s Education Program forges trusting relationships with youth as they navigate some of life's most pivotal moments. The Education Program is committed to helping youth develop their personal growth, employment/college readiness skills, and support access to various opportunities. By building relationships with youth over an extended period, youth are aware of and receive myriad resources and supportive services offered by the program.

The Manager of Youth Engagement and Success, Los Angeles (Y.E.S. L.A.) reports to the Director of Education and provides leadership, accountability, and supervision. The Manager of Y.E.S. L.A. directly supervises Y.E.S. L.A. College Counselors. This individual will be dedicated to United Friends of the Children’s mission and, in partnership with the Director of Education and the Education Management Team, is responsible for successfully implementing a holistic, trauma-informed service model and working towards stated department outcomes. The Manager of Y.E.S. L.A. will oversee all individual case management services and implementation of events for scholars in grades 6-12 in the Los Angeles area through a relationship-based, trauma-informed, and resiliency-focused lens, utilizing best practices from the field of child welfare.

United Friends currently implements a hybrid work environment – the schedule is determined at the discretion of management and the needs of the program and/or agency. This position will work full-time hours, Monday-Friday. The Program Manager will travel to various locations throughout the Los Angeles metro area and to the main office in Downtown L.A. to attend meetings. Once a month, the Program Manager will attend and work a Saturday workshop/event location in the greater Los Angeles area. Some evening, weekend, and overnight work is required. The ideal candidate will bring critical thinking, creativity, initiative, good judgment, integrity, and a deep commitment to social justice and equity to the work.

Duties and responsibilities

Staff Development and Management

• Supervise coach, and lead all direct reports and support their professional development.
• Review Counselor notes in UFC’s database, monitor execution of case plans, and assess frequency and quality of educational case management.
• Leads the onboarding of new team members.
• Provide leadership in the development of inter-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining organizational culture, and supporting staff during periods of change.
• Connect College Counselors with resources in the community to overcome challenges that may create barriers to employment, graduation, and/or higher education.
• Continually expand and update professional and technical knowledge within the education, foster care, management, and case management fields.
• Collaborates with the Community Impact team in the development of workshop and event content.
• Collaborate with community partners to develop workforce readiness and career exploration strategies for youth participants.
• Oversees the implementation of Saturday workshops and events related to the Y.E.S. L.A. team.

Program Development and Evaluation

• Works with the Education Leadership Team to set programmatic goals and manage collective and individual performance towards these goals, including enhancing programs and services to improve outcomes.
• Develop partnerships in the Los Angeles area to support services for youth participants.
• Tracks youth progress towards goals and required outcomes. Regularly evaluates program components using our online database to measure program successes and areas for improvement or growth.
• Administer the program's funds according to the team's approved budget and monitor the monthly transactions to adhere to the annual budget.
• Track youth progress towards goals and required outcomes.
• Attend agency required trainings and expand knowledge of services relevant to our population.

Special Projects and Events

• Assists with projects that support the Education Program’s ability to fulfill its goals and objectives.
• Partners with the Director of Education to create and effectively implement an annual work plan.
• Supports the Manager of Community Impact in planning and implementation of major events including the 9th and 11th grade summer retreats, College visits, Friendsgiving, Holiday Party, and Career Day.
• Participates in activities, including grant reports, foundation meetings, site visits, etc.

Other

• Other duties as assigned.

General UFC Responsibilities

Act as a role model within the organization to uphold and implement UFC’s organizational values:

• Embrace program evaluation that leads to excellence and impact
• Build effective and empowering partnerships with the youth, community, and each other
• Create a fun and exciting environment that inspires learning and innovation
• Communicate openly, honestly and with humility across all groups
• Work together as one organization

Staff hold a commitment to:

• A culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Approach to our population and client centered advocacy
• Strong knowledge of the communities served and centralize cultural competency into the work.
• Support in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
• Evaluating the completeness, accuracy and relevance of data to determine information value and improve client services.

Direct reports

• College Counselor – YES LA (5)

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in nonprofit management, social work, public administration or a related field
• 2+ years of direct staff management or 4+ years of case management experience.
• Experience providing direct services to foster youth, probation youth, juvenile justice youth, or underserved populations.
• Strong verbal and communication skills.
• Highly motivated to engage in problem-solving and research innovative solutions.
• Ability to provide crisis management and de-escalation techniques.
• An ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires effective collaboration with a multi-disciplinary service team and to work independently.
• Takes initiative and works well independently and collaboratively
• Leads self and others to meet high expectations consistently
• High level of accountability and responsibility for role expectations.
• Trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy
• Understands the communities served and centralizes this cultural competency into the work
• Passionate about United Friends’ mission and values.
• Must have a valid California Driver’s License and an insured and reliable vehicle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of change management approaches
• Fluent in Spanish