Professional Mentor/Youth Advocate

Join us for a unique opportunity to make an impact in young peoples’ lives by joining our team as a Youth Advocate/Professional Mentor. This is a great opportunity for candidates who are invested in empowering and mentoring young people and have a strong sense of social justice.

Friends of the Children-Boston was founded in 2004 with a mission to impact generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors—12+ years, no matter what.

Our Youth Advocates/Professional Mentors show up in many different spaces and ways: collaborating closely with caregivers, partnering with teachers and school administration, participating in group work to promote pro-social peer relationships, and working to set goals each year with our young people (who we refer to as Achievers) that are anchored in research and what is most important to our young people. We are currently hiring for our East Boston Location. This role will work with eight 1st and 2nd grade youth and we are looking for someone who is bilingual in Spanish for this role. We hire on a rolling basis and candidates who do not meet this requirement are also encouraged to apply.

This position will report directly to a Program Manager or Assistant Program Director and will work directly with 8-11 youth providing them with 16+ hours of direct and indirect services each month. Our team works 40-hour weeks and our traditional work hours are 11am-7pm Monday through Friday, with flexibility of an occasional morning or weekend for an event. This position is primarily a youth-facing position with additional tasks to support the organization, our space, and the team. This includes but is not limited to: data entry, fundraising support, administrative and planning time, communication with key stakeholders, and transportation support.

This position is right for you if:

• You believe in the capacity of young people to succeed and are relentless in supporting them in that pursuit.
• You are committed to providing relentless support to achievers and their families through complex challenges.
• You are positive, collaborative, and resourceful. You can model a growth mindset and compassion for yourself and those you work with and for.
• You are team-first: you believe that knowledge and resource-sharing is a fundamental tool to equipping our young people with the tools they need to be successful.
• You believe in centering hope, fun, and exploration and our youth deserve to be with people and in spaces that are anchored in those values
• You are organized, hold yourself accountable, and are flexible when circumstances arise
• You believe in the power of data and research to inform best practices
• You are able to balance youth-facing responsibilities with the other job requirements

These qualifications will help you succeed as a Youth Advocate/Professional Mentor:

Friends-Boston is invested in nourishing individuals’ potential. You may have the capacity to succeed in this job, even if you do not meet every qualification.

• You are able to commit long term (3+ years) in the Youth Advocate/Professional Mentor position
• A drivers license and a clean driving record, access to a vehicle is preferred. Driving youth is a part of this role
• You have earned an associates degree or attended some college (can be substituted with 7+ years of youth work experience) (required)
• 2+ years working with children/teens in an urban setting preferred; prior experience in the field of education, social work, youth development, and school-based programs strongly considered
• Experience working in a non-profit setting
• Language skills in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Cape Verdean Creole a plus

Salary and Benefits:

Friends-Boston is committed to providing a competitive salary and benefits with opportunities for continued professional growth. The starting salary for this position is $55,000. There is a monthly $250 stipend to cover travel related to the work. Friends-Boston offers generous PTO (22 days), holidays (13.5), and access to: health insurance, dental insurance, and a retirement account.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and cover letter to hiring@friendsboston.org. Please include why you believe you would be a good fit for this position in the body of the email. We are grateful for your interest in Friends-Boston and our proven model for breaking the generational cycle of poverty and trauma.

Friends of the Children–Boston is committed to our community, equal employment opportunity, and diversity in our workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. www.friendsboston.org

Friends of the Children-Boston provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics

There is a monthly $250 stipend to cover travel related to the work. Friends-Boston offers generous PTO (22 days), holidays (13.5), and access to: health insurance, dental insurance, and a retirement account.

Our East Boston mentors will need to be fluent/Bi-lingual in Spanish, but all applicants encouraged to apply.