Student and Community Manager

Y2Y Overview

Y2Y Network is building student-led programming to interrupt the cycle of homelessness for a generation of young adults. Y2Y employs a youth-to-youth model to provide a safe and affirming environment for young adults ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness. After successfully launching and operating Y2Y Harvard Square, the nation’s first youth-led shelter for young people experiencing homelessness, Y2Y Network has been working in partnership with Youth Continuum and students from across New Haven to operate Y2Y New Haven, a hybrid student/staff overnight program for young adults, ages 18-24, experiencing homelessness.

At Y2Y, our core values are Dignity, Safety, Adaptability, Collaboration, Affirmation. We actively work to pursue an inclusive workplace every day. We work hard, have fun, and value mental health and work-life balance. We walk in our values by having monthly closed days, optional sick-of-work days every other month and flexible schedules to help you re-energize and show up to be the best you that you can be!

Position Overview

Y2Y is seeking a dynamic self-starter who has demonstrated experience collaborating and managing relationships with multiple stakeholders and takes a project management approach to their work. The Student and Community Manager will coordinate all of the stakeholders operating the Y2Y New Haven project (Youth Continuum staff, student leaders, and network staff) to maintain quality operations and ensure mission fidelity.

The ideal candidate is equally passionate about young adult leadership development and disrupting young adult homelessness and thrives in a highly collaborative environment. Additionally, the right Student and Community Manager is capable of modeling Y2Y Core Values and is deeply committed to social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Student and Community Manager holds a pivotal role in the Network. They are responsible for supporting students in their leadership and decision-making, while also holding them accountable in the operation of the shelter through coaching, mentoring, and professional development. Additionally, this role is pivotal in establishing, building and maintaining relationships with community partners that strengthen the Y2Y New Haven program, and the larger Y2Y Network. The Student and Community Manager will work on a flexible, hybrid work schedule. Due to the scope of work, flexibility in scheduling requires being able to work typical and atypical business hours to accommodate shelter operations, student meetings and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

Essential functions of the position are the reasons why this position exists. Applicants should be able to perform the functions below with or without reasonable accommodations.

Student Staff Support and Program Development

• Serve as primary support for students involved in the Y2Y New Haven project. Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring and technical assistance for students
• Convene Youth Continuum staff, Network staff, and student leadership to develop and implement a program strategy
• Strategize with Y2Y Network staff around student development
• Support work plan development and implementation for multiple student staff members
• Work with student leaders and Youth Continuum staff to manage and resolve conflicts and crises, including on-call support as needed
• Meet with student staff & Youth Continuum staff weekly
• Attend student workgroup meetings to provide mentorship
• Work approximately four shifts per month in the shelter (more may be required based on program need, student support, etc.)

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Building

• Support student leadership and Youth Continuum in developing a strong and cohesive communications infrastructure
• In conjunction with student staff, serve as a liaison for partnerships with community-based organizations and provide continuity for relationships management
• Engage local colleges and universities to support the expansion of Y2Y New Haven’s student base
• Attend relevant homeless service provider meetings as needed and work with providers to serve guests in collaboration with students
• Support Network directors with the preparation of content for stakeholder engagement, including board meetings, committee meetings, presentations, etc.

General Program Management and Operations Support

• The Program Coordinator must be willing to be available to assist with programmatic or operational needs during shelter hours as needed
• Review all shelter notes on a daily basis to respond to issues that arise and offer support to staff, volunteers and Youth Continuum
• Build and sustain relevant information systems to maintain institutional memory
• Maintain full personal knowledge of all in-space policies and procedures
• Ensure programming milestones and goals are met while adhering to approved budgets
• Support Executive Director in thinking through overall program strategy
• Support programmatic/agency partners and Network staff in data collection, tracking, and analysis
• Complete any required programmatic, grant, and/or funder reports, as assigned
• Support students and Network staff in budget creation and adherence

Additional Job Expectations -These are just some of the competencies and behaviors we believe will make the Program Manager successful in this role. If you possess many or all of these, you may be the person we are looking for:

• Able to grasp and model Y2Y pillars of harm reduction, trauma informed, and positive youth development.
• Growth Mindset: Deeply reflective, self-aware, and ability to think critically; sees setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow while being accountable
• Problem Solving: Weighs, reflects upon, and contextualizes information in an effort to solve complex problems; works to uncover root causes and consults with stakeholders to identify solutions
• Must be able to establish self as thought-leader and mentor in student spaces; offers Network-level context, direction around values, and strategic realignment input
• Planning, Tracking & Reporting: Prioritizes, orders, and communicates tasks to ensure clarity of ownership, deadlines and expectations; uses milestones to measure, track, and report progress towards the achievement of desired project outcomes
• Reliability & Trust: Perceived as a credible and reliable source of information; documents information and is committed to closing communication loops
• Initiative & Managing Up: Proactive about communication and action instead of waiting to be asked; brings up concerns, blind spots, & issues to direct supervisor(s)
• Light travel required, as needed for stakeholder engagement, college/university engagement, training/staff development
• Any other duties assigned by Y2Y Network’s administration, as needed for the support and expansion of the Network’s mission and work

Qualifications

At Y2Y, we recognize that there are many ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each application. This said, an ideal candidate would demonstrate a majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• 2+ years staff experience in supervision, program management & training delivery
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Appreciation of student leadership and demonstrated commitment to volunteerism & service
• Ability to lead meetings and presentations and interface with all levels of staff
• Strong relationship building skills and an enthusiasm for building relationships with students and partners
• Must be collaborative, possess a strong customer service orientation, and be a consultative problem solver
• Well-versed in issues of diversity, equity & inclusion, current events, political issues
• Displays empathy and dedication to ensuring that all young adults have a safe place to rest, grow, and lead
• Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively as well as very strong organization skills, orientation to detail, and sense of self-direction
• Ability to work in a high-pressure environment and navigate ambiguity
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite

Preferred Qualifications

These are the qualifications we consider would be a plus in this position.

• 2+ years’ experience in youth work and/or working in homeless services or lived experience
• Background in psychology, sociology or related field, or 3+ years’ experience is a plus
• Crisis management and de-escalation especially in the context of dealing with historically marginalized groups

Benefits

Salary for this full-time exempt position will be $64,000/year. Y2Y Network offers Flexible Time Off and supports work-life balance.