JOB POSTING: Friends of the Children Houston Program Director

STATUS: Exempt, Full time

REPORTS TO: Executive Director

SALARY RANGE: $80,000 - $90,000

Friends of the Children is a national professional mentoring organization. Our model is proven to break the cycle of generational poverty for children who face the highest risks by providing paid, professional full-time mentors (called "Friends") to the most vulnerable youth in our community for 12.5 years, kindergarten through high school graduation.

Friends of the Children has chapters in Austin and Houston. This posting is for the HOUSTON chapter.

We are looking for a passionate and committed Program Director to take the lead in coordinating, implementing, and sustaining our evidence-based program in Houston, Texas. This individual will lead and inspire Friends, implement the child selection process, and cultivate and maintain relationships with schools, families, and the community.

The ideal candidate for this position will:

• Have previous experience working for a non-profit.
• Have previous experience in social work/social services or a related field.
• Be culturally competent.
• Be passionate about working to end generational poverty.
• Have knowledge of community resources available to support youth and families.
• Have superior interpersonal, written/verbal communication, and project or case management skills.

Are you this amazing leader? Here is what we have to offer you:

• A committed leader and board of directors who are passionate about working together to create an extraordinary organization.
• You’ll be part of a dynamic and supportive national network with a proven, evidence-based, highly unique model.
• Respect for work-life balance. You will work hard, and we expect you to recharge your batteries.
• A comprehensive benefit package including three weeks of paid vacation, paid holidays and paid sick leave.
• Most of all, you get to be a leader at an exceptional organization that helps children facing incredible odds change their life story every day.

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended as a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified:

The Program Director is a member of the senior management team and is expected to keep other members informed about the status of the program. The Program Director is expected to interact constructively and proactively with members of the community, partner organizations, and potential donors and other third-parties.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Actively participate as a member of the senior management team in leading Friends Houston, participating in strategic planning, budgeting, and making/implementing decisions and policies related to the organization.
• Know and understand the needs of each family served. Utilize resources that provide feedback (e.g. Efforts to Outcomes reports and annual caregiver and youth evaluations) to establish priority partnerships and programming that are responsive to the needs and goals of youth and families.
• Develop trusting, supportive relationships with families, and guardians of the children we serve.
• Hire, supervise, inspire, develop, and evaluate the efforts of Friends. Serve as a role model and mentor for Friends, ensure that they have the resources necessary to perform their jobs, act as team leader and motivator, and facilitate effective communication in all directions.
• Manage the performance of Friends, including conducting annual and semi-annual performance appraisals. Hold Friends accountable for work performance, including time spent with children, quality and diversity of youth activities, and administrative/reporting responsibilities.
• Work with Friends National program team to implement initial Friends training, as well as ongoing training and other required professional development and performance improvement activities.
• Meet with Friends monthly to review Road Map goals for each child. Ensure that Friends have identified and developed a specific area of interest or talent for each child. Be relentlessly committed to ensuring that youth and caregivers achieve their goals and our long-term outcomes.
• Lead and facilitate effective, weekly staff meetings focused on child and Friend successes, concerns, and ideas. Communicate organizational information and solicit feedback from the team.
• Communicate effectively and appropriately in all directions regarding organizational data, issues, concerns, policies, and procedures. Raise and resolve issues appropriately.
• Solicit and obtain feedback from a minimum of two parents/caregivers of children per month. Document and maintain all feedback and include in Quarterly Report.
• Participate in regular conference calls with Program Directors in the network, and otherwise communicate with personnel at the National office and other chapters about the program.
• Research, develop, implement, and sustain best practice programming to serve current and future needs of the organization as required.
• Manage the child identification and selection process; including developing and sustaining a robust, formalized process, and training and supervising process participants.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with partner schools and/or other community partners to allow for effective program implementation and sustainability. Design and implement a process to ensure others are trained/developed to work in this capacity as well, to further strengthen our efforts to cultivate and maintain these critical relationships.
• Maintain responsibility for the quality, integrity, and timely entry of all program data.
• Utilize program data to help develop, implement, and sustain enrichment activities and program excellence. Ensure the quality of program delivery at all levels.
• Develop and implement culturally appropriate programing that supports positive identity growth of children and families in the program.
• Work with Executive Director to ensure compliance with budgets and program guidelines.
• Communicate regularly and effectively with Executive Director about key aspects of the program, including status of children, performance of Friends, recommendations for improvement of the program, and potential issues with staff members or children.
• Develop, implement, and oversee other projects as required.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILTIES

• Participate in the recruiting, selection, and hiring of other staff as required.
• Oversee the coordination of critical issues that arise with youth.
• Ensure compliance with and accountability to organization’s policies, procedures, and practices as outlined in the Employee Manual and Friends Handbook. Contribute to the review and improvement of these documents as needed.
• Understand the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function. Serve as effective, compelling spokesperson for the organization.
• Create professional development opportunities for Friends to increase their capacity to provide culturally appropriate programming and interventions for children and families
• Other duties as assigned.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, & ABILITIES

• Strong interpersonal, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong time management, delegation, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to cultivate and sustain relationships and work effectively with a wide variety of constituencies, including staff, program children, caregivers, schools, organizational supporters, Board members, and community partners.
• Ability to effectively and professionally represent the organization to a wide variety of audiences.
• Ability to research, analyze data, design/develop, propose, implement, and sustain culturally-grounded programming.
• Ability to solve problems and work in a team environment.
• Strong project management skills. Proven ability to manage and meet multiple deadlines, responsibilities, and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to influence the behavior of others to achieve necessary results.
• Strategic planning and budgeting skills.
• Ability to function in different work environments (e.g. office, schools and other partner sites, community locations).
• Knowledge of child development and child issues, particularly those most relevant to our program youth.
• Awareness of community resources, and the ability to cultivate and sustain relationships with these resources.
• Enthusiasm for helping to plan and manage the anticipated growth of Friends of the Children – Houston, and commitment to developing personal skills and knowledge as appropriate to that growth.

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• Seven to ten years of experience working with child-related programs in progressively responsible roles.
• Three to five years in leadership or management roles with significant supervisory duties and responsibilities.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus.

Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity and inclusion. 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, incompliance 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