Director of Programs

Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP)

Job Description: Director of Programs

Description of the Organization:

For 30 years, LEAP has worked with children, teenagers, and young adults in New Haven, Connecticut in some of the lowest income urban neighborhoods in America. As the largest youth agency in our city, we provide academic support, social enrichment, and leadership development, but we do so in a unique way. We give older students (ages 16-24) the training, education, and resources they need to work as counselors to our younger students (ages 7-15). In doing so, we go beyond impacting individual lives through education and employment. We build a community with power and purpose.

Position Summary:

The Director of Programs is responsible for managing multiple departments, staff and programs intended to advance LEAP’s program goals, administrative functions, and organizational missions. The position oversees the managers of LEAP’s Children’s program, Leaders in Training program for young teens, Aquatics program, and Computer Learning Center initiatives. The Director of Programs is responsible for ensuring that LEAP’s day to day programs impacting youth are managed to ensure that participants are safe, program quality standards are met, and community relationships are aligned to reach LEAP’s goals.

The Director of Programs is a member of the senior management team and works closely with the Executive Director, Chief of Staff and other senior managers of curriculum and training, finance, and development to help set broader organizational direction. The Director of Programs oversees a team of staff who are responsible for managing site coordinators, the aquatics staff, LIT staff, and computer learning center staff, who in turn oversee over 100 student part-time staff.

Distinguishing characteristics, features, requirements:

This is a full-time, exempt (salaried) position with excellent growth and leadership opportunities, that requires an efficient individual who works well with young professionals and students and has a strong understanding of community and social dynamics. This is a highly visible position requiring effective interaction and communication with a wide range of internal staff and outside partner organizations, community leaders, educational institutions, and vendors.

Essential Duties:

• Supervises, supports, and ensures professional development for department managers.
• Works with supervised managers so program goals are met, and their direct reports are well supervised, supported, and have professional development.
• Nurtures and maintains relationships with community organizations, the Board of Education, city staff, and others to ensure that LEAP creates an environment where rich resources are available to young people.
• Ensures that LEAP’s assessment goals are met in each program department.
• Helps plan program activities, including but not limited to camping, contracted resource providers, sports, outdoors activities, and arts initiatives.
• Effectively manages the supervised departments’ budgets.
• Prepares program reports to assess effectiveness and reports to board and donors.
• Ensures debriefings and surveys of programs staff occur each component (three times a year). Facilitates incorporating learnings from debriefings and surveys.
• Participating in other projects in support of broader LEAP goals.
• Taking on some of the program, community engagement and administrative duties currently handled by the Chief of Staff and Executive Director.
• Works closely with the Executive Director as well as senior leadership to assist with implementation of goals and strategies.

Principal Working Relationships: This position receives direction, coaching and performance evaluation from the Chief of Staff with additional support and oversight from the Executive Director.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning required.
• Advanced degrees or certifications are a plus.
• Three years or more experience as a supervisor in youth development, an educational institution, or a related field preferred with a demonstrated commitment to mentorship and developing talent.
• Knowledge of community-based education as well as child and youth development.
• Strong time management skills.
• Ability to establish work priorities, meet deadlines, and remain flexible.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Cultural competency based in experience working in African American and Latino communities.
• Ability to organize and maintain digital records and filing systems for collecting and reporting data.
• Strong knowledge and use of computer software applications, including Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Zoom, file sharing, databases, and research tools.

Special Requirements: Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends.

Salary: Commensurate with experience and other qualifications.

Note: This position will be based out of the LEAP office in New Haven, CT.

Additional information about the organization is available via www.leapforkids.org.

~LEAP is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer~