Program Specialist

PROGRAM SPECIALIST

JOB SUMMARY: Reporting to the Director of Programs, Big Brother Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) is seeking an enthusiastic and mission-driven Program Specialist to join the agency located in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a full-time, exempt position that will function as a floater supporting various teams across the organization.

The Program Specialist will support the needs of all program teams based on need. They will be cross-trained in all program roles so they may serve in any program role based on the needs of the Program team. This includes working in Customer Relations, Enrollment, Match Support, Site Based Programs, and direct mentoring service.

An ideal candidate will have:

• A passion for the mission of BBBSMA
• Strong commitment to the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• A spirit of flexibility and interest in learning and performing multiple roles across the Program Team
• Experience working with both child and adult populations required;
• Experience building rapport with clients over the phone
• Comfortability facilitating orientations or group sessions
• Able to demonstrate sound judgment in routine, day-to-day decisions; think critically to make decisions and take action, even in non-routine situations
• Ability to identify and apply "best practices" in own work; improve efficiency by planning and organizing work effectively, eliminating barriers and streamlining work processes
• Ability to seek out and work effectively with others who have diverse perspectives, talents, backgrounds, and/or styles; contribute to a team climate in which differences are valued and supported
• Ability to build and foster collaborative relationships with agency staff and program participants
• Ability to create thoughtful and thorough documentation of interactions with children, parents, and volunteers; experience with case management preferred
• Ability to relate well in multicultural environments
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and use time effectively in a fast-paced environment; able to positively deal with changes that affect job requirements or work assignments; adapt to shifting priorities in response to the needs of matches
• Knowledge of mentorship best practices

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

General Duties:

• Support the needs of all Program teams by being responsive and agile to their needs
• Commit to ongoing training on various Program roles to stay informed and up to date on role function
• Ensure a high-level of proficiency in applying child safety and risk management knowledge, policies and procedures throughout all aspects of job function. Identify child safety issues for volunteers, children and their families
• Quickly build a relationship with children, parents, and volunteers
• Maintain accurate paperwork and documentation according to BBBSA and agency standards
• Enter information into CRM (Salesforce) as information is gathered
• Other duties as assigned

Rotating Duties:

Engaging families and volunteers:

• Conduct calls with potential participants
• Respond to telephone inquiries from volunteers and parents
• Provide program information to clients and initiate processing of clients applying to the program
• Determine eligibility of all clients
• Schedule orientations and make reminder calls
• Conduct family and volunteer orientations
• Participate in speaking and recruitment opportunities on behalf of the agency

Enrolling matches (families and volunteers):

• Conduct and document enrollment of parents, children, and volunteers, including interviews, trainings, and completion of any other enrollment processes
• Review all enrollment information and assessments and make timely recommendations for participation in the program based on this information
• Assess and apply factors contributing to successful match
• Effectively align volunteer interests and qualifications with service options of agency
• Determine matches between volunteers and children, following the best practices and standards of the agency

Supporting matches:

• Facilitate match meetings in accordance with volunteer and family schedules
• Quickly build a relationship with a set of children, parents, and volunteers
• Contact parents, children, and volunteers in accordance with BBBS standards to support the match relationship. Provide coaching, resources, and information for each match participant as needed
• Identify matches that are at risk of closing, intervene effectively, and discuss further with the supervisor
• Conduct surveys over the phone to gather program outcomes
• Collaborate with other staff to ensure smooth transition among functions and follows process through to next point of contact

Facilitate Site Based Programming:

• Orienting potential corporate and collegiate volunteers to our program
• Work with the school/site liaison to recruit students to participate in the program
• Responsible for processing applications, including reference and background checks
• Assist site visits to support implementation of curriculum, as needed
• Foster positive relationships with the school/site liaison to promote two-way communication between the schools and BBBS.

Support Level Up Middle School Program:

• Provides group or 1:1 mentoring on a schedule as agreed upon with school
• Leads mentoring groups by facilitating group relationship development, lessons, and co-facilitating with assigned volunteers on a schedule established in coordination with the school
• Prepares and implements mentoring curriculum and activities
• Implements positive behavior facilitation strategies to ensure a safe group mentoring environment
• Ensure logistics of school programming, including updating and preparing program materials and overseeing scheduling of groups with collaboration of school team
• Support management of attendance of Bigs and Littles in groups by monitoring program data and conducting follow-up as needed

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Your professional background must meet one of the following requirements:
  • Bachelors degree in a field relevant to work focused on social work, counseling, social services, child development, or education
  • Associates degree and at least 2 years relevant work experience in related fields, such as social work, counseling, social services, child development, or education
  • High school diploma with at least 4 years of relevant work experience in the related fields listed above
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Working knowledge of and use of a customer relations management (CRM) system a plus (Salesforce preferred)
• Bilingual positions require candidates to write and speak Spanish fluently, providing translations as needed
• Must successfully complete a background check and pre-employment drug screen prior to hire

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Routine office environment. This position is located in our Atlanta office; hybrid work schedule as created with the Program Director, as determined by best hours and location to meet assigned program and participant needs.
• Must be flexible to working the hours of the program you are supporting. Some of our programs start as early as 7:30 am and others work as late as 7:30 pm.
• May be asked to occasionally work on a Saturday to support program needs.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.

• Constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery (e.g., printer, copy machine).
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas clearly and accurately so others will understand.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Starting salary is between $40,000 42,000, with a potential range up to $45,000 based on relevant experience and qualifications.
• BBBSMA offers generous benefits including subsidized medical insurance, voluntary dental and vision, and employer paid Life Insurance, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability. We also offer immediate vesting and enrollment in a 403(b) plan with up to a 4.5% employer match.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta

For 61 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) has transformed the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our community through a proven youth development strategy: one-to-one mentoring. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. The agency serves approximately 1,100 children from 12 metro Atlanta counties on an annual basis.

Location:

BBBSMA HQ

The Met, 680 Murphy Ave. SW, Atlanta GA 30310

For more information about BBBSMA please visit http://bbbsatl.org

Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity:

BBBSMA does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.