Youth Development Program Manager

Salary: $50,000 annually

Reports to: Early Childhood Programs Director               

Direct Reports: Group Leaders, YD Admin, Driver(s)

Based at: Riverwest Center (909 East Garfield Avenue, Milwaukee)

Mission: COA Youth & Family Centers nurtures children, supports families, and builds strong and resilient communities – one child, one family, one community at a time.

Summary

The Youth Development (YD) Program Manager implements youth programming at Riverwest, primarily ages 6-12. Work days are generally Monday – Friday. Work hours vary according to program offerings and staffing.

This is a full-time, year-round position eligible for benefits. 

Benefits include generous paid time off, health plans (medical, dental, vision), life insurance, Employee Assistance Program, 403(b) retirement plan, 11 paid holidays, and a great working environment.

Main Job Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, and manage quality programming while incorporating best practices that meet program targets, grant requirements, and DCF/YoungStar
• Be or become knowledgeable about Wisconsin Shares
• Monitor classroom sizes and attendance to ensure staff are in ratio per DCF licensing using ProCare
• Create program calendar and develop lesson plans for Group Leaders, follow up to ensure understanding and completion
• Support Group Leaders in managing youth behavior through positive reinforcement, redirection, and progressive discipline 
• Organize contractors, field trips, special events, etc. which includes scheduling, background checks, and invoicing
• Develop and facilitate participant recruitment and retention plan
• Lead onboarding process to ensure all employees are knowledgeable of all policies and procedures in which we operate.
• Report center wide incidents to Early Childhood Programs Director immediately
• Submit invoices from programming contracts in a timely manner so that they can be paid out aligned with the pay schedule on the contracts
• Develop relationships with parents and handle behavior issues and situations as they arise directly with parents (meeting one on one to identify possible solutions which resolve the problem) 
• Provide program and building tours to potential families, partnerships, new staff, and board members as necessary
• Coordinate pick up times and locations for after-school transportation route
• Be the point of contact for partner schools in regards to transportation, closures, etc.
• Work with program administrator on enrollment, child transitions, transportation, and purchases
• Responsible for attending applicable COA meetings monthly, quarterly, or annually
• Work directly with Executive Director, Early Childhood Programs Director, and Director of Finance to create and follow annual YD budget
• Serve as a member of the Program Leadership team

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• Associates Degree in a relevant field required
• Must meet applicable licensing/grant requirements for the position or be willing to abide by an education plan as determined by the Early Childhood Programs Director
• Minimum of two years of relevant direct service experience
• Minimum of one year of supervision/management experience
• Must be at least 25 years old with valid Wisconsin driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

Competencies

• Philosophical compatibility with COA mission and youth development methods
• Willingness to learn and ask questions
• Knowledge and expertise in program philosophy and practice, with an orientation to participant guided and culturally relevant services
• High level of creativity and problem solving ability. Demonstrated examples of coaching, managing through crisis, producing quality improvements, and implementing changes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Must be computer literate: able to use Word to create, edit and format documents and flyers as well as Excel to enter in and manipulate data.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills; extremely detail oriented
• Effective interpersonal skills to develop strong working relationships
• Must be a self-starter, take initiative, and be able to work independently
• Creativity in program development and delivery
• Very good written communication skills
• Patience, positive attitude, and cultural competency

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions

The physical requirements are the ability to sit and stand for long periods.

The work environment is an active environment with youth and families. This requires the ability to respond quickly to changing situations and be able to move around the COA site as needed. This position also requires some evening and weekend work.

These characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

The above is intended to describe the general content and requirements of this job. It is not meant to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. In other words, other duties as assigned.