Director of Programs – Fresh Lifelines for Youth – Milpitas, CA

Position Title: Director of Programs

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Status: Exempt, Full Time

Location: Santa Clara County (with offices in Milpitas, Redwood City and Oakland)

About Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is currently operating in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda counties. Working with juvenile justice youth and those at-risk of entering the system, FLY’s mission is to prevent juvenile crime and incarceration through legal education, leadership training and one-on-one mentoring.

At FLY, we believe that all our children deserve a chance to become more than their past mistakes. However, many children who end up in the juvenile justice system often do not get that chance and they do not have the knowledge, skills or support they need to lead productive lives. They often believe that by the time they are 18, they will be in prison or dead. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. FLY provides legal education, leadership development and mentoring to youth, builds a community who will support their healthy development and helps our juvenile justice systems be more effective and humane. As a result, FLY works collaboratively with all our system partners to actively engage in system reform efforts, and FLY is often asked to take a leadership role in local detention reform work. Together we inspire our at-risk youth and give them a chance to transform from juvenile delinquents into positive community leaders, creating a safer, healthier and happier community for us all.

For more information about Fresh Lifelines for Youth please go to: www.flyprogram.org.

Director of Programs – Position Summary

The Director of Programs (DOP) is a senior leadership position and the ideal candidate will be a seasoned professional with extensive relevant programmatic experience who is ready to grow into an executive leadership role within the next two years. The DOP is a strategic, collaborative and results-oriented leader with strong evaluative, management, design and implementation skills. As a member of the senior leadership team, the DOP will play an important role in supporting the agency’s strategic direction; particularly, the DOP will serve as a lead strategist on FLY’s efforts to implement its Theory of Change and its program expansion efforts. Reporting to the COO, the DOP supervises high-level program leaders across three counties and five program models. This position requires someone whose passion for FLY’s vision is matched with strong tactical leadership, crisp decision-making in the face of complex challenges, and a proven track record of building programs and leading multi-disciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will be a leader, strategist, manager and executer. He or she will be flexible and adaptable while also a strong implementer that manages towards outcomes and model fidelity.

Primary Responsibilities

    Program Staff Supervision and Performance Management
Hire, train, develop and supervise a team of high-level Program Leaders.
Lead and coordinate the Program Leaders’ efforts to develop, manage, and evaluate highly effective programs and organizational systems.
Ensure that all program leaders are aligned with FLY’s mission and focused on meeting FLY’s outcomes through integrating a balanced approach between best practices and new insights as afforded through data analysis and strong performance management.

    Program Operations
Oversee effective day-to-day operations of all agency programs, including the structure and functioning of all program components to ensure that FLY offers comprehensive, integrated programming that supports youth growth and achieves outcomes.
Coordinate design and implementation of policies and protocols that create efficient and reliable program operation systems and ensure compliance with all governmental and private contracts and funding agreements. Support the COO and other key leadership with the design and implementation of policies and procedures for program management and evaluation that integrate youth input, talent initiatives, organizational development goals and performance management systems.

    Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with the COO and Directors bench to provide leadershipand strategic direction to the organization. Actively participate in senior leadership meetings, agency staff meetings, and individual supervision with the COO, providing recommendations regarding various courses of action.
Working with the Director of Evaluation and Learning and the Evaluation and Learning, Finance, and Development teams to ensure the advancement of FLY’s Learning Agenda through the implementation of FLY’s Theory of Change and to ensure clarity regarding contract deliverables and program ability to meet contract requirements.
Professionally and effectively represent the agency to government, funding and field sources at meetings, conferences and speaking engagements, serving as an ambassador and advocate for FLY and promoting the advancement of FLY’s mission.
Other duties as needed and assigned.

Qualification and Competency Requirements

Positional Competencies – required for our Director of Programs

Organizational and Program Management experience – At least five years demonstrated success providing leadership to managerial staff in a nonprofit, government, educational or private sector organization. Experience managing a multi-site organization is a plus.
Direct Service experience – At least three years’ experience working with underserved and disadvantaged youth is required, as well as additional years’ experience managing direct service workers.
Strong Communication and Collaboration skills – A charismatic leader with strong written and verbal communication skills and consistent follow-through; must possess the ability to research, assimilate and analyze information, compose documents, and present data in a clear and concise manner to all levels of personnel and agency leadership.
Team and Program Leadership Success – Must have a proven track record of leading successful teams and programs with an open yet decisive nature; must possess a well-honed ability to anticipate needs, analyze situations critically and problem-solve solutions. Must possess the belief that all people are capable of change and exhibit a willingness to coach and develop staff with a focus on maximizing strengths and improving areas of weakness.
Advanced Academic Experience – BA required; MA/MBA/MSW strongly preferred.

How to apply

Please submit your original cover letter (with salary history) and resume to jobs@flyprogram.org.

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