The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project (HCPP) seeks a strong, diverse, dedicated, energetic, skilled and child-focused leader to join our team as a Site Manager for our Preteen Program at the D.C. General Emergency Family Shelter. This is an amazing opportunity for a leader, preferably with an education/teaching or youth development background, looking to gain additional experience managing a program, supervising and training volunteers, nurturing community partnerships, and working directly with children ages 8-12 and their families experiencing homelessness in Washington​,​ DC.

HCPP is an innovative, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing therapeutic and educational play activities as well as advocating for children living in emergency and transitional housing programs in DC. Playtime’s mission is to bring joy, a therapeutic environment, opportunities to learn through play and connection to community resources for families who are experiencing homelessness. We are seeking to hire a Site Manager to work up to 20 hours/week​ leading programs at D.C. General on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Previous experience working in a direct​-​service setting leading a children’s program is expected, preferably children from low-income backgrounds.​

Please note: The first part of this position description outlines the Preteen Program Manager which is the priority and the fulltime add-on possibility of Data & Curriculuum Coach is described at the end.

Responsibilities include:

Overseeing two evening Preteen programs each week from 6:00-9:00 p.m. (this includes a half hour of set up and clean up on both ends) on Tuesdays and Thursdays at D.C. General Emergency Family Shelter,

Customizing, enhancing and implementing HCPP’s play-based curriculum nightly​, including creating and supervising age-appropriate guided therapeutic and learning activities,

​Carefully tracking and managing client records and outcomes using HCPP’s​ PowerSchool database,

​Helping to ensure​ that children’s ​educational, social and emotional ​needs are met​ by working with parents and staff to issue referrals are made to high-quality-service providers for mentoring, tutoring, educational advocacy, summer camps, and other needed support,

Providing leadership among volunteers, including facilitating ongoing trainings to bolster their​ skills and providing coaching and guidance,

​Ensuring behavioral expectations are upheld consistently and positively and managing crises that may emerge,

​Educating shelter staff and parents about our model through presentations and orientations and conducting ongoing outreach to ensure all of the eligible youth and their families are aware of the program,

Managing site inventory​ and coordinating cleanings of the space,

Assisting with organization-wide communications​ (Facebook, Twitter, e-newsletter), volunteer coordination, and fundraising,​ etc.

Successful applicants will possess a range of attributes, including: • Knowledge of and commitment to the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project’s mission • Demonstrated ability to engage youth in group learning opportunities and a background or interest in youth development • Strong organizational skills and ability to keep track of many details in a busy environment • Volunteer coaching and group facilitation skills and ability to provide and receive constructive feedback • Commitment to teamwork and collaboration with diverse groups of people • Desire and experience working with the preteen age group and their families in a crisis environment • Ability to build strong​ relationships and influence ​partners​, parents, colleagues, and community members • Strong professional skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, verbal and written communication, detail-orientation, and time management • Strong record-keeping skills and an interest in building systems that help a nonprofit track outcomes • A Bachelor’s degree is required, Master’s preferred • Previous leadership experience (teaching ideally) • A fun, flexible personality and a desire to learn and serve.

At least 6 hours/week will be spent in the shelter (ideally more) and the rest of the time will be spent in the office planning and collaborating with colleagues (days can be adjusted to a mutually convenient schedule within traditional business hours); occasional weekend or out-of-hours trainings may be scheduled as well.

Full-​time possibility: Will consider merging this position with a​ Data & Curriculum Coach role to make ​the job full-time for the right candidate. Please specify in your cover letter what fits your interest, schedule and skillset the best. The 20 hour/week Data & Curriculuum Coach would be responsible for supporting the organization’s efforts to strengthen its data collection and analysis while focusing on improving outcomes for its participants.

Job responsibilities include:

Oversee the development of an appropriate curriculum for HCPP’s Playtime and Teen programs. Conduct research and consult with staff in the curriculum’s design and implementation.
Work closely with the Deputy Director to determine the best indicators for organizational outcomes and to determine effective measurement tools.
Play a key role in training new program staff, acclimating them to HCPP’s curriculum and outcome measures.
Evaluate participant data on an ongoing basis, sharing at staff meetings and preparing a quarterly report in advance of Board meetings along with the Deputy Director.
Make recommendations about program improvements based on data evaluation.
Develop targets for Site Managers and participants and work with the Deputy Director to monitor their performance.
Initiate annual volunteer and parent survey and analyze the results.
Coordinate site visits with the Deputy Director to coach Site Managers in real-time.
Act in thought partnership with the Deputy Director when determining best practices for program implementation and evaluation.
Work with HCPP leadership to analyze and report data for the organization’s annual report, Board meetings and grant reports.
Coordinate trainings for Site Managers with the goal of increasing valuable professional development opportunities.
Co-facilitate HCPP’s monthly volunteer trainings.

Strong candidates will possess:

Strong interpersonal and motivation skills.
Experience leading a team, including strong facilitation skills and the ability to provide and receive constructive feedback.
Ability to promote HCPP’s mission with the goal of improving outcomes for its youth and families.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and analyze data effectively.
Excellent time management, organization and problem-solving skills.
Ability to lead a team towards pursuing a common goal.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Highly efficient at record-keeping and the ability to track outcomes.

Education and Experience:

At least three years of experience in the education field
Bachelor’s degree required
Master’s degree in Education, Special Education or Child Development preferred

How to apply

Qualified candidates are asked to email a cover letter, resume, (and relevant writing sample demonstrating your data and curriculuum chops if intersted in the fulltime option combining the two roles) to hiring@playtimeproject.org with “Preteen Program Manager” in the subject line.

Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled so those who apply early have the greatest chance for consideration. Only those who meet our criteria will receive a response back. No phone calls please. Thank you for your interest in the position!