Director, Youth & Child Development

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director is responsible for both a fresh focus on Child and Youth Development programs which includes the Project HOPE Boston, Inc. Family Childcare Network (FCC). The Director is responsible for the strategic planning, implementation, management, growth, and advocacy of the organization’s Child and Youth Development agenda and programming. The Director is also responsible for tactical activities including ensuring the Department is compliant with all state regulations and requirements. Through the supervision of FCC staff (currently includes Educator Liaison/Coordinator, Enrollment and Billing Associate, and Program Assistant) the Director will ensure Project HOPE continues to grow its Network and provides extensive technical assistance to educators as well as resources for parent and family engagement.

AGENCY BACKGROUND

Project HOPE Boston, Inc. has provided support to families in the Nubian/North Dorchester area for over 40 years, always with a laser focus on partnering with families seeking housing stability and economic mobility. Since its inception, Project HOPE has implemented a number of innovative and impactful programs to address housing, workforce, childcare, and educational needs.

Located in Boston’s Dudley Street neighborhood, Project HOPE Boston, Inc. is at the forefront of efforts in the city to move families beyond homelessness and poverty. It was founded in 1981 by the Little Sisters of the Assumption who first settled in the Dudley area in 1947 to live and work with families in the local neighborhood.  In the 1980s when family homelessness identified as a crisis in Boston and the state, the Sisters opened their doors and welcomed families to stay with them, and Project HOPE (House Open People Enter) Boston was established. Once best known as a family shelter, today Project HOPE offers an array of services to assist families in gaining the resources and skills that can lead to more opportunities and access. Partnering with families in neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized, Project HOPE centers its efforts and work in the Social Determinants of Heath with a racial equity lens.

In 2006, Project HOPE Boston, Inc. opened an attractive Community Building on Dudley Street – the first LEED Silver certified, earth-friendly building in Roxbury – to serve as its headquarters and a neighborhood center for job training, adult education, housing counseling, community empowerment, and more. Just a few blocks away, the original site remains home to the family shelter.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

 Advocacy and Strategy

• Bring innovative, strategic, and creative thinking to child and youth development programming.
• Develop and/or enhance relationships with key thought leaders in the child and youth development arena.
• Assess current service models to identify critical enhancements and/or new approaches (e.g., shared services model).
• Support a learning culture by assessing existing data collection/analyses capabilities, identifying gaps, and thinking “out of the box” about how to fill them.

 Collaborative Partnerships

• Create and cultivate opportunities for internal and external collaborations across Project HOPE departments and community organizations, respectively.
• Actively engage and partner with neighborhood residents including youth and families.

 Child & Youth Development Programming

Planning

• Starting from a blank slate, identify the primary areas of child and youth development state-of-the-art programming consistent with Project HOPE Boston’s mission, vision, and values with a proof-of-concept approach.
• Develop business case for the operationalization of the desired programming (including private and public funding sources).

 Implementation

• Develop a strategic plan for piloting the programming including identified agenda, stakeholders and workplan with comprehensive outcome measures.
• Based on pilot learnings, identify, and implement necessary steps to build to full-rollout scale.

 Family Childcare Network

Growth

• Create marketing and recruitment materials to increase the number of Educators in the network.
• Deepen the professional and business development opportunities for new and existing Educators in the network.
• In partnership with the Educator Liaison/Coordinator identify and select Family Childcare Educators who evidence the commitment and capacity for quality care and business ability to grow the network.
• Network with service organizations and local agencies which can be a resource for parents and families.

 Program Management

• Supervise the outreach activities through site visit reports and logs completed by the Educator Liaison/Coordinator.
• Support the updating and maintenance of information in the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) System as needed.
• Conduct monthly quality control audits of documentation such as site visit reports to ensure compliance with all government regulations, policies, and procedures as well as quality of care.
• Ensure the educator network complies with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) regulations and policies through regular monitoring.
• Ensure staff are keeping up-to-date records of each educator’s progress in staying in compliance with EEC regulations and meeting professional development milestones.
• Ensure compliance with data collection through supervision of staff. Manage and maintain required data in community partner databases.
• Create, review, and adapt appropriate programming supports that foster developmentally appropriate and relationship-based interactions between program staff and participants.

 OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

 Support and mediate relationships between FCC staff, educators, and families.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, Human Services or related field, Master’s preferred.
• Minimum three years management experience.
• Evidence of embracing innovation along with identifying opportunities for “out of the box” thinking.
• Experience training, coaching, and focusing on professional development of staff.
• Experience supporting childcare educators through training, coaching, professional development, and small business development activities/best practices.
• Knowledge and experience working with state and/or other government agencies, specifically EEC and Child Care Resource Centers.
• Capacity to create, review, and adapt appropriate curriculum supports that foster hands-on developmentally appropriate and relationship-based interactions with all children by affiliated educators or partners.
• Capacity to provide strength-based coaching visits to all affiliated educators to ensure adherence to curriculum guidelines and implementation.

• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong computer skills.
• Strong communication skills across all mediums
• Multilingual (including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and/or Cape Verdean Creole) preferred.
• Experience working with diverse communities.
• Cultural humility.
• Commitment to Project HOPE Boston’s mission and core values.

Project HOPE values diversity in its workforce and candidates from a wide range of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Contact:

Please submit cover letter and resume to Project HOPE Human Resources team at HRManager@prohope.org