JOBS: Exec Director at Youth Empowered Society (Baltimore City, MD)
Youth Empowered Society seeks
an Executive Director who is committed to growing this vital community
organization which strives to end youth homelessness through the lenses of antioppression
and race equity.
Salary Range
Approx $65,000 to $75,000 depending upon experience, plus full benefits package. Relocation assistance is not available.
Approx $65,000 to $75,000 depending upon experience, plus full benefits package. Relocation assistance is not available.
The
Organization
Mission
and Goals: The Youth Empowered Society (YES) is an organization that
prevents and eliminates youth homelessness through the synergy of youth, peer
and ally partnerships. The organization’s vision is that all of Baltimore’s
youth will easily access supportive services and stable housing to become
powerful in their own lives.
Through the YES Drop-In Center,
YES provides urgently-needed direct services to youth experiencing
homelessness; develops the leadership and employment readiness of youth who
have experienced homelessness; and partners with youth to advocate for systems
change. Through these approaches, YES puts youth experiencing homeless on a
pathway to stability by focusing on immediate needs, long-term stability, and
systems transformation.
YES is guided by the core values of youth
helping youth and youth,
peer and ally partnerships. To that end, YES’s staff is comprised of
both peers and allies. Peers bring their lived experiences, insights, and
perspective to every element of YES through YES’s participatory and transparent
decision-making. YES also engages in system reform by engaging in youth
consciousness-raising and leadership development, legislative advocacy, and
work with the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative (BHYI), the Thriving
Communities Collaborative, theCONNECT, and other community initiatives.
History:
YES grew out of the work of the BHYI Youth Leaders, a group of youth with
personal experiences of homelessness that formed as an arm of the BHYI
Coalition in 2009. Among other priorities, they identified the need for a
comprehensive, “one-stop-shop” drop-in center for youth in a central Baltimore
location, to be staffed by formerly homeless young adults with whom the youth could
relate and be inspired. They worked tirelessly with allies to realize their
vision which became a reality when YES opened its doors in October 2012.
Current
Programs and Activities:
YES provides several services and conducts a number of
programs to meet the needs of 200-250 vulnerable youth experiencing
homelessness annually. YES facilitates access to resources and opportunities
that most (housed) individuals take for granted by focusing on immediate needs
as well as long-term stability. YES:
•
Provides a safe, youth-friendly space for youth to
gather, and to give and receive support.
•
Works with youth to secure emergency shelter and/or
temporary housing and meet basic needs.
•
Provides in-house case management that assists clients
in acquiring vital documents (e.g., birth certificates, social security cards,
and photo identification cards), accessing public benefits, obtaining permanent
housing, navigating the legal system, and meeting the variety of other needs.
•
Works intensively with youth on workforce development
though one-on-one assessments and goal setting; resume, mock interview and job
search assistance; paid workforce development training at soft-skill and sector
specific training sites; connection to employment; and retention activities.
•
Offers high school/GED/college application assistance
and tutoring.
•
Facilitates onsite access to health care, mental health
services, and legal services.
•
Offers weekly support groups such as a parenting group,
a writing/spoken word group, a Healthy Relationships group provided by Turn
Around, Inc., and a psychoeducational trauma-recovery group S.E.L.F.
•
Runs a Rapid Rehousing program that provides housing
and intensive case management to 10 youth in FY17 and will provide housing to
additional 10 youth in FY18.
YES
facilitates connections to community partners through provision of
transportation tokens, assistance with interview and employment attire,
budgeting, problem solving with employers and housemates and many other
supports. YES operates on weekdays, providing hours by appointment, in crisis,
and most importantly, through drop-in four days a week. YES also facilitates
weekly leadership activities for youth who to engage in the “YES Leaders” group
each Friday, which provides opportunities for youth to share their experiences
of homelessness and work toward solutions in our community.
Fiscal
Agent: Strong City Baltimore serves as the fiscal agent for YES. YES is
supported by key staff at Strong City Baltimore who provide financial and
administrative management, including accounting, invoicing, payroll, audit,
insurance, and human resources to YES. Strong City Baltimore is an independent
501(c)(3) organization.
YES has recently grown its Advisory Board to 15 members, which
populate four committees (resource development, program, finance and
operations, and board development). Currently, YES has four peer staff and
other staff with experiences of homelessness, incarceration, and poverty, as
well as allied staff who share a commitment to anti-oppression and listening
and learning from those who’ve had personal experiences of homelessness. YES’s
budget in FY18 is approximately $1 million.
For
more information, see www.yesdropincenter.org
The
Position
The
Executive Director reports to the YES Advisory Board, provides direction and
leadership for the organization’s mission and vision, and represents the
organization and its work and supports other staff to share in this role. The
Executive Director is responsible for YES’s overall success and viability and
leads through the lenses of YES’s espoused best practices (race equity, harm-
reduction, trauma-informed care, housing first and positive youth development)
and values, and guides the organization toward mission fulfillment. YES
seeks to hire an Executive who is knowledgeable about the impact of trauma and
adverse childhood experiences on the lives of youth who experience homelessness
and understands that in order to be effective, programming and staff
development must reflect a trauma responsive approach at all levels in the
organization.
The Executive Director will ensure that program and service objectives
are achieved in a financially sound manner and demonstrate strong personal and
strategic leadership and integrity. The Executive Director will succeed a
valued founder, Lara Law, who has led the organization since it was conceived.
Other valued youth founders have also moved on from YES. The Executive Director
will inherit an organization that is fiscally sound, growing, has a motivated
and engaged staff, and committed leaders serving on the Advisory Board.
Key
Responsibilities
Reporting
to the Advisory Board, the Executive Director is responsible for the following:
Leadership/Supervision
•
Participatory and inclusive leadership of staff and
volunteers in a way that models and enhances leadership skills of others
•
Responsible for management and oversight of YES’
services and programs
•
Manage YES’s staff to function as an effective team
•
Supervise, coach and mentor staff for continued growth
and improvement
•
Oversee and ensure the quality of work produced by YES
team
•
Currently supervise 5 direct reports
•
Ensure the accuracy and usefulness of Strong City’s:
financial reports, payroll, benefits, donor reports, insurance, etc. for YES
•
Oversee and lead all internal HR activities
•
Ensure that YES follows regulations, funder
requirements, and policies that affect YES’s work
•
Analyze client and organizational outcomes and help
staff achieve targets
•
Support drop-in and other program activities as needed
Administration
•
Coordinate Advisory Board meetings and AB committees
•
Maintain frequent, open, ongoing communication with YES
team, Advisory Board, Strong City and YES’s partners
•
Lead budget development and resource allocation and
prepare and present monthly financial reports to the staff/AB
•
Provide input to the board re: organization strategy,
planning, and governance
•
Manage and oversee the facilities, including
coordination with landlords
•
Ensure YES has appropriate space for programs and
administration
Fundraising
•
Ensure YES has adequate funds to run the program
through fundraising efforts in collaboration with YES’s Development Director
and AB Resource Development Committee
•
Oversee the development of new funding streams and lead
donor cultivation
•
Manage grants and contracts and their reporting
requirements
•
Liaise with Strong City re: all fundraising and finance
activity
Community
Relations
•
Lead engagement with students, institutions,
contractors, and partners re: research with/on behalf of YES
•
Organize the completion and dissemination of an annual
report and other communications
•
Participate in coalitions/work groups (BHYI, the
Continuum of Care’s Youth and Young Adult Workgroup, etc.) and engage in public
policy advocacy in partnership with staff and youth
•
Coordinate with outside partners re: partnerships and MOUs
•
Ensure YES’s external communications are frequent,
positive, and professional
•
Communicate with media, local Community Associations,
police, etc.
Experience and Attributes
Ideal candidates for this position will have a genuine passion for
YES’s mission and values and demonstrate an ability to quickly integrate into
the organization and become an engaged and inspiring leader. Candidates will
bring a variety of experiences and attributes to YES, including:
•
Deep commitment to youth and committed to our model of
a youth-informed community organization;
•
Deep understanding of and commitment to YES’s values;
•
An inspiring leadership style with the ability to
motivate and align staff and volunteers with the vision for the organization;
•
Knowledge of Baltimore, its environment, people,
culture, issues and relationships;
•
A background in youth services, human services,
community organizing/advocacy, and/or nonprofit leadership;
•
Three or more years’ senior level leadership and
management experience;
•
Experience developing and managing programs in a
human/social service environment;
•
A successful track record in raising funds including
state and local government funding, earned income, grants and philanthropic
support, and the ability to identify new revenue opportunities;
•
Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills, strong
written and oral communication skills including competence in technical
writing, and the ability to interact with diverse audiences;
•
Business acumen and experience with administrative and
fiscal management, budgeting, programming and contract management;
•
Experience in or understanding of, the Maryland
legislative system and willingness to engage in policy and advocacy work and
develop staff and youth to engage as well;
•
Experience working with a board and developing engaged
and effective governance;
•
Commitment to and skill with community involvement and
engagement, building partnerships and collaborations with other organizations;
•
Familiarity with homeless services preferred; and
•
Master’s degree preferred.
Application Process
To
apply, e-mail your resume and a cover letter that explains your interest in and
qualifications for the position to hiring@yesdropincenter.org
(e-mail
applications are required). For other inquiries, contact Catrese Brown
at catresebrown@gmail.com (Transition
Consultant) or Lara Law at lara@yesdropincenter.org.
It is the policy of this organization to provide equal opportunity to
employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender,
gender identity or expression, sexual preference/orientation, age or
disability.
Resume
review begins immediately.