Program Manager, Scholars Program

Organization Overview

United Friends of the Children empowers current and former foster/justice involved youth on their journey to self-sufficiency through service-enriched programs, advocacy, and consistent relationships with a community of people who care.

Founded over 40 years ago, United Friends’ is a leading provider of youth development services to current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Through its housing and education programs, the organization has helped thousands of young people imagine and actualize their own dreams and futures. United Friends’ programs focus on commitment, trauma-informed care, and empowerment by prioritizing a whole-person-development approach. Through a Social Justice Positive Youth Development (SJPYD) model, we center building relationships with youth over an extended period to achieve greater outcomes. Around those relationships, United Friends wraps an array of supportive services to help youth successfully transition to adulthood. As a result of services, United Friends alumni have greater housing and economic stability, higher educational attainment and a stronger sense of community and emotional wellbeing.

Position Overview

Starting as early as the 6th grade and following students through college graduation, the Education Program forges trusting relationships with youth as they navigate some of life's most pivotal moments. Reporting to the Director of Education, the Manager leads a team of College Counselors and all aspects of programming to ensure that our college scholars, college years 1 through 5, receive the best possible guidance and support in their journey through higher education (bachelor degree granting institutions, community college, or trade and technical education programs). The goal of the Manager is to ensure that youth being served by our counselors graduate from their higher education program and are able to find meaningful and stable work after their graduation. Qualified candidates will have experience working with college going youth from underserved and under-represented populations as well as helping youth with career exploration and job readiness.

The Manager provides leadership and consistency through the relationship-based and trauma-informed model. This individual will be dedicated to United Friends of the Children’s mission and, in partnership with the Director of Education and the Education Management Team, is responsible for the successful implementation and outcomes of the E2 Team. The Manager will oversee all individual case management services and will assist with the design and implementation of key programmatic components including, workshops and events, special projects, and program evaluation through a relationship-based, trauma-informed, and resiliency focused lens, utilizing best practices from the field of child welfare.

The individual in this position will also support scholars directly as needed and will assist with the design and implementation of key programmatic components including workshops and events, special projects, and program evaluation.

United Friends currently implements a hybrid work environment – schedule is determined at the discretion of management and the needs of the program and/or agency. This position will work full-time hours, Monday - Friday and report to the downtown office, as needed. Occasional weekend and evening work may be required throughout the year as needed. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader who brings critical thinking, creativity, initiative, good judgment, integrity, and a deep commitment to social justice and equity – along with a sense of humor – to the work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management and Coaching

• Support and oversee College Counselors in their implementation of United Friends’ service model.
• Lead, coach, and develop College Counselors in providing case management and youth development services.
• Review counselor notes in United Friends’ database, monitor execution of case plans and assess frequency and quality of case management.
• Engage in continuous knowledge development regarding laws, best practices, tools, techniques, and performance standards within the education, foster care, management, and case management fields.
• Assist with hiring, training, and developing College Counselors.
• Lead weekly team meetings to support the E2 Team’s collaborative work and plan for E2 workshops and events.
• Be a positive force for change and provide support for staff to be their best and do their best work.

Leadership and Program Development

• Works with the Director of Education and Education Leadership Team to set programmatic goals and manage collective and individual performance towards these goals, including enhancing programs and services to improve outcomes.
• In partnership with Director of Education and the Education Leadership Team, oversees the efficient and effective day-to-day operation of the E2 Team.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and potential community partners to enhance the opportunities available to United Friends’ program participants. Specifically, but not limited to, relationships with college administrators and staff, workforce development centers, job training programs, and other community based organizations who serve transitional age foster youth and underserved college students.
• Oversees the implementation of events for the E2 Team.
• Collaborates with the Community Impact team in the development of curriculum content.
• Guide the onboarding process for the Education Program’s entry point.
• Works with the VP of Programs and the Director of Education to effectively track progress and regularly evaluate program components utilizing Apricot 360, to measure successes within the Education program that can be communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
• Oversee direct reports’ data entry process to ensure timeliness and data integrity.
• Partner with the Intake and Outreach Coordinator to collaborate on the intake and enrollment of new E2 youth.
• Represent United Friends’ interests and mission in the broader community.

Budget Planning and Management

• Identify the spending trends of the program and analyze in conjunction with the projections for the program’s approved budget.
• Review all check requests and monthly reimbursement requests from the E2 team to ensure that planned spending is aligned with approved budget.

Alumni Support

• Provide case management support to E2 alumni and youth as needed

Other

• Other duties as assigned.

General United Friends Responsibilities

• Act as a role model within the organization to uphold and implement United Friends’ organizational values:
  • Embrace program evaluation that leads to excellence and impact.
  • Build effective and empowering partnerships with the youth and community.
  • Create a fun and exciting environment that inspires learning and innovation.
  • Communicate openly, honestly and with humility across all groups.
  • Work together as one organization.
• Staff hold a commitment to:
  • A culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Approach to our population and client centered advocacy
  • Strong knowledge of the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work.
  • Support in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
  • Evaluating the completeness, accuracy and relevance of data to determine information value and improve client services.

Direct Reports

• College Counselors TAY E2 (4)

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in nonprofit management, social work, public administration or a related field
• 2+ years of direct management and/or supervisory experience
• 3+ years of case management experience and/or experience working with foster youth and TAY youth
• Establishes and cultivates respectful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated experience supporting young adults in their pursuit of higher education
• Manages complex projects and balances multiple competing priorities with strong attention to detail
• Holds self and others accountable to high expectations, works well both independently and collaboratively, and relates tasks to organizational values and vision
• Conveys thoughts and ideas clearly, listens well, communicates in a solution-oriented manner and incorporates others’ views into work.
• Trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy
• Understand the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work
• Passionate about United Friends’ mission
• An understanding of and sensitivity to issues concerning current and former foster youth

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with the counseling method of Motivational Interviewing