Associate Director of Youth Development

Associate Director of Youth Development

Cambridge, MA

Type:
Exempt, Full-Time

Supervisor:
Director of Youth Program Pathways

Location:

430 Rindge Avenue Suite #202, Cambridge, MA 02140

Salary Range: $80,000-$90,000 annually

Just A Start is a Cambridge-based community development corporation dedicated to promoting equity through affordable housing and pathways to economic opportunity. Our Youth Programs sit within the Education and Training department and include our flagship Youth Build program – a full‑time, comprehensive workforce development program for opportunity youth ages 16‑24 in the Boston Metro North region.

Just A Start is one of 11 independently operated Youth Build programs in the Massachusetts Youth Build Coalition and a proud affiliated member of the global Youth Build movement. We help young people reclaim their education, gain job skills, and grow into community leaders – grounded in positive youth development and trauma‑informed practice.

As part of our strategic plan, we are actively developing new programming ‘on‑ramps’ (such as academic remediation for youth working toward Youth Build readiness) and ‘off‑ramps’ connecting graduates and community young adults to emerging careers, including Solar Start – our training program for young adults entering climate‑critical careers. The Associate Director will be a key thought partner and implementer of this evolving and expanding departmental vision.

• Set the tone for trainee success and program culture across Youth Build’s 10‑month cycle – from pre‑enrollment through graduation.
• Be the person everyone turns to when a situation needs de‑escalating, expectations need reinforcing, or a young person needs to be redirected with firmness and care.
• Keep the Trainee Handbook current and meaningful, in partnership with the Youth Policy Council.
• Own the vision for Life Skills and socioemotional learning (SEL) – partnering with the Senior Case Manager on instruction to ensure SEL is directly tied to retention and trainee success.
• Lead planning for Youth Build Orientation week, synthesize staff observations, and advise on enrollment decisions in coordination with the Youth Program Operations Manager and Senior Case Manager.
• Steer expenditures to deliver high quality programming that meets trainee needs and stays on budget with guidance from the Director of Youth Program Pathways.
• Serve as a program liaison to the Massachusetts Youth Build Coalition in conjunction with the Director of Youth Program Pathways attending monthly meetings with other Youth Build program leaders across the state.

• Directly supervise the instructional team:
  Construction Instructors, Youth Entrepreneurship Program Manager, and Academic Program Manager, who in turn supervises the Science, Technology, and Math Instructor.
• Champion a strong High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) program by supporting the Academic Program Manager in delivering quality instruction and achieving rigorous academic outcomes.
• Manage the vocational instruction teams (Construction and Retail Entrepreneurship) with the administration of workforce training ensuring that trainees’ needs are met while also complying with funder contractual outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Senior Case Manager and the Career and Post‑Secondary Education Specialist to deliver trauma‑informed, strengths‑based supportive services to trainees and alumni – including the critical 12‑month post‑program follow‑up period.
• Administer trainee progress review meetings, trainee success plans and supportive action plans in collaboration with all program staff.
• Lead program change initiatives that drive positive outcomes for trainees.
• Ensure timely Salesforce data entry across the team and contribute to quarterly contractual reporting.

• Design and facilitate the Youth Policy Council (YPC) meeting 2‑4 times per month to build trainee leadership, drive the Life Skills series, and amplify trainee voices in program culture and policy.
• Oversee the Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) – deepening alumni…