Programs Specialist - SSW

Summary of Position:

The Program Specialist is primarily responsible for facilitating and managing the day-to-day logistics of a portfolio of 20-25 programs through regular site visits, performing program observations, and providing actionable recommendations to enhance program quality, safety, compliance, instruction, attendance, enrollment, and retention, as well as addressing other critical areas.

• Track and analyze program data to identify trends, address challenges, identify program supports needed, and implement strategies that maximize participation and retention in programs
• Assist in the recruitment process of program staff, oversee the selection of returning programs, identify new program providers, and ensure compliance with portfolio benchmarks
• Assess program quality and compliance and provide program budget and portfolio reports and recommendations to Program Manager
• Conduct regular program site visits for each program in portfolio and make recommendations for Youth Program Quality Assessments
• Manage ASM instructors from recruitment to providing ongoing coaching to instructors, ensuring they have the resources and training necessary to deliver high-quality programming

• Act as the primary contact for instructors, community/campus liaisons, and school staff for programs
• Assist in developing and implementing effective teen recruitment and retention strategies for branch programs
• Plan, schedule, organize, and conduct all assigned meetings with partners, instructors, community, and campus liaisons each session
• Submit incident reports and follow up on next steps; including conducting thorough follow-up on incident reports, and addressing concerns raised by instructors, community-based organizations, schools, and sites with support from Program Manager

• Coordinate community outreach efforts, including attending events and meetings (e.g., aldermanic meetings, police district beat meetings, library meetings) to promote programs and recruit participants, securing locations for programs
• Gather feedback from community members and partners to create new programs, continuously improve existing programs and address the needs of the communities serve.

Other duties as assigned.

The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• Flexible work hours required consistent with out of school time programming; evenings hours (11am – 7pm) during school-year programming and for special events or programs
• Must be available on some Saturdays

• Employee Instructors and Program Providers
• Provide direction to community and campus liaisons and ensure compliance with program requirements
• Annual operating budget responsibility: $1M

• Strong interpersonal skills:
  Proficient in fostering positive and effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Expertise in developing and nurturing collaborative partnerships:
  Skilled at cultivating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and empower teams to achieve objectives.
• Exceptional organizational and problem-solving abilities:
  Proficient in efficiently organizing tasks and adept at resolving challenges.
• Effective communication skills:
  Articulate in conveying information verbally and in writing.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office with the ability to gather, manage,…