Senior Director of Programs

Founded in 1980, the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (BAGLY) is an organization whose programs are led by and for LGBTQ+ youth to meet the core physical, social, and developmental needs of the LGBTQ+ youth communities. Today, BAGLY is a nationally recognized leader in LGBTQ+ youth advocacy, providing community-based Youth Leadership and Advocacy, Health & Wellness, and Stabilization & Success programs throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Position Summary

The specific responsibility of this position is to ensure that BAGLY meets or exceeds the highest standards of community practice throughout its programs. The Senior Director of Programs is responsible for ensuring that the services offered in the organization are LGBTQ+ youth- and young adult-centered and developed in response to community needs.

This position possesses a strong understanding of and commitment to BAGLY’s mission and values, including an understanding of youth development, social justice, models of oppression, community organizing, and activism.

The Senior Director of Programs position ensures through modeling and envisioning that the teams within the Program department are inspired, challenged, and enabled to fulfill their roles as agents of change in the lives and communities they professionally serve.

As a Senior Director reporting directly to the Executive Director, this position serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This includes:

• Supporting the Executive Director in the long-term strategic planning and development of the organization;
• Providing leadership internally and in the community that reflects BAGLY’s values, mission, and vision;
• Ensuring the success of organization-wide initiatives that further the values, mission, and vision of the organization as a member of the SLT.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• Participate as a member of BAGLY’s Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement BAGLY’s strategic initiatives;
• Participate in the development and implementation of BAGLY’s strategic direction;
• Provide leadership to ensure that BAGLY’s programs are responsive and demonstrate best practices that reflect the organization’s values, mission, and vision;
• Work collaboratively with other teams to support and invest in shared success across the organization;
• Provide leadership and advocacy across the statewide community for increased support of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults;
• Collaborate with other teams to implement policies, procedures, and protocols that lead to productive fundraising and marketing outcomes;
• Demonstrate clear and consistent communication with fellow Directors by providing and receiving feedback and investing in the success of other teams;
• With support from the Director of Program Development and Impact, ensure that programs are well-designed, adequately resourced, and aligned with established outcomes to create both individual and community-level impact;
• Other duties as assigned.

Administration and Supervision

• Ensure the BAGLY Program team is effective and well-supported by overseeing recruitment, supervision, and evaluation, fostering professional growth, and enabling team members to excel in their roles;
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual professional development plans for all Program staff, interns, and volunteers;
• Oversee the schedule of the Program team for maximum effectiveness and productivity;
• Ensure the Program team’s processes reflect community standards and best practices in the allocation and deployment of resources;
• Ensure effective program management of all city and state contracts including relationships, budgets, program narratives and work plans, deliverables and reporting;
• Work closely with the Director of Operations and the Business & Workforce Manager to ensure effective fiscal management of city and state contracts;
• Ensure that BAGLY maintains strong partnerships with community service providers to create a reliable safety net that supports LGBTQ+ youth and young adults across Massachusetts;
• Research and write grants and proposals, in collaboration with the Senior Director of Development and Marketing, that support existing or new program initiatives;
• Develop and monitor Memorandums of Understanding with all external service providers that we are partnered with in providing direct services to youth, family and the community;
• Work with Finance to develop and maintain annual budgets relating to the BAGLY Programs team;
• Work closely with the Sr. Director of Development & Marketing to harmonize the public communications from BAGLY's Program team with the organization's marketing and communications objectives;
• Ensure the development of regular program reports, including annual action plans for Programs staff and quarterly updates of those plans to the Executive Director;
• Other duties as assigned.

Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance

• With the Director of Program Development and Impact, ensure that appropriate and effective Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) procedures and staff training are in place for all activities of BAGLY Programs;
• Ensure the development and completion of an annual review/evaluation for all BAGLY’s programs and external partnerships to inform improved planning for the following year;
• Ensure the development and continuous updating of all procedures and documentation requirements for programs;
• Ensure the development and maintenance of policies and protocols for program service delivery authorizations;
• Ensure that BAGLY’s programs meet and/or exceed established standards and reflect community best practices.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this position will have an advanced degree in Social Work or equivalent. A successful candidate will have a proven track record of effective team development and management. You will have led teams demonstrating high-quality program development, implementation, and evaluation. Additionally, we are looking for candidates that can speak to their successes with community collaborations that have had a demonstrated positive impact in the lives of youth and young adults. Evidence of success in supporting and improving the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults is a strong asset.

Basic Qualifications

• An advanced degree in Social Work or equivalent is required.
• A minimum of 8-10 years of proven success:
  • Community/coalition building with LGBTQ+ youth communities and communities of color to advocate for common goals;
  • Developing, implementing, and evaluating programs;
  • Supervising staff and supporting their professional development;
  • Providing public speaking, group facilitation, conflict resolution, training, and advocacy;
  • Providing leadership with a client-centered service delivery approach, including Harm Reduction frameworks and Trauma-Informed service models.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically about the needs of LGBTQ+ youth and to develop solutions;
• Strong familiarity with issues relevant to intersectional identities within the LGBTQ+ community; lived experience preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to teamwork and collaboration with people from diverse backgrounds;
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Experience writing successful grants and proposals;
• Excellent time and project management skills;
• Possesses a strong track record of fostering high-performance teams;
• A demonstrated ability to anticipate and proactively address challenges and risks;
• Professional maturity, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement;
• Experience working with computers and applications such as Slack, Asana and Google workspaces that promote effective internal and external communication;
• Experience with nonprofit program budgets, state contract deliverables, and managing subcontracted service providers;
• Experience collecting, analyzing, summarizing, and reporting data on program outcomes and using that information to refine program activities;
• Familiarity with the local and state legislative processes.

Advanced Qualifications

• Multilingual;
• Independently licensed or equivalent;
• Relevant memberships, certifications, and/or degrees;
• Successful history of articulating the mission, vision, strategies, and activities of an LGBTQ+ youth organization such as BAGLY to internal and external stakeholders;
• Demonstrated success in developing, implementing and evaluating multiple programs and services, including achieving desired outcomes and deliverables;
• Demonstrated success in a senior leadership role;
• Demonstrated ability to participate meaningfully in strategic planning and proactively implement strategic priorities;
• Consistently demonstrates the ability and skill to provide leadership within the organization and to external stakeholders;
• Consistent commitment and success in supporting an effective team to meet/exceed their goals, while working collaboratively across teams throughout the organization;
• Demonstrated success utilizing a robust outreach program to improve access to programs and services.

Work Schedule

BAGLY’s commitment to being youth- and young adult-focused requires flexibility in our staff schedules. Currently, BAGLY’s Community Center is open every weekday with some evening hours. BAGLY also sponsors outside events and collaborations with other community partners. Working with the Director of Operations, this position is responsible for ensuring that the Program and Operations teams provide adequate coverage for Community Center activities as well as outside events.

This position is based at BAGLY’s Community Center in downtown Boston, MA, and also includes local and occasional state-wide and out-of-state travel. Successful applicants will live within reasonable commuting distance from BAGLY’s Community Center, or be willing to relocate.

BAGLY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider applications for all positions without regard to age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Frequently cited statistics show that women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other structurally marginalized groups tend to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Almost no one meets 100% of the qualifications, and so BAGLY strongly encourages you to apply. We look forward to your application.

Budgeted Salary Range: $95,000-$135,000 annually

The starting salary will be determined based on how many basic and advanced qualifications are demonstrated.

Strong benefit offerings include health and dental insurance, sick time, vacation, personal days, access to pre-tax MBTA passes, and a 401(k) plan.

To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample you feel demonstrates critical and strategic thinking addressed to Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director (PDF or Word document preferred) by Friday, April 4th, 2025. Please, no calls, and email follow-ups are not necessary.