Friends of the Children - Chicago is part of a national mentoring organization currently serving 30 communities and expanding. Our model is to impact generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors. We provide children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, salaried, Professional Mentor, who we call a “Friend,” from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12 ½ years – no matter what. At Friends of the Children, we are a dynamic and lively team. We put children first and use our values to change the way the world treats and views youth facing great barriers. We nurture long-term relationships from a foundation of love, acceptance, and culturally informed practice.

The Position

We are seeking a highly motivated, diligent, multitasking professional to join our management team. The Program Manager oversees the various components of program within our 12-year professional mentoring model. The role’s primary responsibility will be to provide supervisory support and identify best practices using data analysis for a cohort of up to eight Professional Mentors.

Core Responsibilities:

Responsible for managing the performance of their direct team, including completing and conducting annual and semi-annual performance appraisals. Hold Friends accountable for work performance: adequacy of time spent with children, quality, intentionality, and diversity of activities with children, and administrative responsibilities.
Have continuing performance discussions to provide feedback to Mentors and to ensure that goals and objectives are being fulfilled.
Provide continuous constructive coaching as necessary, and work with HR and the Program Leadership Team to resolve issues as needed. Conducting two observations per quarter for each Friend. Manage any required performance improvement activities.
Co-lead and facilitate weekly Team Meetings to review data and ensure progress of each youth towards intermediate outcomes.
Create a safe and comfortable team environment so Friends feel supported and open to discuss child and work issues.
Ensure focus on communicating organizational information or issues to team and to solicit team feedback. Communicate effectively and appropriately in all directions regarding organizational issues, concerns, policies, and procedures. Raise and resolve issues appropriately.
Advocate for Friends of the Children, representing the best interests of your team and children, doing so in an appropriate and timely manner.
Understand, implement, and support organizational policies and procedures.
Demonstrate compliance with and accountability to the organization’s policies, procedures, and practices as outlined in the Employee Manual, Friends Handbook and Foundations Guidebook. Contribute to the development of any new policies or procedures as required. Demonstrate support of organizational decisions in a constructive and effective manner.
Solicit and obtain feedback from a minimum of two parents of children on your team per month. Document and maintain all feedback and include in Quarterly report.
Identify and execute Staff Trainings and Workshops in conjunction with Program Leadership Team (PLT) to develop Friends competencies.
Support Executive Director and Program Director in establishing and maintaining Friends of Children program model and positive work culture.
Participate in weekly PLT meetings and Organizational Leadership team meetings, as needed. Actively participate and provide insight, input and solutions to programmatic and organizational issues and challenges. Facilitate or lead PLT meetings as required.
Collaborate with Development Department to respond to requests for information and stories about youth and families.

Additional Responsibilities:

Assist with research, develop and implementation of best practice programming to serve current and future needs of the organization as required.
Participate in recruiting, hiring and training of Friends, including: interview candidates, attend career fairs, organize and/or present training sessions, attend educational seminars.
Effectively cultivate and nurture external relationships: develop trusting, supportive relationships with families and caregivers of the children on your team and build relationships with our partner schools to allow for effective program implementation and sustainability.
Understand and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.
Contacts caregivers of youth who have 12 hours or less service.
Other projects or tasks as considered necessary.

Essential Skills and Abilities

Strong interpersonal skills, including the demonstrated ability to resolve conflict, and help others do the same;
Strong written and verbal communication skills; organizational and time management, delegation, and follow-up skills.
Effective, appropriate and professional supervisory and leadership skills and behaviors.
Demonstrated ability to influence the behavior of others to achieve necessary results.
In-depth understanding of the role of a Friend, as well as of the issues faced by our Program children.
Ability to relate to peers, subordinates, and other members of the management team, and to develop and sustain trusting, supportive relationships with them.
Ability to use creativity and initiative in guiding others to plan activities that continually develop children.
Ability to work as a team player, as well as the ability to lead a team.
Ability to manage several concurrent issues and solve problems effectively exercising appropriate discretion and judgment, and ability to manage others in doing the same.
Demonstrated ability to exercise excellent judgment related to maintaining confidentiality and communicating appropriately within the workplace, and to hold others accountable for the same.
Ability to assist others in setting goals and developing plans to meet those goals to ensure the development of each child.
Ability to hold others accountable in all aspects of required performance, including completing administrative tasks accurately and on time.
Ability to cultivate relationships with children, families, school personnel, organizational supporters and community partners.
Proficient computer and keyboarding skills, proficiency with e-mail systems, familiarity with MS Outlook and ETO or other database applications.
Ability to exercise good judgment independently, in various situations and environments, and under varying levels of stress, and to develop others to do the same.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in Education, Social Work, Business Management, or related field; Master's Degree preferred
At least two to five years of experience managing and leading a team of employees; experience within the social service/youth development field preferred.
At least three to five years of experience working with youth and families facing the greatest risk factors.
Experience building and implementing systems, tools and processes that effectively support the growth and output of direct reports.
Strong knowledge of public school system, special education programs and/or various community-based organizations.
Strong knowledge and understanding of social issues, child/adolescent development, social justice competencies, and trauma-informed supports.
Proven experience in strong collaborative work involving key stakeholders.
Excellent computer, organization, oral and written communication skills
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop trusting relationships

Compensation:

$64,000
Competitive benefits are available, including health insurance (medical/dental/vision), life insurance, 3 weeks of paid vacation, and 2 weeks of paid sick time per year. We also offer a 401K Program with employer matching up to 4% after the initial 90 days of employment

The Organization

The Position