Training Manager

About Youth Communication 

Youth Communication provides social-emotional learning curriculum and professional development to help educators and youth workers connect with the teens they serve and build their social and emotional competencies and literacy skills. Our professional development for educators and our curricula for grades 6-12 are based entirely on true stories written by teens in YC’s intensive writing workshops. That makes YC’s programs and services exceptionally engaging and uniquely culturally responsive to students furthest from opportunity. 

Overview of role 

Youth Communication is seeking a skilled manager and facilitator with expertise in social-emotional learning (SEL), the principles of culturally responsive and sustaining education (CRSE), secondary education, and coordinating and conducting professional development for educators. The Training Manager will work closely with the Senior Director of Training, Managing Director of Education Programs, and our team of consultant trainers to bring Youth Communication’s story-based professional development to schools and school districts primarily in New York City, and occasionally in other parts of the country, both remotely and in-person. Our work includes partnerships with NYC public schools, private and charter schools, afterschool programs, some school districts outside of NYC, foster care agencies, and juvenile justice programs.  

The ideal candidate for this role has a passion for YC’s mission, CRSE, and the power of storytelling to create change. They will also possess strong communication and organizational skills as they will be responsible for coordinating logistics of workshops and communicating with partners, consultant trainers, staff, and additional stakeholders regarding timing, content, and platform of trainings. The Training Manager will also work with the Senior Director of Training to write agendas and prepare for workshops in advance, including making copies of handouts and sending reminder emails to participants. The role also involves working with the Senior Director of Training to discuss agenda topics and make changes to existing agendas with the Training Manager offering insight and expertise. They will be prepared to evaluate and provide reports on training data and outcomes and offer feedback on our SEL and curriculum-related projects. 

This position requires the ability to be communicative, organized, and collaborative. As the Training Manager, they should possess a strong desire to help the Education Department stay well-managed and professional in its training endeavors. This is a new position at Youth Communication, and we will need the Training Manager to be flexible, resourceful, and have strong time-management skills. They will be joining a team of passionate educators committed to learning and self-reflection, maintaining a rewarding work-life balance, and being a part of a community at work. 

The position is hybrid, working Tuesdays and Thursdays in our office in Midtown Manhattan (this is non-negotiable). Work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with some flexibility for extenuating circumstances. 

Job Responsibilities: 

Logistics 

• Manage training logistics (i.e. scheduling trainings, assigning and confirming consultant trainers to workshops, sending training materials, making meeting notices for trainings) 
• Collect, track, and aggregate evaluation and survey data via Salesforce 
• Provide technical assistance for logistical questions and serve as technical assistance on remote trainings as needed 
• Organize partnerships folders that contain agendas, templates, and partnership communication  
• Create (alongside the Senior Director of Training) and send out monthly newsletters and follow-up emails from the Education Department 
• Serve as main contact point between Youth Communication and contracted partners 

Training 

• Serve as a thought partner for Senior Director of Training to create and write training agendas 
• Conduct trainings on YC’s SEL curriculum and CRSE professional development 
• Make necessary edits, adjustments, or customizations to existing training agenda materials 
• Test new training modalities and collaborate with Senior Director of Training on innovating new methods for the sake of engaging in continuous improvement 
• Research and generate new training activities together with the Senior Director of Training 
• Observe trainings to see how participants are responding to activities and report back to Senior Director of Training 

Other 

• Provide feedback on SEL and other curriculum projects 
• Develop relationships with partners and work closely with Partnerships team to communicate with external stakeholders 
• Support Senior Director of Training in editing and creating a Training Manual and new trainer onboarding processes 
• Manage resources and supplies (i.e. chart paper, markers, etc.) 
• Assist on special professional development grants 
• Research best practices regarding facilitation, social and emotional learning, and culturally responsive and sustaining education practices 
• Collaborate and communicate with Managing Director of Education Programs to provide evaluation data and testimonials to Developing, Marketing, and Partnership departments 

Experience/Qualifications: 

Commitment to YC’s mission of amplifying youth voice and supporting educators and youth workers 

Attentive to detail, strong organization and prompt communication (both written and oral) skills, adept time management, preparedness, punctuality, ability to take initiative and demonstrate leadership, willingness to learn, able to articulate complex ideas to a variety of stakeholders  

Facility and knowledge of social and emotional learning and culturally responsive and sustaining education best practices 

Experience facilitating difficult conversations on race, gender, sexuality, identity, etc.  

3-5 years of experience conducting educator professional development trainings and workshops. Prior experience working with schools is particularly applicable. 

Some familiarity with online platforms, Salesforce, survey software, or a willingness to learn about these systems. Experience with Word and Zoom required. 

Some experience working with adolescents (e.g. school, afterschool, juvenile justice, counseling/social work, etc.); school experience highly preferred 

Project management experience is a plus