Executive Director

Background

Mission: Youth Empowered Society (YES) is an organization that prevents and eliminates youth homelessness through the synergy of youth/peer and ally partnerships.

Vision: All of Baltimore’s youth will easily access supportive services and stable housing to become powerful in their own lives.

Values:

Safety

Dignity

Trustworthiness

Wellness

Youth, peer, and ally partnerships

Anti-oppression

YES’s History

YES grew out of the work of the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative (BHYI) Youth Leaders, a group of youth with personal experience of homelessness, and youth allies, that formed as an arm of the BHYI Coalition in 2009. In particular, BHYI Youth Leaders identified the need for a comprehensive drop-in center for youth, and this vision was realized when YES opened its center doors in October 2012. For almost a decade, YES offered in-house case management on a daily basis that focused on connecting to employment and housing and also included assistance obtaining identification, enrolling in school, navigating financial aid, accessing public benefits, advocacy in legal proceedings, accessing childcare, and more. Peer and allied case managers would assist youth to create action plans, set self-determined goals, and work towards stability. Other areas of programmatic focus/expertise that arose in response to youth needs included workforce development, mental health support, rapid rehousing, pregnancy and parenting support, legal advocacy, and harm reduction.

After scaling back programming (specifically, closure of our physical space) from fall 2021 to the end of 2022, we began our journey towards regrowth in 2023 with an interim director and long-standing program director. The interim ED moved YES through a period of transition during which the focus was on strategic planning, rebuilding program and operational infrastructure, growing the Board, and establishing YES as an independent nonprofit in good standing. The incoming Executive Director will inherit an organization that is now fiscally sound, prepared to relaunch drop-in and grow the staff team, and overseen by a committed and knowledgeable Board of Directors. YES plans to serve 120 unduplicated youth in FY25 while (re)building community, safety, and belonging in a new physical space.

Role

YES is actively seeking a full-time Executive Director to begin in January 2025. The Executive Director reports to the YES Board of Directors, provides direction and leadership for the organization’s mission and vision, and represents the organization and its work. The ED is responsible for YES’s overall success and viability and leads through the lenses of YES’s best practices (especially race equity, harm-reduction, trauma-informed care, Housing First and positive youth development) and values, and guides the organization toward mission fulfillment. At this moment for YES, the ED will navigate large-scale organizational change and growth while optimizing continued service delivery to our youth.

Equity and Culture Driver

• Commitment to learning, understanding, and stewarding YES, its history, its programs, and its staff to effectively guide decision-making and best practices
• Champion engagement, education, and best practices related to positive youth development, homelessness, housing instability, and social justice
• Attract and hire staff and help recruit Board members and other volunteers to support a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization
• Understand individual staff motivators and talents, and provide meaningful recognition, coaching, mentoring, and development opportunities for staff to increase engagement and retention
• Demonstrate a high level of competency in leading diversity and inclusion initiatives through an equity lens

Strategic and Programmatic Leadership

• Visionary and innovative leader who inspires staff with passion, transparency, and knowledge of how strategic objectives impact YES mission and the broader Baltimore community
• In collaboration with the Board of Directors and the YES team, lead the development and implementation of all strategic plans and initiatives, including ensuring fidelity to the newly created strategic plan for fiscal years 2025-2027
• Align programmatic objectives with mission, supported by financial management, effective internal and external communication strategies, and the cultivation of mutually beneficial partnerships
• As a champion of change leadership, be adept in conflict management and decisive decision-making, with a proven ability to effectively manage and engage a team of up to 10 staff
• Provide participatory and inclusive leadership of staff and volunteers in a way that models and enhances leadership skills of others

Development and Community Relations

• Oversee the public image and brand of YES as a leader in youth homeless services
• Build and maintain relationships with public and private sector funders, including foundation contacts, Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, major donors, and other advocates in the funding space
• Maintain ongoing inventory of grant opportunities and seek out as appropriate, as well as reestablish former and cultivate new individual donors
• Prepare, write, and submit grant applications/requests and monitor expectations, compliance and fidelity to all grants and funding sources
• Establish and cultivate positive relationships with organizational partners, institutions, community leaders, coalitions, and other stakeholder groups

Nonprofit Operational and Financial Management

• Develop, recommend, and manage the annual operating budget in coordination with contracted finance support and the Board, especially Board Treasurer
• Maintain awareness and exercise sound judgment to ensure financial controls are in place to track and manage grant allocation and funding sources
• Ensure quality and accuracy of program spending, payroll and benefits, financial reports, donor reports, etc.
• Oversee identification and establishment of new physical space for YES, including assessing options (current and new) and shepherding process through to lease execution
• Facilitate opening of new drop-in space from ground up, including any capital improvements, furniture, fixtures, and equipment procurement and set-up, etc.

Qualifications and Abilities

Ideal candidates for this position will have a genuine passion for YES’s mission and values and demonstrate an ability to quickly integrate into the organization and become an engaged and inspiring leader. Candidates will bring a variety of experiences and attributes to YES, including:

• Deep commitment to youth and our model of a youth-informed community organization
• Entrepreneurial spirit and an inspiring leadership style with the ability to motivate and align staff and volunteers with the vision for the organization
• Knowledge of Baltimore, its environment, people, culture, issues and relationships, including a familiarity with the city’s homeless services system preferred
• Lived experience that is proximate to the issues of structural and systemic racism and values related to fostering belonging, inclusivity, equity, justice, accountability and love
• Five or more years’ senior level leadership and management experience, ideally in youth services, human services, and/or community organizing/advocacy
• A successful track record in raising funds and grant writing, including state and local government funding, philanthropic support, and the ability to identify new revenue opportunities
• Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills, strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to interact with diverse audiences
• Business acumen and experience with administrative and fiscal management, budgeting, programming and contract management
• Experience working with a board and developing engaged and effective governance
• Commitment to and skill with community involvement and engagement, building partnerships and collaborations with other organizations
• Strong customer service orientation: patience, listening, resourcefulness, and attention to detail

Additional Details

Salary: The salary range for this position is $96,000-$112,000.

Hours: This is a full-time position (40 hrs/week) with hours generally falling between 8:30a-6:30p Monday to Friday, with occasional evening and weekend commitments. Please note drop-in hours will be determined as we seek to meet youth-identified preferences, and as such, this role may involve hours that run later than a typical business day.

Target Start Date: January 2, 2025

Application Deadline: October 18, 2024

AA/EEO Statement: It is the policy of YES to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, religion, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, ancestry, physical appearance, income level, source of income, political beliefs, marital, genetic, student or veteran status, less than honorable discharge, arrest or conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by law.