Young Adult Project Manager

Young Adult Project Manager

Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE:

The Alliance is a passionate, hard-working team dedicated to making homelessness in suburban Cook County (IL) rare, brief, and a one-time occurrence. Our role is to lead the Cook County Continuum of Care in realizing this vision by:

• Creating and implementing a community-wide plan to prevent and end homelessness.
• Strategic use and equitable distribution of federal funding and leveraging new resources to end homelessness across the region.
• Measuring results, monitoring performance, and tracking progress toward our goals.

Job Title: Young Adult Project Manager

Reports To: Coordinated Entry Director

Direct Reports: None

Program: Coordinated Entry

Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Salaried

Date Revised: 10-29-2024

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Young Adult Project Manager is responsible for the management of a coordinated system to identify and link unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in suburban Cook County to permanent and crisis housing, and other community resources. This position will be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with community-based stakeholders who may interact with youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, such as school districts, colleges, the child welfare system, juvenile justice system, etc. Additionally, this position is responsible for the identification of and referral to non-CoC housing opportunities, including the management of youth-specific housing vouchers.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Management: (75% of the time)

• Management of a youth-specific and young adult-appropriate, equitable and inclusive coordinated entry (CE) system:
  • Oversee and maintain access points and tools to make it easy for youth who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness to connect to resources.
  • Develop, maintain, and update young adult-specific processes and policies related to young adult-specific CE.
  • Oversee and/or complete the process to match young adults identified through the provider network to appropriate housing and services.
• Lead young adult-specific case conferencing with young adult service providers across suburban Cook County, as needed, to ensure appropriate matching, support agency staff, and mediate and/or facilitate connection between agencies.
• Develop and maintain referral process for non-CoC housing opportunities, including management of all young adult-specific housing vouchers.
• Convene and facilitate Youth and Young Adult leadership team meetings and young adult-specific working groups related to preventing and/or ending young adult homelessness.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal CoC and external system partners (i.e., public housing authority, child welfare, juvenile justice, education, employment) to improve coordination within, access to, and referrals to/from the young adult-specific CE system.

Ongoing: (15% of the time)

• Engage strategically with community stakeholders who might encounter or have knowledge of young adults experiencing homelessness or sexual exploitation and provide education about young adult homelessness and relevant services available in the region.
• Assist with HMIS data quality efforts and support program reporting as needed for young adult-specific programs.
• Collaborate with Coordinated Entry team members overseeing the DV and General Coordinated Entry Systems to ensure practices are aligned and to discuss clients that may enter through multiple CE systems.
• Assist and collaborate with other departments, as requested.
• Attend and participate in all required agency and regional meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Professional and program development: (approximate 10 % of time)

• Participate in ongoing development and improvement of all program processes and relationships.
• Participate in relevant industry seminars, workshops, and networking events.
• Participate in cross departmental teams if interested and time allows.
• Read about industry best practices to help ensure programming is in line with industry standards.
• Participate, as needed, in outreach in community to engage clients and community stakeholders.
• Attend all ongoing trainings as required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

While we have a set of preferred qualifications listed, if you have other experience that you think is related, please apply.

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, education, or related field, Masters preferred.
• 5 (+) years of relevant professional experience, particularly working in the field of homelessness and/or youth services.
• Have a successful track record in setting priorities; keen analytic, organization and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Computer literacy, including knowledge of computer assessment tools, database systems and Windows environment. Proficient in Excel, Outlook, and Word.
• Ideally: Driver’s license, clean driving record, auto insurance, and access to personal vehicle.

QUALITIES:

• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, a growth mindset, and dedication to the values and the mission of the Alliance.
• Ability to work with and collaborate effectively with a diverse team of staff and stakeholders.
• Awareness of personal power and privilege, dedication to cultural humility, and demonstrated high value for diversity in work team.
• Ability to work independently, both on site at the office located in Hillside, IL as well as telecommute and in the community.
• Possess a commitment to being anti-racist and anti-adultism in your work.
• Prior lived experience of homelessness is highly valued.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This is a full-time position that is mostly remote (approximately 85% of the time); On site in the community as well as at the office located in Hillside, IL is occasionally required. An accessible office space in a typical office environment is provided and meetings with the Board and other stakeholders will be required. There are occasionally meetings off-site at locations that are not accessible.
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets; while performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to utilize a computer frequently to communicate with stakeholders.
• The workplace is a smoke and drug-free environment.

COMPENSATION:

Estimated salary range: $67,000 - $71,000. A competitive compensation and benefits package will be offered, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

While employed in this position, the employee may be required to perform other assignments not listed in this job description. The employee is an employee at will, meaning that either party may terminate the employment relationship at any time by written notice to the other. Nothing in this job description is to be deemed to create a contract of employment for a specific period.

HOW TO APPLY:

We strongly encourage those with the following identities to apply: Black and indigenous people, Latinx people, other people of color, LGBTQIA+, women and non-binary people, people with disabilities, and others with lived experience of homelessness and/or as being part of marginalized communities.

The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, military status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, order of protection status, or any other legally protected status.

To apply, send resume with cover letter describing your interest in and relevant skills for the position to hiring@suburbancook.org with “Young Adult Project Manager” in the subject line.

You may address your letter to:

Carrie George, she/her, Coordinated Entry Director

Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County

4415 Harrison Street, Suite 228

Hillside, IL 60162

Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We will contact only those individuals who we feel are most qualified for the position.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER