Operations / Administration Director of Elementary and Middle School Programs
Job Description
Director of Elementary & Middle School Programs (Full-time Position)
South Asian Youth Action (SAYA)
South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) is committed to providing its employees opportunities for growth in a supportive community environment. With a flexible schedule and generous benefits package, SAYA provides its employees a healthy work-life balance in a fast-growing youth development nonprofit.
SAYA: Belong. Grow. Thrive.
Organization Description
South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) is an inclusive, South Asian-focused 501(c)3 youth development organization. Through our innovative, holistic approach, we work toward educational equity by providing opportunities and resources to less privileged New York City youth, ensuring they are empowered academically, emotionally, and socially to become engaged community members.
Established in 1996, SAYA provides valuable life skills and holistic, impactful programming to underserved New York City youth. As one of the first South Asian organizations created in the United States, SAYA is the only organization of its kind in the NYC metropolitan area providing inclusive and secular comprehensive youth development services while centering our community’s experiences. Today, SAYA provides programming at eight elementary, middle, and high schools in Queens and Brooklyn, along with our Elmhurst-based community center – serving a growing number of youth across all sites each year.
A key tenet of our work is cultivating vital social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as belonging, confidence, and self-efficacy through intentionally designed, research-based curricula. Across our organization, services tailored for different age groups include leadership and identity development, academic support that bridges learning gaps, comprehensive college preparation, and activities that nurture creativity and build positive peer connections.
Position Summary
The Director of Elementary & Middle School Programs will provide operational oversight, fiscal management, strategic direction and quality assurance of SAYA’s year-round programming. Responsibilities will include strategic design, delivery, evaluation, and budgeting. They will lead efforts to create cross-site initiatives and priorities. They will implement SAYA’s current strategic initiatives, which include building girls/young women’s and boy/young men’s leadership groups, increasing arts and STEM programming led by specialists, establishing partnerships with Queens and NYC-based cultural institutions and designing ways to support families with the high school application processes. They will provide supervision, coaching and mentorship to all program directors and coordinators of elementary and middle school programs. They will build a culture of collaboration, integrity and high standards across SAYA’s elementary and middle school portfolio.
Reports to: Chief Program Officer
Supervises: Program Directors
Responsibilities:
Team Building and Coaching
- Supervise and promote the professional development of full-time and part-time employees of SAYA’s elementary and middle school programs.
- Lead events, meetings and trainings for elementary and middle school full-time and part-time staff that builds camaraderie and provides growth opportunities for staff.
- Provide curriculum coaching and training to ensure high quality programs across all sites.
Strategy Creation and Implementation
- Create and implement a visionary strategy across the elementary and middle school portfolio that aims to build cohesion, add innovative offerings and improve operational practices.
- Ensure quality curriculum design and delivery of programs including oversight in unit and lesson planning; guidance around lesson structure, content, and activities; and support around classroom management and facilitation practices.
- Work closely with the Chief Program Officer, Executive Director and Development staff on fundraising and program development initiatives, grant proposals and reports, and other projects.
- Encourage and facilitate continuation of middle school youth involvement in our high school programs.
- Recruit SAYA program alumni to work in our elementary and middle school programs while they are in college.
- Lead efforts to create cross-site initiatives and priorities.
- Develop and implement SAYA’s current strategic initiatives.
Partnership Development
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with administrators/teachers of partner schools, as well as funders and government agencies.
- Identify and develop partnership opportunities to provide youth with a range of resources, supports and enriching programming.
- Represent SAYA at various external meetings, conferences and forums.
Operations and Evaluation
- Oversee and improve processes for youth recruitment, enrollment, attendance,data collection and reporting using online platforms such as Apricot, DYCD Connect and GSuite.
- Develop and monitor operating budgets in close partnership with the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Program Officer.
- Ensure maintenance of all contractual, regulatory and funding source guidelines and requirements.
- Be well-versed and current with assessment tools and youth development theories that are consistent with best practices.
- Collaborate with the colleagues to ensure that we measure the impact of our programming through clear program objectives, data collection and evaluation efforts.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree plus minimum of 8 years of experience with elementary and middle school youth required.
- Master’s degree in Social Work, Education or related field strongly preferred.
- Ability to develop and implement a programmatic vision across multiple locations.
- Deep understanding of how to connect program goals with budgeting, including budget development and monitoring.
- Experience supervising and developing a team of professionals.
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and manage multiple priorities and projects effectively.
- Experience working in the youth development, after school and public education arenas specifically in New York City is a plus.
Key Competencies
Collaboration and Communication
- Thrive on building relationships with youth, school staff and administration, parents and SAYA colleagues.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with ease.
- Enjoy working with and in teams.
- Comfortable mediating conflicts among various stakeholders.
Creativity
- Desire to seek continuous opportunities to strategically improve elementary and middle school programs.
- Demonstrate flexibility and implement programming under various conditions and challenges.
Mentorship
- Skilled at mentoring staff to support them in developing professional skills.
- Implements a transformational and adaptable leadership and managerial style.
- Ability to foresee potential outcomes of managerial decisions on various stakeholders.
- Comfortable navigating difficult conversations effectively, knowing when to step in and when to allow staff to handle a situation themselves.
Compensation
$90,000-$100,000 commensurate with experience
PTO starting at 25 days
10 paid holidays
12-weeks (60 days) of fully paid FMLA leave
Employer sponsored medical benefits with generous employer contributions for employee and dependents
Optional dental, vision, transit, and FSA benefits
Flexible schedule policies
Additional Information
- While we value work/life balance, due to the nature of this position, this role will sometimes require work on evenings and weekends.
To apply: Please include your resume and cover letter with your application.
SAYA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Employer.
