Youth Development Program Manager

Full-time, Exempt

About the Ecology Center

The Ecology Center is a 45-year-old nonprofit located in west Berkeley. Our mission is to inspire and build a sustainable, healthy, and just future for the East Bay, California, and beyond. The Ecology Center transforms the ideas of sustainability into everyday practice. We offer information you can act on, infrastructure you can count on, and leadership for lasting change. We are working toward a world of resilient communities, zero waste and toxics, equal access to healthy food, sustainable resource use, and a safe and stable climate.

Youth Development Program

For over 10 years, the Ecology Center has run Farm Fresh Choice, a food justice program designed to increase access to healthy food and nutrition information in communities most impacted by diet related illness. Youth interns have been employed to operate community produce stands and provide nutrition education and outreach. The program has produced many youth leaders from diverse and challenging backgrounds, who are now working in health and nutrition, environmental justice and other similar fields. As a part of its strategic plan, the Ecology Center is shifting its approach to offer youth development opportunities in all aspects of the organization’s programs. The goal is to increase the spectrum of experiences for young people, while deepening our commitment to a new generation of leaders from communities most vulnerable to and affected by environmental and health problems. The program will kick off with an 8-week summer academy followed by academic year internships. The program includes significant on the job training and programmatic work experience, as well as environmental literacy and leadership development training.

Summary of Responsibilities

The Youth Development Program Manager works under the direction of the Executive Director to plan, execute, assess, and improve high quality youth development programing geared towards creating the next generation of environmental leaders from the East Bay’s under-resourced communities and communities of color. The Youth Development Program Manager is the organization’s lead staff person engaging young people ages 15 to 24, and providing support to other Ecology Center Staff in youth placement and oversight.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Collaboratively develop and implement plans, policies, goals, and objectives for the Ecology Center Youth Development Program
  • Plan, organize, and execute an annual summer youth academy
  • Plan, organize, and execute a year round youth internship program
  • Develop and adhere to annual budget in collaboration with Deputy Director and Executive Director; monitor departmental income and expenses
  • Assist in developing funding proposals, managing grants, and preparing grant reports
  • Ensure high levels of physical and emotional safety for youth interns and program staff
  • Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate performance of Youth Development staff and Youth Interns
  • Conduct ongoing assessments of program quality and implement improvements
  • Provide significant on the job environmental literacy training for youth interns
  • Develop and maintain key partnerships with City, other Governmental and Non-Governmental agencies
  • Present at conferences and workshops; lead and participate in coalition and activities that further Ecology Center strategic goals
  • Work with other Ecology Center staff to coordinate Youth Development activities with other programs, participate in weekly staff meetings and organization-wide strategic planning, promotion, and events

Desired Qualifications

  • Significant experience working with youth and managing youth programming
  • Strong and practical understanding of adolescent development principles
  • Demonstrated ability to elicit respect and reverence from youth interns
  • Cultural competencies appropriate for engaging youth of color from challenging backgrounds
  • Demonstrated ability to create appropriate structure and processes for youth development
  • Excellent knowledge of youth development techniques and resources
  • High professional standards, a proactive worker who has excellent interpersonal skills
  • Exceptional organizational skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong team, networking, and group collaboration abilities
  • Intelligent, hard-working and “can do” attitude toward getting the job done correctly and in a timely manner
  • Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and effectively with others from highly differing racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds
  • The proven ability to work independently and exercise good judgment in a variety of environments and situations
  • Extensive knowledge and high proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
  • Bachelors degree in related field
  • Professional youth development training preferred
  • Minimum 3 Years progressive experience working with youth

Hours

40 hours per week; some activities will be off-site and on evenings and weekends

Compensation

Competitive annual salary, plus medical, dental benefits, vacation & holiday leave, 401k plan

HOW TO APPLY

  1. Complete required application form at www.ecologycenter.org/jobs/ and
  2. Submit Application Form, Resume, and Cover Letter to youthdev [at] ecologycenter [dot] org

Application deadline

April 25, 2014.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

We value diversity. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. EOE/AA