Associate Director of Student Services

As the Associate Director of Student Services, you’ll report directly to the Regional Director of Programs and will lead and support the Student Services teams across a multi-site market. This role is responsible for cross-site collaboration, consistent processes that make services more efficient for students and staff, thought partnership with site leaders, and market Student Services (STS) representation. Along with other members of the Student Services team, the Associate Director provides direct support to the market Site Directors and STS teams, builds internal capacity, and expands access to external resources for delivering services across the market. The Associate Director will also be responsible for supporting sites across the market by sharing ideas and best practices to further develop Student Services teams across the market. This role works in collaboration with the Site Director(s) to optimize the Student Services Team.

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced social work professional who thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments. You will be comfortable creating and managing Student Services-related curriculum and reporting. As a leader of your market, you will ensure proper communication of student information with a solutions-oriented approach involving close collaboration with and across functional teams.

The Associate Director of Student Services will also have the opportunity to interact with students as a mentor, group facilitator, and advocate, participating in building a positive educational environment.

The location for this position is flexible and open to candidates in any city where there is a Year Up site.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• In partnership with the Site Director(s) of the market, set market vision and establish strategy to meet Student Services department, site, market and national goals
• Supervise, coach, develop and manage Student Services staff
• Oversee and coordinate STS internship programs in market, as needed
• Coordinate trainings and professional development for Student Services staff
• Participate in site-wide leadership meetings
• Uphold the National Student Services standards for the site and market teams
• Collect, synthesize, and report on student services data and trends in the market, and make recommendations to address trends
• Consult with the Site Directors of the market on STS budgets and resources
• Other duties as necessary for the successful support of the STS teams in the market, site outcomes and support of the students

Program Development

• Serve as the market leader of the Students Services teams, setting expectations, standardizing approaches where appropriate and handling escalated STS concerns
• Build plans, staffing structures, and create services that align with our program model to best support program participants
• Represent STS in market leadership meetings to discuss the progress of students and interns, and to develop interventions and provide direction, as appropriate
• Serve as a consult for staff as they support students and interns through Program
• Stay current on social work trends, best practices and issues in the community that may have impact on program participants
• Participate in National Student Services, cross-site meetings and other organizational meetings with other Year Up sites

Partnership Development & Capacity Building

• Initiate, manage and delegate the building of new relationships with community-based organizations and social service agencies to address student needs. Develop, steward, and enhance existing relationships
• Make recommendations to site leadership and partners to improve collaborative experiences for the student support services offered on-site and off-site

Program Enrollment and Onboarding

• Participate in prospective student engagement activities to identify students who will be successful in the Year Up program
• Conduct one-on-one interviews and assessments of prospective students to assess readiness and Year Up’s ability to support them through the program

Direct Service

• Build relationships with Year Up program participants
• Provide one-on-one crisis intervention to assess student and intern needs, stabilize, create support plans where necessary, and serve as the market point of contact for escalation of student concerns
• Document student/intern interactions, case management work and referrals in the organization’s database tracking system
• Develop and facilitate supportive or psycho-educational and community resource groups (e.g. benefits enrollment, wellness, life skills, prevention groups) as needed

Site Team/Learning Community Member

• Participate in a learning community (LC), support student programming and program facilitation on a regular basis
• Participate in staff meetings and trainings and complete LC required tasks
• Develop supportive and trusting relationships with students and act as a tertiary level of support for all students by consistently interacting with the learning community programmatic activities

Qualifications

• A minimum of 4 years of work experience, including experience managing others
• Master of Social Work degree from an accredited school of social work is preferred
• Ability to lead teams, make strategic decisions, utilize data to inform decision making, and strengthen processes 
• Proven demonstration of leadership behaviors, relentlessly developing staff and driving for results
• Project and program management experience preferred
• Business acumen and the ability to build student support systems and structures in line with Year Up’s program delivery model
• Experience working with historically underserved and disenfranchised young adults
• Proficient in professional case management documentation with skills in creating support plans and capturing clear written case notes. Knowledge and understanding of crises intervention protocols and modalities
• Experience with facilitation and instruction in group environments
• Upholds company core values in all interactions
• A proven passion for working with young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential, and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: Competitive and commensurate with relevant experience and skills.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.
• Professional Development: Funds available to support staff in achieving career objectives ($2,500 per year)

** This is an exempt role (paid on a salaried basis). **

Organization Description

Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country—a gap that Year Up is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up’s intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up has directly served more than 3 5 ,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up ‘s nationwide presence includes Arizona, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.

Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.

Commitment To Diversity

Year Up actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to our young adults as we work to close the Opportunity Divide. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive and supportive work environment. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/

As an equal opportunity employer, Year Up is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

To Apply

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.

Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We respectfully request no phone calls.

Covid-19 Update

To ensure the safety of our young adults, staff, and families as we return to in-person work, Year Up requires that all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 2, 2022, unless someone qualifies for an exception. The vaccination deadline for our Seattle staff is November 1, 2021. Subject to reasonable accommodations for individuals with medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated. Face masks and physical distancing are also required in Year Up spaces.