Program Director at Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ)

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Director to join the Community Pride team.

The Director will bring a passion for the mission of Harlem Children’s Zone: break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, on-the-ground programming that builds up opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life.

Community Pride, one of HCZ’s oldest programs, was created to ensure that we are truly addressing the needs of the neighborhood. This program works closely with tenant groups, block associations, faith-based institutions, and local businesses to create a strong, cohesive community where residents feel empowered and united in their mutual investment in helping Harlem thrive. Assistance and connections to resources are also provided to help address community needs such as housing insecurity, safety, and legal concerns. Community Pride supports residents as they develop into effective leaders who can successfully advocate for themselves and their families.

Among Community Pride’s most important responsibilities is its regular work with Community Advisory Boards (CABs) and its commitment to the St. Nicholas Housing Development. The residents and stakeholders across our 103 blocks are committed to helping HCZ ensure that we are addressing local needs. The Program Director will continue to develop relationships with families and residents in and around the St. Nicholas housing development, where we opened our new state-of-the-art school building and community center in 2013. This facility is a bold demonstration of our holistic approach. In fostering communication between residents and HCZ, Community Pride is ultimately helping us deepen our roots, expand our impact, and support the whole community.

We are seeking an experienced Program Director who can efficiently drive daily operations, meet short-term goals and ensure long-term sustainability, manage client relationships, and enhance the overall presence of HCZ in the community. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for the mission of HCZ, and an understanding and respect for the culture of all residents of Harlem. The Program Director must be a strategic thinker who can create and implement effective systems to increase the productivity and impact of Community Pride in the Harlem community. The Program Director will report to the Managing Director of Community and Family Engagement.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (Master's Preferred) with 5+ years of top-down experience managing and leading all aspects of a community-based organization and/or corporate environment

Who you are

• A demonstrated commitment to the mission and programs of HCZ

• Must have strong management skills, including the ability to develop others
• Experience in planning community events and creating new program initiatives
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues prevalent in underserved communities of color
• Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Outlook
• Ability to work flexible hours, as required by the demands of the program
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate with sensitivity, tact, and professionalism
• Ability to track and comprehend program data and make changes to the site’s SOPs (standard operating procedures) as needed
• Open to working with a diverse population of families, parents/caregivers, and children within the community
• An innovative mindset and approach to program management
• Unimpeachable ethical standards, understanding of confidentiality, personal integrity, and a collaborative leadership perspective
• Bilingual Spanish/English/French is a plus

What you’ll do 

• Provide leadership and direction to a team of Community Organizers to ensure efficient, successful delivery of program services
• Organize and work closely with the Community Advisory Board and various other stakeholders within and throughout the St. Nicholas Houses, Lincoln, and other communities in Harlem to ensure community needs are identified, addressed, and met
• Collaborate and establish strategic partnerships with lawmakers, community decision makers, business leaders, and other community-based organizations that develop and promote the goals of HCZ and the program
• Foster strong relationships and effective communication with HCZ staff and leadership
• Develop and implement strategies that engage middle, high school, and college-aged youth in impactful community and service-learning projects that create a sense of community ownership and accountability
• Effectively identify and engage community youth (ages 18-24) who are not in school, unemployed, and/or recently incarcerated, and connect them to supportive programs and services
• Identify and implement safety improvement initiatives in and around the St. Nicholas housing development
• Planning and overseeing community-related events
• Engage neighborhood schools, parents, and students in beautifying common spaces throughout the community (e.g., street/building clean-ups, gardening, mural painting, etc.).
• Conceptualize and oversee the development and execution of special events and various program activities
• Ensure all relevant program-related goals, data, and metrics are established, compiled, and accurate for reporting
• Engage and strategize with Harlem Children’s Zone community centers to offer community engagements and programs based on community need and interest.
• Oversee, train, and develop additional site management staff
• Perform other duties as assigned

Schedule

• Monday - Friday
• Must be available to work flexible hours (after hours, weekends, and holidays as needed)

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children's Zone team, you will join a supportive and inclusive community dedicated to helping children, families — and our staff — thrive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth.

Our exceptional full-time benefits include:

• Highly competitive base salaries
• No-cost health insurance 
• Annual performance bonuses
• Deferred bonus programs
• Paid time off 
• Employee referral bonus 
• Life Insurance
• Short-and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more.)

The salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000 per year. To be considered, interested applicants should apply directly through the posting. No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants. Harlem Children's Zone and Promise Academy Charter Schools will not provide work visas for candidates who require employer sponsorship to ensure work authorization in the United States. Harlem Children’s Zone is an EOE