Program Director

Full-time, in-person availability at our Oakland, CA office

Anticipated deadline to submit application: June 3, 2024 before 9 am PST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a results-oriented and social justice-minded leader with program, performance, and team management experience to lead our Oakland office. The Program Director will provide the leadership needed to grow the Oakland program, ensure its sustainability, and support CEO program participants in successfully transitioning from incarceration to stable and productive lives.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You are deeply dedicated to and engaged in social justice and perhaps are already working in the re-entry field
• You come to CEO with 5 years of leadership and program management experience in a fast-growing and results-oriented nonprofit environment
• You have a working knowledge of the local Oakland or general criminal justice and workforce development systems
• You have people management experience and can build, manage, and develop a diverse team and are able to bounce seamlessly between high level strategy and getting into the weeds when needed to ensure your team’s success
• You understand the importance of performance based goals and have experience catalyzing a team to reach these
• Your attention to detail allows you to juggle multiple projects at one time
• You thrive in ambiguity and want to play a key role in the growth of an organization
• You understand the importance of regularly collecting, analyzing, and applying data to drive program strategy and decision making
• You have experience engaging and persuading a diverse array of stakeholders
• You are comfortable with technology, including Google Suite and Salesforce
• You have the highest level of personal integrity and are personally and professionally committed to excellence and having deep impact on our participants’ lives

The Nitty Gritty

Key responsibilities of the Program Director include but are not limited to:

• Hiring, supervising, and supporting a diverse, high-performing local team to serve participants and achieve our program outcomes (including life skills graduation, successful placement of participants in transitional employment, full-time job placement, and long term job retention) through disciplined data analysis, coaching, and training and development;
• Collaboratively developing and executing CEO's fund development strategy in Oakland, identifying philanthropic, government, and private funding prospects;
• Growing CEO's presence in the workforce development and criminal justice communities within Oakland, cultivating relationships with local parole and probation bureaus, district attorney offices, and other program referral sources;
• Developing strong partnerships with local organizations that offer support for our participants including benefits access, financial literacy, housing counseling, substance abuse, and career advancement;
• Increasing the number of paying social enterprise customers that allow our participants to gain income and work experience while working to secure stable employment;
• Handling or delegating invoicing, program reporting, record keeping and other operational duties;
• Ensuring the smooth operation of the office’s administrative functions, supported by our central team headquartered in New York City

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $80,000 to 85,000 annually. In an effort to be both equitable and transparent, CEO's compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, internal equity, and home office location in making a final determination on our salary offer.
We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities and training, including regular training opportunities in Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is one evidence-based skill that reentry and human service professionals can utilize when supporting participants to achieve their goals.
We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

The Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our commitment to being an anti-racist organization that is inclusive across all identities and experiences drives us forward every day. We exist to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to personal and professional success, and we’re passionate about being agents of change who promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities for all.

People who are justice involved, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ , and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email.

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