Youth Program Manager

Position Title: Youth Program Manager

About The Village Exchange Center: The Village Exchange Center (VEC) is a community center that celebrates religious and cultural diversity by creating an inclusive environment where residents from all backgrounds can practice, interact, share, and develop together. We seek to assist the immigrant and refugee population to feel empowered to use their existing strengths and unique perspectives to enrich the city’s diverse and inclusive community.

Job Summary for two programs: The Village Exchange Center is a proud partner of the City of Aurora in celebration of its diverse and growing immigrant population to implement a nationally recognized program called the Natural Helpers. The Natural Helpers Program trains community leaders in leadership skills and current resources through a 25-hour program. Graduates of the Natural Helpers Program are after that mobilized to assist other immigrants and refugees navigate life in a new country and to be a bridge between municipalities, service providers and their respective communities.

Our Natural Leaders is a youth-centered program that engages high school sophomores and juniors in weekly workshops over the course of 2-3 months. Natural Leaders will learn cultural understanding, public speaking skills, preparing and applying for college, civic engagement along with outdoor activities to experience the beautiful nature of Colorado.

Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities related to The Natural Helpers program include:

· Implement/Coordinate the Natural Helpers curriculum.

· The age requirement is 18 years.

· Coordinate at least 3 Natural Helpers programs with a minimum of 10 per cohort per year, each program consisting of 3 one-day classes.

· Recruit individuals to enroll in the Natural Helpers program.

· On-going mentoring/training of Natural Helpers.

· Coordinate and work with the various program Managers and Directors to assign Natural Helpers to programs and projects within VEC and externally.

· Provide monthly meetings with the Natural Helpers that will provide both civic opportunities, resource information and outside service providers to keep Natural Helpers up to date on services to provide their respective communities.

· Responsible for updating the Natural Helpers Resource guide with current services, resources, and contacts.

· Assist with the implementation of the online Natural Helpers Resource Guide.

· Participate in a monthly call with the National Natural Helpers program leaders.

· Provide quarterly reports on Natural Helpers that should include volunteer and work hours for all Natural Helpers.

The duties and responsibilities related to The Youth Natural Leader program include:

· Develop, implement, oversee, and supervise VEC’s Youth Natural Leaders program, which is a youth leadership program.

· “youth” is defined as high school age youth within the City of Aurora.

· Conduct outreach and recruitment of Aurora youth to participate in the Youth Natural Leaders program and other VEC youth programming.

· Develop and manage program opportunities for high school age, up to age 20.

· Develop and manage youth program and activities including summer camps, service-learning opportunities, meet-ups, after school programs, leadership training and other skill development programs.

· Maintain consistent communication with youth and parents/guardians who are participants in VEC youth programming via emails, texts, phone calls, newsletters, and social media.

· Represent VEC in advocating for the development of youth programming and youth program funding.

· Prepare and provide progress reports as needed and track youth participant program outcomes and metrics.

· Remain abreast of initiatives and best practices related to youth development, communication, and engagement.

· Assist with marketing youth programs through community outreach and social media outreach.

· Manage and oversee the Youth Leadership Programs budget with the Director of Programs.

· Develop, maintain, and nurture relationships with community organizations, partner organizations, and the City of Aurora.

· Develop coordination between Youth Natural Leaders and Natural Helpers.

The duties and responsibilities related to grant programs include:

· Manage oversight of two fund projects/programs.

· Work with senior management and other members of the VEC team to create business plans, proformas, and marketing and oversee fiscal responsibilities.

· Serve as lead liaison on matters related to Funds management.

· Coordinate the financial management and reporting on the Funds.

· Assist VEC leadership in the development of fund budgets.

· Develop and implement Fund-related standard operating procedures.

· Track and manage expenses for the Funds and ensure that dollars from the Fund are distributed per the grant’s intent.

Requirements About You:

The ideal candidate has a strong desire to assist refugee/immigrant communities and has familiarity with their related needs and services. The ideal candidate will work well collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, program participants, volunteers, and outside partners. An essential requirement of the position is bilingual language skills and calm demeanor in the presence of change and challenge. Candidates must be reliable, have strong independent work skills, and be willing to share cultural knowledge with our team. Experience in grant reporting which entails fiscal management of all grants plus management experience with staff, teens and young adults.

· 3 years experience in program coordination, implementation, and oversight.

· Bilingual English-Spanish.

· Strong desire to serve refugee/immigrant communities.

· Excellent listening, oral, and written communication skills.

· Familiarity with needs of refugee/immigrant communities.

· Familiarity with community resources.

· Flexibility, weekday, and evening hours required.

· Ability to work well collaborating with others on diverse interdisciplinary behavioral health team.

· Demonstrated cultural and linguistic competency.

· Firsthand cultural knowledge as a member/leader in local refugee community in Colorado.

· Ability to build trusting relationships with community members and act as advocate for and liaison between refugee community and diverse network of providers.

· Skilled at facilitating client and family engagement.

· Ability to give and take direction accurately, efficiently and flexibility.

· Basic computer competency, including knowledge of Microsoft programs, outlook and google applications.

· Submit monthly reports on time

· Experience working with volunteers.

Location and Benefits:

· VEC is headquartered in Aurora, CO.

· Full-Time office presence is required. · Status: Full-time, exempt· Benefits: Health, sick leave, vacation leave, 401k

· Compensation: $50,000-$60,000

VEC is dedicated to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, both internally and in its external work. We encourage people of color and candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications listed. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. If you have strong written communication skills, a passion for empowering refugees and immigrants and building strong resilient communities, and a willingness to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet every one of our qualifications listed.

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume to Gloria Price, gloria@villageexchangecenter.org

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience level:

• 3 years

Ability to Commute:

• Aurora, CO 80010 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Aurora, CO 80010: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person