Program Director

About Mesa

Founded in 2020, Mesa is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing homelessness among young adults aged 18-24 in Ventura County. By providing transitional housing and trauma-informed supportive services, Mesa helps each participant achieve their goals of housing stability, health and wellness, academic achievement, vocational skills, relationship building, and community engagement. Our team assists participants in securing permanent housing within 24 months with the tools to lead healthy, fulfilling lives of their choosing. Mesa began serving participants in August of 2024, and is currently home to 13 young adults. Our vision is to end youth homelessness and shift the way we all think about, prevent, and address homelessness generally.

Position Overview

Mesa is seeking a full-time Program Director who is passionate about supporting young adults and driving  lasting impact through high-quality programming, strong staff leadership, and continuous program improvement.

This role has two core areas of responsibility:

1. Leading program design, implementation, and evaluation to ensure measured impact and strong participant outcomes, and
2. Supervising, training, and supporting the Programs Team to deliver consistent, programming and services.

The Program Director will work in coordination with a part-time contracted clinician who provides specific mental health support to the Programs Team, including assistance with identification of complex or severe mental health among Mesa participants and training on how to best support those individuals. 

Core Responsibilities

• Staff Support Services: Provide minimum weekly one-on-one supervision and weekly check-ins with full time Mesa Programs Team members to address the unique needs of participants. Improve staff capacity to support participants effectively, identify needed program adjustments, explore opportunities, and strengthen existing processes and procedures.
• Staff Scheduling & Coverage Management: Develop and maintain staff schedules to ensure consistent program coverage. Oversee shift coverage processes, including call-outs and time-off requests, and ensure adequate staffing levels to meet participant needs while supporting staff wellbeing and compliance with labor standards.
• Coordination of Services: Oversee the coordination of mental health and supportive services, including educational support, job training, housing assistance, and other wraparound services.
• Compliance: Ensure the program aligns with all grant requirements including HIPAA and the BHSA Community Services and Supports (CSS) and/or Enhanced Case Management (ECM) and Managed Health Care Plan components. 
• Program Development and Evaluation: Lead the development and implementation of new programs or modifications to existing services based on the needs of participants and community feedback. Monitor program performance and provide required data in a timely manner. Participate in program monitoring meetings and provide reports on participant outcomes and service delivery.
• Documentation and Data Entry: Oversee the documentation of participant data into the required database and ensure the submission of all necessary forms, surveys, and reports on time.
• Partnership Building: Act as community liaison between Mesa team, Mesa therapists and administrators, community volunteers, external partners and other related stakeholders and develop partnerships with mission-consistent organizations to support and share each other’s work.
• Volunteer Coordination (in partnership with staff): Support the integration of trained volunteers into programming in alignment with program needs and organizational standards.
• Crisis Response & Escalation: Provide guidance and oversight in responding to participant crises, including mental health and safety concerns. Ensure staff follow established protocols and coordinate with clinical and external partners as needed.
• Strategic Planning and Leadership: As a member of the Mesa leadership team, develop and implement annual priorities, assist in the creation of the Programs Budget, and work with the Executive Director, Finance Director, and Development Director on community outreach and grants.
• Professional Development & Learning: Stay current on best practices in trauma-informed care, youth development, and homelessness services. Translate learning into training and improvements for the Programs Team.

Qualifications

• Education: Master of Social Work (MSW) or related field preferred. Licensure Required.
• Experience: Experience working with young adults, particularly those who have experienced homelessness, housing insecurity, or involvement in foster care or the juvenile justice system, or related work experience. 
• Management experience required.
• Training: Knowledge of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), Cultural Competency, and Harm Reduction. Experience working with neurodiverse populations is preferred. All additional training in evidence based practices, or other promising practices (also known as “practice based evidence”) will be considered.

• Skills:
• Strong crisis intervention skills.
• Experience in program management.
• Excellent communication and listening skills and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to support staff development and improve care delivery through training and supervision.
• Creatively minded, able to think broadly about solutions to complex challenges, with the ability to manage the design, training, and implementation of those solutions.
• Spanish-speaking preferred, but not required.

• Other Requirements:
• Strong leadership and organizational skills 
• Ability to exercise healthy boundaries and model self-care practices.

Work Schedule

This position is full time, exempt, on-site at Mesa and includes some travel to support participants and staff, and attend community-based events. The role requires flexibility, with occasional evening or weekend work for group sessions, supervision, or program-related activities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary: $80-90,000, based on education and experience
• Benefits:
• 401k option without employer match
• Employer-sponsored wellness and outdoor activities (e.g., yoga, hiking, meditation) with additional monthly stipend for personal wellness practices
• Cell phone stipend
• Healthcare option (CA Blue Shield, $250 employer contribution, or $250 monthly wellness stipend)
• Monthly $50 wellness fringe benefit
• 80 hours PTO annually, with a 120 hour cap. 
• Paid Holidays
• Employer-sponsored health care with a portion of premium paid by employer
• Eligible for Public Interest Loan Forgiveness (PILF) program for student loan forgiveness

Preferred Start Date

May 18, 2026

Application Process

If you believe you’re a good fit for this role, please submit your cover letter, references, and resume to bri.skellie@mesafarm.org with the subject line “Program Director application.”

Mesa is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We strongly encourage individuals with lived experience, homelessness, or other marginalized communities to apply. Women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and people from historically underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.