About the Role
The Senior Program Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Grand St. Settlement's COMPASS after-school, holiday, and summer programs. This role ensures the delivery of high-quality, youth-centered services supporting academic achievement, social-emotional development, leadership, and positive youth outcomes. The Director acts as the primary liaison between Grand St. Settlement, school leadership, families, community partners, and stakeholders, overseeing all program operations including staff supervision, budget management, quality assurance, and data reporting.
Responsibilities
- Oversees the day-to-day operations of funded Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) COMPASS programs.
- Ensures programs meet or exceed DYCD contractual requirements, Department of Health (DOH) regulations, and Grand St. Settlement quality standards.
- Provides leadership, supervision, coaching, and accountability to site management teams.
- Coordinates part-time staff schedules and program activities; recruits, supervises, coaches, develops, and evaluates part-time staff.
- Attends all required Grand St. Settlement, DYCD, DOH/SACC, DOE, and funder trainings.
- Ensures all site staff complete required trainings and certifications.
- Serves as Grand St. Settlement's primary liaison and representative within the school community.
- Partners with school administration to align expanded learning opportunities with the school-day curriculum and goals.
- Collaborates with school administration to support school-day initiatives.
- Maintains positive, professional, and productive working relationships with school personnel and Grand St. Settlement partners.
- Leads outreach, recruitment, enrollment, and retention efforts to achieve contractual goals.
- Oversees implementation of core program components including Academic Support & STEAM, enrichment, physical activity, parent engagement, and youth leadership.
- Ensures participants engage in safe, inclusive, high-quality programming.
- Collaborates with specialists to monitor participant academic progress.
- Conducts quarterly program quality assessments and develops continuous quality improvement plans.
- Plans and executes a minimum of four annual events and showcases.
- Identifies, coordinates, and oversees educational field trips and enrichment opportunities.
- Develops and manages implementation timelines and action plans for initiatives and events.
- Cultivates collaborative relationships with school administration, families, community partners, and other stakeholders.
- Develops and sustains community partnerships by securing a minimum of three new partnerships annually.
- Participates in community coalitions, advocacy initiatives, and stakeholder feedback efforts.
- Attends and actively participates in school meetings, staff meetings, and professional development.
- Ensures the accuracy, integrity, and timely submission of all data entered into the DYCD Connect system and other required databases.
- Monitors enrollment, attendance, and participant retention to ensure compliance with DYCD contractual requirements.
- Responds to electronic and telephone communications within two business days.
- Ensures compliance with all DOH School-Aged Child Care (SACC), Summer Day Camp, DYCD, and agency regulations.
- Develops, monitors, and manages program budgets.
- Develops and distributes monthly program calendars.
- Maintains regular communication with school administration, DYCD representatives, families, and other key stakeholders.
- Coordinates agency-wide events and initiatives.
- Participates in cross-borough initiatives, agency-wide events, and strategic planning efforts.
- Ensures staff, participants, and families adhere to all DYCD, DOE, and Grand St. Settlement social media and confidentiality policies.
- Commits to Grand St. Settlement for two years upon acceptance of a funded professional development or educational grant.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree required.
- Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a school-based or community-based after-school program.
- At least two (2) years of experience in a supervisory role.
- Experience overseeing multiple programs, budgets, and staff.
- Demonstrated success collaborating with school leadership, families, and community stakeholders.
- Knowledge of the New York City public education system, positive youth development principles, and New York State Learning Standards.
- Experience designing, implementing, and evaluating lesson plans, curriculum, and structured youth programming in school settings.
- Strong leadership, organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and work independently.
- Excellent written, verbal, public speaking, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with school administration, staff, community partners, and families.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other computer applications required.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Must obtain the School-Age Child Care (SACC) Program Director Credential (30-hour) as required.
- Must maintain Statewide Central Register (SCR) clearance and fingerprint clearance throughout employment.
- Must maintain current CPR and First Aid certification.
Skills
- Leadership
- Organizational skills
- Project management
- Problem-solving
- Written communication
- Verbal communication
- Public speaking
- Interpersonal communication
- Relationship building
- Program budgeting
- Fiscal management
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Computer application proficiency
- Spanish language proficiency preferred
- Knowledge of STEM
- Knowledge of Health & Sexuality
- Knowledge of Careers & Life Planning
- Knowledge of Sports & Adventure
- Knowledge of Academic Enrichment programming
Location
- PS 84K at 250 Berry St BK, NY 11249
Work Type
- School Year: Monday – Friday; 10 am – 6 pm, some evenings/weekends may be required.
- Summer: 8 am – 4 pm or 10 am - 6 pm
Experience Level
- Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a school-based or community-based after-school program
- At least two (2) years in a supervisory role
Education Level
- Bachelor's degree required
Salary/Compensations
- $75,000-$80,000 annually
Benefits
- Must obtain the School-Age Child Care (SACC) Program Director Credential (30-hour) as required.
- Must maintain Statewide Central Register (SCR) clearance (including the required nonrefundable fee of $25) and fingerprint clearance throughout employment.
- Must maintain current CPR and First Aid certification.
About the Company
- Grand St. Settlement's Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) COMPASS after-school, holiday, and summer programs.
Equal Opportunity
- EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
