JOBS: Exec Director at Youth Empowered Society (Baltimore City, MD)

Youth Empowered Society seeks an Executive Director who is committed to growing this vital community organization which strives to end youth homelessness through the lenses of anti­oppression and race equity.

Salary Range
Approx $65,000 to $75,000 depending upon experience, plus full benefits package. Relocation assistance is not available.

The Organization

Mission and Goals: The Youth Empowered Society (YES) is an organization that prevents and eliminates youth homelessness through the synergy of youth, peer and ally partnerships. The organization’s vision is that all of Baltimore’s youth will easily access supportive services and stable housing to become powerful in their own lives.

Through the YES Drop-In Center, YES provides urgently-needed direct services to youth experiencing homelessness; develops the leadership and employment readiness of youth who have experienced homelessness; and partners with youth to advocate for systems change. Through these approaches, YES puts youth experiencing homeless on a pathway to stability by focusing on immediate needs, long-term stability, and systems transformation.

YES is guided by the core values of youth helping youth and youth, peer and ally partnerships. To that end, YES’s staff is comprised of both peers and allies. Peers bring their lived experiences, insights, and perspective to every element of YES through YES’s participatory and transparent decision-making. YES also engages in system reform by engaging in youth consciousness-raising and leadership development, legislative advocacy, and work with the Baltimore Homeless Youth Initiative (BHYI), the Thriving Communities Collaborative, theCONNECT, and other community initiatives.

History: YES grew out of the work of the BHYI Youth Leaders, a group of youth with personal experiences of homelessness that formed as an arm of the BHYI Coalition in 2009. Among other priorities, they identified the need for a comprehensive, “one-stop-shop” drop-in center for youth in a central Baltimore location, to be staffed by formerly homeless young adults with whom the youth could relate and be inspired. They worked tirelessly with allies to realize their vision which became a reality when YES opened its doors in October 2012.

Current Programs and Activities:

YES provides several services and conducts a number of programs to meet the needs of 200-250 vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness annually. YES facilitates access to resources and opportunities that most (housed) individuals take for granted by focusing on immediate needs as well as long-term stability. YES:

•         Provides a safe, youth-friendly space for youth to gather, and to give and receive support.

•         Works with youth to secure emergency shelter and/or temporary housing and meet basic needs.

•        Provides in-house case management that assists clients in acquiring vital documents (e.g., birth certificates, social security cards, and photo identification cards), accessing public benefits, obtaining permanent housing, navigating the legal system, and meeting the variety of other needs.

•        Works intensively with youth on workforce development though one-on-one assessments and goal setting; resume, mock interview and job search assistance; paid workforce development training at soft-skill and sector specific training sites; connection to employment; and retention activities.

•        Offers high school/GED/college application assistance and tutoring.

•        Facilitates onsite access to health care, mental health services, and legal services.

•        Offers weekly support groups such as a parenting group, a writing/spoken word group, a Healthy Relationships group provided by Turn Around, Inc., and a psychoeducational trauma-recovery group S.E.L.F.

•        Runs a Rapid Rehousing program that provides housing and intensive case management to 10 youth in FY17 and will provide housing to additional 10 youth in FY18.

YES facilitates connections to community partners through provision of transportation tokens, assistance with interview and employment attire, budgeting, problem solving with employers and housemates and many other supports. YES operates on weekdays, providing hours by appointment, in crisis, and most importantly, through drop-in four days a week. YES also facilitates weekly leadership activities for youth who to engage in the “YES Leaders” group each Friday, which provides opportunities for youth to share their experiences of homelessness and work toward solutions in our community.

Fiscal Agent: Strong City Baltimore serves as the fiscal agent for YES. YES is supported by key staff at Strong City Baltimore who provide financial and administrative management, including accounting, invoicing, payroll, audit, insurance, and human resources to YES. Strong City Baltimore is an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

YES has recently grown its Advisory Board to 15 members, which populate four committees (resource development, program, finance and operations, and board development). Currently, YES has four peer staff and other staff with experiences of homelessness, incarceration, and poverty, as well as allied staff who share a commitment to anti-oppression and listening and learning from those who’ve had personal experiences of homelessness. YES’s budget in FY18 is approximately $1 million.

For more information, see www.yesdropincenter.org

The Position

The Executive Director reports to the YES Advisory Board, provides direction and leadership for the organization’s mission and vision, and represents the organization and its work and supports other staff to share in this role. The Executive Director is responsible for YES’s overall success and viability and leads through the lenses of YES’s espoused best practices (race equity, harm- reduction, trauma-informed care, housing first and positive youth development) and values, and guides the organization toward mission fulfillment. YES seeks to hire an Executive who is knowledgeable about the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences on the lives of youth who experience homelessness and understands that in order to be effective, programming and staff development must reflect a trauma responsive approach at all levels in the organization.

The Executive Director will ensure that program and service objectives are achieved in a financially sound manner and demonstrate strong personal and strategic leadership and integrity. The Executive Director will succeed a valued founder, Lara Law, who has led the organization since it was conceived. Other valued youth founders have also moved on from YES. The Executive Director will inherit an organization that is fiscally sound, growing, has a motivated and engaged staff, and committed leaders serving on the Advisory Board.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Advisory Board, the Executive Director is responsible for the following: Leadership/Supervision

•         Participatory and inclusive leadership of staff and volunteers in a way that models and enhances leadership skills of others

•         Responsible for management and oversight of YES’ services and programs

•         Manage YES’s staff to function as an effective team

•         Supervise, coach and mentor staff for continued growth and improvement

•         Oversee and ensure the quality of work produced by YES team

•         Currently supervise 5 direct reports

•         Ensure the accuracy and usefulness of Strong City’s: financial reports, payroll, benefits, donor reports, insurance, etc. for YES

•         Oversee and lead all internal HR activities

•         Ensure that YES follows regulations, funder requirements, and policies that affect YES’s work

•         Analyze client and organizational outcomes and help staff achieve targets

•         Support drop-in and other program activities as needed

Administration

•         Coordinate Advisory Board meetings and AB committees

•         Maintain frequent, open, ongoing communication with YES team, Advisory Board, Strong City and YES’s partners

•         Lead budget development and resource allocation and prepare and present monthly financial reports to the staff/AB

•         Provide input to the board re: organization strategy, planning, and governance

•         Manage and oversee the facilities, including coordination with landlords

•         Ensure YES has appropriate space for programs and administration

Fundraising

•         Ensure YES has adequate funds to run the program through fundraising efforts in collaboration with YES’s Development Director and AB Resource Development Committee

•         Oversee the development of new funding streams and lead donor cultivation

•         Manage grants and contracts and their reporting requirements

•         Liaise with Strong City re: all fundraising and finance activity

Community Relations

•         Lead engagement with students, institutions, contractors, and partners re: research with/on behalf of YES

•         Organize the completion and dissemination of an annual report and other communications

•         Participate in coalitions/work groups (BHYI, the Continuum of Care’s Youth and Young Adult Workgroup, etc.) and engage in public policy advocacy in partnership with staff and youth

•         Coordinate with outside partners re: partnerships and MOUs

•         Ensure YES’s external communications are frequent, positive, and professional

•         Communicate with media, local Community Associations, police, etc.

Experience and Attributes

Ideal candidates for this position will have a genuine passion for YES’s mission and values and demonstrate an ability to quickly integrate into the organization and become an engaged and inspiring leader. Candidates will bring a variety of experiences and attributes to YES, including:

•      Deep commitment to youth and committed to our model of a youth-informed community organization;

•      Deep understanding of and commitment to YES’s values;

•      An inspiring leadership style with the ability to motivate and align staff and volunteers with the vision for the organization;

•      Knowledge of Baltimore, its environment, people, culture, issues and relationships;

•      A background in youth services, human services, community organizing/advocacy, and/or nonprofit leadership;

•      Three or more years’ senior level leadership and management experience;

•      Experience developing and managing programs in a human/social service environment;

•      A successful track record in raising funds including state and local government funding, earned income, grants and philanthropic support, and the ability to identify new revenue opportunities;

•      Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills, strong written and oral communication skills including competence in technical writing, and the ability to interact with diverse audiences;

•      Business acumen and experience with administrative and fiscal management, budgeting, programming and contract management;

•      Experience in or understanding of, the Maryland legislative system and willingness to engage in policy and advocacy work and develop staff and youth to engage as well;

•      Experience working with a board and developing engaged and effective governance;

•      Commitment to and skill with community involvement and engagement, building partnerships and collaborations with other organizations;

•      Familiarity with homeless services preferred; and

•      Master’s degree preferred.

Application Process

To apply, e-mail your resume and a cover letter that explains your interest in and qualifications for the position to hiring@yesdropincenter.org (e-mail applications are required). For other inquiries, contact Catrese Brown at catresebrown@gmail.com (Transition Consultant) or Lara Law at lara@yesdropincenter.org.

It is the policy of this organization to provide equal opportunity to employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual preference/orientation, age or disability.

Resume review begins immediately.