Hiring Eastside Youth Opportunity Center Director in Baltimore

The Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED) is the municipal agency responsible for implementing employment, training and job access policies for all Baltimore residents, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups: out-of-school youth, long-term unemployed people and people in precarious situations. The agency manages an annual budget of $120 million, coordinates more than 40 insertion programs and works in close collaboration with more than 200 local partners: companies, associations, training institutions and municipal social services. We are recruiting our next Eastside Youth Opportunity (YO) Center Director, a full-time on-site position based in the heart of Baltimore's Eastside neighborhood, to take charge of the daily operations, activity development and achievement of objectives for this center dedicated to 18-24 year old out-of-school, unemployed youth. Financed by municipal and federal funds, this center's mission is to provide personalized support to 250 young people per year, to help them access sustainable employment, qualified training or return to the education system.

Key responsibilities for this role include:
1. Oversee all center operations: organization of insertion workshops, individual coaching sessions, cross-skills development workshops (CV writing, interview preparation, basic digital tool mastery) and guarantee a minimum attendance rate of 80% of enrolled young people over a 6-month period.
2. Develop and maintain a network of more than 50 local partners: Eastside neighborhood companies, Baltimore community colleges, municipal social services, school dropout prevention associations, to offer young people pathways adapted to their needs and the local job market.
3. Manage an annual budget of $1.2 million allocated to the center: preparation of the forecast budget, monitoring of expenses, monthly reporting to MOED services and federal funders, guaranteeing a fund usage rate compliant with contractual requirements and a maximum gap of 5% between the forecast budget and actual expenses.
4. Supervise a team of 12 people: insertion advisors, coaches, workshop facilitators, administrative staff, by setting up individual training plans, semi-annual performance evaluations and achievement recognition schemes, to maintain a minimum employee satisfaction rate of 85% and a turnover rate of less than 10% per year.
5. Implement and monitor key performance indicators: professional insertion or return to training rate of supported young people 6 months after the end of their pathway at the center (minimum target of 65%), young people satisfaction rate (minimum target of 90%), number of partnerships signed with local companies offering jobs or internships.
6. Coordinate center actions with other MOED programs: job search aid programs, training funding schemes, aid for young parents, to offer comprehensive support to young people, and participate in 4 municipal coordination meetings per month with other Baltimore youth insertion actors.
7. Write quarterly and annual activity reports intended for MOED management, federal funders and the Baltimore City Council, presenting quantitative and qualitative data on the center's results, difficulties encountered and improvement axes.
8. Implement local communication actions to make the center known to young people in the Eastside neighborhood: participation in 2 community events per month in schools, social centers and youth gathering places, management of the center's social media to disseminate information on activities and opportunities offered.

The center is located in a renovated 300 m² building in the Eastside neighborhood, equipped with a coworking space for young people, meeting rooms for workshops, a space dedicated to individual coaching and a small convivial area. The team is cross-functional, made up of insertion professionals, social workers and trainers, with a collaborative and youth-centered work culture. You will work in close collaboration with MOED management, but will benefit from significant autonomy in the management of the center's activities and the development of partnerships. MOED values innovation, adaptation to public needs and transparency in the management of public funds.

You have 3 to 7 years of experience in social program or professional insertion management, including at least 2 years working with 18-24 year old vulnerable young people. You master project management tools (we use Asana for task tracking and Monday.com for performance indicator monitoring) and standard office tools (Microsoft 365 suite, Google Workspace). You have an excellent knowledge of US professional insertion support schemes, in particular the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) federal programs, and of the youth insertion actors in the Baltimore region. You demonstrate excellent communication skills, both to animate workshops in front of groups of young people, to negotiate partnerships with companies and associations, and to present reports to municipal authorities. You are able to work independently and manage several projects in parallel, while respecting deadlines and budget constraints. Prior experience in managing a youth insertion center or in a similar position within a municipal administration is a major asset. Fluency in English is mandatory; fluency in Spanish is an asset given the significant proportion of Spanish-speaking young people in the Eastside neighborhood.

The position is affiliated with the Baltimore City civil servant scheme, with an annual salary between $72,000 and $92,000 per year, depending on the candidate's experience and qualifications. You benefit from health coverage 80% covered by the city, 20 days of paid leave per year, 10 days of sick leave, a complementary pension scheme with a 5% salary contribution from the city, and the possibility of part-time teleworking (2 days per week) after the probationary period. You also have access to professional training dedicated to the development of social project management skills, and a network of insertion professionals across the Baltimore region. This position allows you to develop in-depth expertise in youth insertion program management at municipal scale, with possibilities of evolution towards responsibility positions within MOED: city-wide insertion program manager, MOED deputy director, or special advisor to the Mayor of Baltimore on youth professional insertion issues. You will also be able to participate in national working groups on youth insertion policies, and contribute to the improvement of existing schemes at the State of Maryland scale.

The recruitment process takes place in 4 steps, over a total duration of 4 weeks:
1. Submission of applications until October 15, 2024, via the email address [email protected], with a CV and a cover letter detailing your experience in youth program management and your ideas for developing the Eastside YO center activities.
2. Pre-selection of candidates by the MOED recruitment committee, with feedback to candidates within 5 working days after the application deadline.
3. 45-minute individual interview with the MOED youth program development director, followed by a 1-hour group interview with the current center team members and young beneficiary representatives, to evaluate your relational skills and your alignment with the needs of the supported public.
4. Verification of professional references and criminal records (mandatory for any position in contact with minors and vulnerable young people), then sending of the job offer within 3 working days after validation of these verifications.

Incomplete applications (without a cover letter detailing experience in the field) will not be considered. For any questions about the position or the recruitment process, you can contact the MOED human resources department at the above email address.