Hiring Eastside Youth Opportunity Center Program Operator in Baltimore

The Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) leads the city’s workforce development, youth employment and economic mobility initiatives, with a mandate to reduce systemic barriers to work for underserved residents. In 2024, Baltimore’s youth unemployment rate for 18–24 year olds sits at 27%, with 61% of out-of-school youth in Eastside Baltimore living below the federal poverty line. MOED’s Eastside Youth Opportunity (YO) Center addresses this gap by providing free, tailored support to out-of-school, unemployed youth, including job readiness training, employer connections, wrap-around social services and post-secondary education navigation. We are now seeking an experienced program operator to manage day-to-day center operations, deliver on performance targets and ensure the center meets the needs of Baltimore’s most underserved young residents.

This is an on-site, full-time role based at the Eastside YO Center, with occasional travel to employer sites and community events across the neighborhood. The Program Operator will own the center’s annual goals, manage a dedicated team of 8 program staff and oversee a $1.2M annual budget allocated to participant services, training and operational costs. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of running youth-focused workforce programs, a deep understanding of the barriers faced by young people in Baltimore and the ability to build trusted relationships with community members, employers and city stakeholders.

Key measurable responsibilities for this role include:
1. Design, implement and track 12-month workforce pathways for 150+ annual participants, targeting 75% job placement or enrollment in accredited post-secondary education or apprenticeship programs within 6 months of program completion, aligned with high-demand local sectors including healthcare, construction and IT support.
2. Manage the center’s $1.2M annual operating budget, ensuring 90% of funds are allocated directly to participant-facing services, with monthly financial reporting to MOED leadership and full compliance with city procurement rules and federal grant requirements.
3. Build and maintain partnerships with 20+ local employers, community colleges and social service providers to secure on-the-job training slots, paid apprenticeships and wrap-around support (transportation stipends, childcare vouchers, housing navigation) for participants.
4. Supervise a team of 8 staff including case managers, job coaches and outreach coordinators, delivering monthly performance reviews and professional development to maintain an 85% annual staff retention rate.
5. Track participant progress using Salesforce and CaseWorthy case management systems, generating quarterly impact reports for MOED, funders and stakeholders, with data used to iterate program offerings to meet participant needs.
6. Lead daily center operations, including facility scheduling, weekly skill-building workshops (resume writing, mock interviews, digital literacy) and monthly employer networking events for participants.
7. Execute targeted outreach to engage out-of-school youth in Eastside Baltimore, including partnerships with local high schools and community organizations, to hit 90% of annual enrollment targets within the first 3 months of each program cycle.
8. Ensure full compliance with all MOED youth safeguarding policies and federal program requirements, including regular audits and complete documentation of all participant services, with zero compliance violations annually.

Our team culture is collaborative, participant-centered and rooted in equity: all staff are encouraged to share feedback on program design, and we prioritize hiring team members who reflect the communities we serve. Core business hours are 9am–5pm Monday to Friday, with occasional evening or weekend attendance at community events or employer fairs required to support participant needs.

Qualified candidates will bring 3+ years of experience managing youth workforce, community service or social service programs, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding performance targets for job placement or participant retention. You must have experience managing budgets of $500k or more, proficiency in Salesforce or similar case management systems, and a valid Maryland driver’s license for travel across Eastside Baltimore. Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a strong asset for serving the center’s large Spanish-speaking population.

Required technical tools for this role include Salesforce for participant tracking, CaseWorthy for program reporting, Microsoft Power BI for data visualization, QuickBooks for budget management, and Microsoft 365 for day-to-day operations.

This full-time permanent role offers a competitive salary range of $68,000–$87,000 per year, dependent on experience. Benefits include 80% employer-paid health, dental and vision coverage, 15 days of paid vacation, 10 days of paid sick leave, a 403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer matching, and up to $3,000 annually in professional development stipends. After 6 months of tenure, employees are eligible for 1 day of remote work per week, and a city-provided vehicle is available for work-related travel.

This role offers clear advancement pathways: high-performing operators may be promoted to Senior Program Manager roles overseeing multiple city youth centers, or to leadership positions within MOED’s central team. You will also gain access to national youth workforce networks, opportunities to present outcomes at regional conferences and a role in shaping citywide youth employment policy.

The hiring process is transparent and structured to evaluate all candidates fairly. Submit your full application package via the official RFP portal by the September 15, 2024 deadline. Complete applications will be reviewed by a MOED hiring panel, with selected candidates invited to a 45-minute virtual screening interview the week of September 23. Finalists will complete a 2-hour in-person panel interview with MOED leadership, center staff and youth ambassadors the week of September 30, followed by mandatory reference and background checks for roles working with vulnerable youth. Final offers will be extended by October 11, 2024, with a preferred start date of November 4, 2024.