Job Description
Position Summary
The Program Coordinator for the Obama Youth Jobs Corps (OYJC) will be responsible for providing support to CPS high school sophomores and juniors. This position reports to the OYJC Program Manager and is located in Chicago. The ideal candidate is an innovative and organized professional with demonstrated experience working with youth and has strong facilitation skills. Top candidates will have an ability to build and maintain relationships with school and community leaders and demonstrate an understanding of the challenges facing young people on Chicago’s South Side.
About Urban Alliance & the Chicago Region
For more than 25 years, Urban Alliance has provided thousands of young adults from historically excluded communities with the skills, social capital, and career exposure needed to overcome systemic barriers to equal employment and economic mobility. Urban Alliance is a bridge between young adults, employers, and schools that provides high school students with comprehensive soft skills and digital literacy training, paid internships with local employers, individualized mentoring and case management, and ongoing post-high school planning support. In Chicago, Urban Alliance has formed strong strategic partnerships with more than 100 corporate partners who host, guide, and develop interns within their organizations. Additionally, Urban Alliance Chicago has joined with the Barack Obama Foundation to establish the Obama Youth Jobs Corps, which was formed to increase economic opportunity for youth from the South Side of Chicago through workforce readiness training, paid internships, and civic education. This partnership has served more than 700 young people over the past four years and is about to embark on its fifth year.
OYJC Program Coordinator Responsibilities
Student support
- Provide workforce readiness training and internships to a cohort of at least 40 CPS high school juniors
- Provide professional development and career readiness training to CPS high school sophomores Establish a safe and professional learning environment for students that encourages active participation, a high degree of student engagement and content retention
Relationship management
- Build and maintain relationships with students, counselors, principals and teachers at partner schools.
- Establish relationships with key community stakeholders to support program participants in their personal and professional development.
Facilitation
- Deliver high quality workshops focused on professional development and civic engagement daily for juniors
- Deliver high quality workshops focused on career readiness skills monthly for sophomores
- Provide six weeks of professional development, financial literacy and post high school planning focused curriculum to rising seniors for 6 weeks during the summer months
Data management
- Collect routine program data, attendance and assignment completion in Canvas and Salesforce platforms.
- Work with internal Evaluation Team to implement program evaluations.
- Provide data/reports to schools and partners as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree
- At least two years prior experience in youth development, curriculum development, or facilitation; AmeriCorps or other National Service experience a plus
- Is passionate about our mission and the possibilities of what you can accomplish
- Experience working with community organizations and schools in under-resourced areas
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Can work successfully in both independent and team settings
- Ability to meet tight deadlines
- Proficiency in MS Office suite
- Ability to commit to at least two consecutive years of employment with Urban Alliance
Core Competencies
- Evidence of developing and implementing a program with strong results
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and an ability to develop and maintain deep relationships with a variety of diverse constituents
- Ability to develop and execute long-term strategy while being able to pivot to meet immediate needs, or address unforeseen student needs, as they arise
- Ability to accomplish goals and objectives with a sense of urgency and thoughtfulness
- Excellent judgment and sound decision-making skills
Urban Alliance Vaccination Policy
As established by the Urban Alliance Board of Directors, all employees are required to receive a vaccination against COVID-19, unless a medical or religious reasonable accommodation is approved. If offered a job, the candidate must be able to prove that they have been vaccinated with one of the CDC-authorized vaccines, including either Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson / Janssen or request and be granted an accommodation before their start date.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Urban Alliance is a racial and social justice organization committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Urban Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Applicants from all underrepresented groups, including people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and DACA recipients are encouraged to apply.