Deputy Director of Community Outreach and Support Services

The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer experiences in the outdoors to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Each summer, thousands of children visit either volunteer host families in rural and suburban communities along the East Coast and Southern Canada, attend six Fresh Air camps in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley, or participate in other outdoor programs run by The Fresh Air Fund. Young people also participate in year-round leadership and educational programs offered by The Fund. In Summer 2020, during the difficult realities of COVID- 19 and the economic crisis, The Fresh Air Fund reimagined summer and developed new in-person and virtual program models to support youth in New York City.  

The Fresh Air Fund is recruiting a team-oriented Deputy Director of Community Outreach & Support Services to join our Community Outreach, Partnerships & Support Services team.

The Community Outreach, Partnerships & Support Services Department (COSS) executes FAF's outreach and engagement efforts with community partners and New York City families. Specifically, COSS: 1) cultivates and strengthens relationships with community-based partners to introduce FAF and our programs, create program partnerships, and enroll children into FAF summer programs; 2) develops community partnerships to connect FAF participants in need of support services to community resources; and 3) provides support to FAF children, their families, and host families to ensure the best possible summer experience.

Position Summary

The Deputy Director of Community Outreach and Support Services manages the administrative and operational functions of the department that directly engages all new and existing New York City families as they learn about The Fresh Air Fund and works from recruitment to securing placements and matches for summer, off-season, and year-round experiences. The Deputy Director of COSS oversees and manages the support services unit and ensures the smooth supervision of the seasonal staff members that are responsible for all aspects of recruiting and registering children for Fresh Air programs. The Deputy Director also manages the Support Services unit's operations, and oversees communications with New York City families, specifically families with children that may have special needs or special circumstances.

This is a full-time, in-person position based in our NYC office that reports to the Director of Community Outreach, Partnerships & Support Services. 

Responsibilities

Administrative

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership and inspiration for the COSS team;
• Understands needs of NYC communities to strengthen existing and design new engagements and services to address them;
• Implement strategic plans and manage new initiatives that reflect the organization's vision, mission, and youth development practices;
• Develop and assess department goals and objectives;
• Assist the Director of COSS with the revitalization of the Partnership unit to improve child recruitment; and
• Assist the Director of COSS with Research and Evaluation/ Data Management;

Operations

• Manage the child application data entry, review, and registration process inclusive of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, and supervising the full contingent of seasonal staff. Set daily processing objectives and manage the associated budget;
• Collaborate with the Friendly Towns team to manage the "matching" process;
• Ensure that all child and family information is maintained in a manner that protects their personal information and maintains their privacy;
• Coordinate timely and informative communication with NYC families inclusive of, but not limited to, text messages, emails, and confirmation packets; and
• Inform, implement, and revise both new and existing application processing policies and guidelines inclusive of creating and maintain the Child Application Intake Manual.

Support Services

• Serve as content area specialist for The Fresh Air Fund, acting as a resource for current issues, trends, and changes associated with children well-being;
• Create Support Services Network of direct service providers and policy experts to serve as a resource for Fresh Air Fund staff and families;
• Set and execute protocols for managing cases and crises during programming;
• Serve as lead liaison for foster care and homeless shelter service agencies, and other agencies that serve children in special circumstances;
• Collaborate with Deputy Directors of Friendly Towns, Camping & Year-Round Programs as strategic thought partners to identify opportunities and propose strategies to improve programming and support services delivery to NYC and Host families and volunteers;
• Serve as field supervisor/instructor for BSW and MSW level interns;
• Work with Support Services Coordinator to manage seasonal Support Services staff. Provide guidance to Social Worker(s) and seasonal staff when they are handling calls and cases;
• Design and implement staffing plans provide requisite coverage to support participating children, NYC and Host families, volunteers, and staff from first departure through last return;
• Maintain and update resource guide/referral directory to support NYC families; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• MSW required. LMSW preferred;
• SIFI certification preferred;
• Minimum of 3 years staff supervisory experience;
• Five to seven years of work experience in the social services field/ NYCDOE/ Foster Care/ Youth Development/ volunteer management/ community engagement;
• Experience engaging and working with diverse populations of youth, families, and staff;
• Effective leadership and team building skills, with a commitment to staff and team development;
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently;
• Strong computer skills with competency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) and database management;  
• Meticulous attention to detail;
• Project management skills;
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication and organizational skills;
• Customer service orientation;
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and deadlines in fast-paced environment;
• Effective presentation and facilitation skills;
• Eye toward improving current operational systems;
• Patient and friendly, with a high degree of professionalism;
• Bilingual and fluency in languages other than English a plus (Spanish or Chinese preferred);
• Driver's license a plus;
• Available to work nontraditional hours (evenings and weekends) as needed; and
• Great interest in joining a youth development organization and supporting FAF's mission and vision. 

All Fresh Air Fund employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID.

Salary & Benefits

The salary for this role is $85,000. The Fresh Air Fund offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, and employer and employee retirement contribution plans.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit an application and cover letter. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. We are hiring on a rolling basis and encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible. No calls or recruiters, please.

The Fresh Air Fund is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring, and dedicated to diversity in its work and on its staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, orientations and communities to apply.