Youth Development Professional

Job Description

Job Description

Role Scope

The Youth Development Professional serves as the primary frontline representative of Opportunity Next and is responsible for facilitating participant growth, engagement, career readiness, and successful progression through assigned services. This position delivers workforce development and transition-related services while creating meaningful learning experiences that prepare participants for postsecondary education, employment, and long-term success.

Success in this role is measured not only by curriculum delivery, but also by participant attendance, engagement, retention, documentation completion, skill development, and achievement of program outcomes. The Youth Development Professional is responsible for supporting participant success by identifying barriers, encouraging participation, maintaining communication with designated Opportunity Next contacts, and ensuring all required documentation and service requirements are completed accurately and on time.

The Youth Development Professional plays a direct role in supporting participant success, contract performance, compliance standards, and organizational sustainability through high-quality service delivery and participant engagement.

This position is set up as a ten-month employment agreement with instructional time that is parallel with traditional business hours with occasional flexibility as needed. Work is evaluated through the Performance Management Evaluation System. Performs other tasks as requested.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in vocational rehabilitation, disability studies, psychology, education, social work, or other related fields.
• At least 1 year of documented career development, youth development, social services, or teaching experience.
• Experience in facilitating instruction, training, coaching, mentoring, or group engagement activities
• Experience in educational instructional design to plan, prepare and deliver lesson plans and instructional materials that facilitate active learning.
• Experience in classroom management, working with youth, young adults, or individuals with disabilities preferred.
• Experience in preparing summary reports of students’ progress and development.
• Experience in effectively maintaining confidential records, such as clients, customers,
• Experience in Microsoft Office Suite and Windows based computer applications.
• Experience in Customer Service that presents a positive, empathetic, and professional attitude toward customers at all times.
• Reliable transportation and ability to travel between assigned service locations.

Pay and Perks

• $24/hour
• Opportunity to work with a progressive and innovative leadership team.
• Opportunity for potential growth in the company
• Use of company computer

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain safe and engaging learning environments, where students are provided with a balance of support and structure.
• Based on existing contextualized curriculum, prepare lesson plans by adapting those already created with engaging activities and exercises that inspire students to acquire knowledge and skills they can transfer to employment settings.
• Work in a local community environment to establish work-based learning experiences and job placements for eligible participants.
• Monitor barriers to students' active participation and engagement in the program, including those related to complex issues in their physical or social environment.
• Monitor and report students’ attendance benchmarks and progress through a participant observation tool. Report any individual student issues to Program Designee on a weekly basis.
• Follow established policies and procedures for maintaining the integrity of the program with quality instruction, student discipline, classroom maintenance, safety, behavior management and the security of all individuals and supplies at their disposal.
• Work collaboratively with management and administrative staff to set relevant and measurable goals for student achievement.
• Adapt teaching styles and strategies to maximize student learning and retention.
• Provide students with professional one-on-one feedback regarding their performance in the program.
• Attends all relevant meetings, supervision, staff meetings, case conference sessions, curriculum development, trainings, workshops, and any other informational engagements necessary to effectively perform job duties.
• Assist with the process of collecting completed state agency applications needed for participant compliance
• Maintain classroom documentation based on assignments from contextualized curriculum and enter data appropriately and accurately, as necessary. This includes but is not limited to goals and career assessments, resume’ worksheets, and cover letters.
• Accurately complete and submit monthly reports and attendance sheets to Program Designee by the last class day of each month.
• Apply strength-based approaches with a trauma-informed lens to counsel participants in academic, vocational, and employment issues. Mediate, problem-solve, and coordinate individual services for clients to help them overcome employment barriers.
• Lead participants in job seeking, application procedures, resume writing, interview preparation, and job retention skills.
• Update all necessary records accurately and completely as required by laws, school district policies and regulations.
• Encourage and monitor the progress of individual students and use information to adjust teaching strategies.
• Participate in extracurricular activities such as program incentives to simulate student engagement and development.

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to communicate effectively and receive orally and in writing instructions.
• Knowledge and implementation of relevant technology.
• Demonstrate the skill in working with students from diverse cultures, economics, and backgrounds.
• Ability to observe and evaluate student's performance and development.
• Strong creative skills that will engage students and make learning enjoyable.
• Strong dedication to their work with a great desire for the success of their students.
• Ability to develop lesson plans, organize academic activities, and maintain an organized class.
• Strong emotional control skills when managing sensitive issues.
• A keen eye to monitor their students’ progress and note changes in behaviors or attitudes.
• Ability to lead and build a positive bond with students, parents, colleagues, and other staff members.
• Critical thinking skills with the ability to answer subjective questions and solve conflicts.
• Independent, creative, initiative-taker who exhibits good constructive judgment.

Physical and Mental

• School and community assignment travel required.
• Regularly required to sit, prolonged standing, walk, talk, hear, operate a computer, and other office equipment.
• Work in a classroom environment engaging with multiple personality types in conjunction with cultural differences and learning styles.
• Work in a local community environment ,building relationships with business representatives and knowledgably speaking about our program.
• Work with a variety of populations, including at-risk youth and adults, and individuals with disabilities.
• Be Open to Off-Topic Conversations at proper times for discussion and building a rapport with students (ex. Politics, Current Events, Life)

Role Summary

The Youth Development Professional serves as a key contributor to participant success by facilitating workforce development services, supporting career readiness, encouraging participant engagement, and promoting positive outcomes for youth and young adults. Through effective instruction, relationship building, documentation management, participant support, and accountability, the Youth Development Professional helps individuals develop the skills, confidence, and experiences necessary to successfully transition into postsecondary education, training opportunities, and meaningful employment.

This role extends beyond classroom instruction and requires active participation in participant development, retention, engagement, documentation completion, and overall program success.

Job Type

Contract