Senior Program Director

Senior Program Director

The Senior Program Director provides strategic and operational leadership for Grand St. Settlement's Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) COMPASS after-school, holiday, and summer programs, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, youth-centered services that support academic achievement, social-emotional development, leadership, and positive youth outcomes. Serving as the primary liaison between Grand St. Settlement, school leadership, families, community partners, and key stakeholders, the Senior Program Director oversees all aspects of program operations, including staff supervision and development, coaching of a Program Director overseeing an additional DYCD contract, enrollment and attendance, budget management, program quality, compliance, data reporting, partnerships, and special events. This role ensures all programs meet or exceed DYCD, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DOE), and Grand St. Settlement contractual, regulatory, and quality standards while fostering collaboration, continuous quality improvement, and expanded learning opportunities that advance Grand St. Settlement's mission and strengthen outcomes for children, youth, and families.

Education, Experience and Skill Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a school-based or community-based after-school program, including at least two (2) years in a supervisory role.
• Experience overseeing multiple programs, budgets, and staff.
• Demonstrated success collaborating with school leadership, families, and community stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the New York City public education system, positive youth development principles, and New York State Learning Standards.
• Experience designing, implementing, and evaluating lesson plans, curriculum, and structured youth programming in school settings.
• Strong leadership, organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and work independently.
• Excellent written, verbal, public speaking, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with school administration, staff, community partners, and families.
• Experience with program budgeting and fiscal management preferred.
• Familiarity with DYCD Connect and other data management systems preferred.
• Knowledge of STEM, Health & Sexuality, Careers & Life Planning, Sports & Adventure, and Academic Enrichment programming is highly desirable.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other computer applications required.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Spanish language proficiency is preferred.
• Must obtain the School-Age Child Care (SACC) Program Director Credential (30-hour) as required.
• Must maintain Statewide Central Register (SCR) clearance (including the required nonrefundable fee of $25) and fingerprint clearance throughout employment.
• Must maintain current CPR and First Aid certification.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program Development

• Oversees the day-to-day operations of funded Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) COMPASS programs, including after-school, holiday camp, and summer programming.
• Ensures all programs meet or exceed DYCD contractual requirements, Department of Health (DOH) regulations, and Grand St. Settlement quality standards.
• Provides leadership, supervision, coaching, and accountability to site management teams to ensure high-quality program implementation, staff performance, and operational excellence.
• Coordinates part-time staff schedules and program activities; recruits, supervises, coaches, develops, and evaluates part-time staff.
• Attends all required Grand St. Settlement, DYCD, DOH/SACC, DOE, and funder trainings.
• Ensures all site staff complete required trainings and certifications while monitoring compliance, professional growth, and performance improvement.
• Serves as Grand St. Settlement's primary liaison and representative within the school community, fostering strong partnerships with school leadership, families, and community stakeholders.
• Partners with school administration and the Educational/Content Specialist to align expanded learning opportunities with the school-day curriculum, school goals, and student needs.
• Collaborates with school administration to support school-day initiatives that enhance after-school programming and student success.
• Maintains positive, professional, and productive working relationships with school personnel and Grand St. Settlement partners.
• Leads outreach, recruitment, enrollment, and retention efforts to achieve contractual enrollment and attendance goals.
• Oversees implementation of core program components, including: Academic Support & STEAM Academic and Creative Arts Enrichment Physical Activity & Healthy Living Parent/Caregiver Engagement Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement
• Ensures participants engage in safe, inclusive, high-quality programming that promotes academic success, social-emotional development, leadership, wellness, and positive youth outcomes.
• Collaborates with the Educational/Content Specialist to monitor participant academic progress and support school success.
• Conducts quarterly program quality assessments and develops continuous quality improvement plans to strengthen program effectiveness and participant outcomes.
• Plans and executes a minimum of four annual events and showcases that celebrate participant achievement, family engagement, and community partnerships (e.g., Back-to-School Night, Open House, End-of-Year Showcase).
• Identifies, coordinates, and oversees educational field trips, service-learning projects, and enrichment opportunities.
• Develops and manages implementation timelines and action plans for major initiatives, events, and program deliverables.
• Cultivates collaborative relationships with school administration, families, community partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen program impact and participant success.
• Develops and sustains community partnerships by securing a minimum of three new partnerships annually to expand programming and leverage community resources.
• Participates in community coalitions, advocacy initiatives, program assessments, and stakeholder feedback efforts to strengthen services and respond to community needs.
• Attends and actively participates in school meetings, staff meetings, professional development, trainings, and workshops.

Administrative

• Ensures the accuracy, integrity, and timely submission of all data entered into the DYCD Connect system and other required databases.
• Monitors enrollment, attendance, and participant retention to ensure compliance with DYCD contractual requirements.
• Responds to electronic and telephone communications within two business days.
• Ensures compliance with all DOH School-Aged Child Care (SACC), Summer Day Camp, DYCD, and agency regulations, including conducting quarterly site self-assessments.
• Develops, monitors, and manages program budgets to support operational needs and ensure timely and responsible spending.
• Develops and distributes monthly program calendars highlighting activities, events, meetings, and family engagement opportunities.
• Maintains regular communication with school administration, DYCD representatives, families, and other key stakeholders, and participates in all required meetings.
• Coordinates agency-wide events and initiatives in collaboration with Grand St. Settlement Program Directors and cross-department teams.
• Participates in cross-borough initiatives, agency-wide events, and strategic planning efforts that advance Grand St. Settlement's mission and organizational goals.
• Ensures staff, participants, and families adhere to all DYCD, DOE, and Grand St. Settlement social media and confidentiality policies.
• Commits to Grand St. Settlement for two years upon acceptance of a funded professional development or educational grant.

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position you are applying for. If selected, we ask that you also provide us with three (3) professional references that we can contact (at least one (1) professional reference should be from a former supervisor). Please click on the link provided below, or use the link in a search bar, and apply online through our career center.

No phone calls, please.

Please be advised that job offers can only be made once your clearances come through!

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER (EOE)