School Based Mentoring Program - Program Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) empowers youth by establishing enduring, professionally supported mentorship relationships for those facing adversity. We collaborate with parents/guardians and volunteers to ensure every child in our programs reaches higher aspirations, gains confidence, builds better relationships, and achieves educational success. BBBSLA's track record proves that mentoring works, transforming lives one young person at a time

Position Overview

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Site-Based Programs, the Program Specialist is a dual-function role, responsible for program facilitation and enrollment/match support across BBBSLA's school site and workplace site mentoring programs. This position facilitates engaging group mentoring sessions, coordinates on-site program operations, and builds strong relationships with school and corporate partners. The Program Specialist also supports the full participant lifecycle for Bigs and Littles, including information sessions, recruitment, interviews, assessments, application processing, mentoring pair matching, match introductions, ongoing match support, and match closure. The successful candidate will be flexible, highly organized, culturally responsive, comfortable working with youth and corporate professionals, and committed to child safety and high-quality mentoring experiences.

This is a part-time position that also requires travel for face-to-face meetings with corporate and school partners.

ESSENTIAL JOB ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The essential job activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Program Facilitation

• Facilitate structured, engaging, and culturally responsive group mentoring sessions at assigned school and workplace sites, serving youth, volunteer mentors, and partner representatives.
• Prepare, adapt, and deliver curriculum and activities related to academic success, college and career readiness, financial literacy, health and wellness, relationship development, and social-emotional learning.
• Serve as the on-site program lead by coordinating schedules, attendance, room setup, materials, technology, transportation-related communication, and other program logistics.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with school administrators, teachers, corporate contacts, mentors, mentees, parents/guardians, and BBBSLA staff.
• Communicate regularly with school and corporate partners regarding program progress, participation, upcoming activities, concerns, and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor participant engagement, group dynamics, mentoring relationships, and adherence to program expectations during sessions; respond promptly to concerns and elevate issues as appropriate.
• Use effective group management, active listening, reflective questioning, and conflict-resolution strategies to create a safe and productive learning environment.
• Support the planning and facilitation of orientations, Match Days, special events, field trips, partner meetings, and end-of-year activities.
• Participate in curriculum development, program planning, and continuous improvement efforts for school-site and workplace-site programs.

Enrollment & Mentoring Match Support

• Conduct enrollment processes, including interviews with guardians, youth, and volunteers, delivering youth safety education, and facilitating intake procedures.
• Review enrollment information and assessments, providing recommendations for program participation based on collected data.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping in accordance with BBBSA guidelines, database requirements, the Service Delivery Model, and BBBSLA Program Manual.
• Evaluate the specific needs of each match participant to support a positive youth development experience for the child and a fulfilling mentoring experience for the volunteer.
• Apply expertise in child safety and risk management when working with children, youth, and families exposed to trauma, poverty, or other adverse circumstances.
• Escalate child safety concerns to the Senior Manager and report issues to the LA County Department of Children and Family Services when necessary.
• Administer the Strength of Relationship (SOR) and Youth Outcome Survey (YOS) tools to evaluate the impact of matches on youth development, track Youth Outcome Development Program (YODP) goals, and facilitate the establishment of new goals as needed.
• Document detailed written summaries of all match support interactions in real-time using Match Force, a web-based contact management system, to comply with national standards.
• Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in child safety and risk management, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by children exposed to trauma or living in poverty.
• Conduct exit interviews for all matches at closure, assessing the reasons for closure and re-match potential, and record the data in MatchForce CRM system.
• Provide referrals to volunteers, youth, and parents for additional services, as needed.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and required skills. Job Description may be subject to change to meet the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Working knowledge of local children's social support services and federal, state, and local child abuse reporting protocols and child safety practices.
• Clinical assessment and case management experience, with strong analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Experience assessing and developing positive relationships with children, youth, adults, and families.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with community partners, youth and their families, corporate executives, nonprofit organizations, school officials, private individuals, and BBBSLA staff.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, execute, and successfully complete projects within established timelines and budgets.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate professionally and effectively with diverse audiences.
• Strong customer service orientation with an action-oriented approach to achieving results.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and research skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated creativity, sound judgment, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and collaborate successfully with internal staff and external partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) and the ability to quickly learn Salesforce CRM and other agency database systems.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish strongly preferred.
• Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of current automobile insurance.

COMPETENCIES:

Customer/Client Focus: Demonstrates a strong commitment to meeting the expectations and requirements of schools, mentees, staff, volunteers, children, parents, and agency corporate and community partners. Prioritizes building and maintaining effective relationships with these stakeholders, gaining their trust and respect. Views the role as adding value to the experiences of constituents, fostering parental support, and promoting diversity and inclusivity. Exhibits a high degree of flexibility and adaptability in all interactions.

Listening: Practices attentive and active listening, ensuring a deep understanding of others' perspectives and needs. Has the patience to hear people out and can accurately restate opinions, even in disagreement. Vigilant in recognizing and addressing child safety issues, demonstrating a proactive approach to problem identification and resolution.

Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to a diverse range of individuals, building appropriate rapport and fostering constructive and effective relationships. Uses diplomacy and tact to navigate and diffuse difficult situations comfortably. Demonstrates an ability to mediate conflicts and create mutual understanding, ensuring a harmonious and supportive environment.

Approachability: Is approachable and easy to talk to, making extra efforts to put others at ease. Exhibits warmth, patience, and sensitivity to the needs and interests of others, building strong rapport and trust.

Priority Setting: Efficiently manages time and resources, focusing on what is most important. Quickly identifies critical priorities and sets aside less important tasks, eliminating roadblocks and maintaining focus on achieving key objectives. Demonstrates the ability to sense what will help or hinder goal accomplishment and takes appropriate action.

Commitment to Task: Exhibits a strong willingness and ability to pursue goals with dedication and pride in accomplishments. Takes proactive actions to achieve and exceed goals, demonstrating a high level of motivation and perseverance.

Results/Outcome Oriented: Is driven by achieving results and can be relied upon to meet and exceed goals successfully. Focuses on the bottom line, setting clear objectives and measures, monitoring progress, and pushing for continuous improvement and success.

Organizing: Effectively marshals resources to accomplish goals, orchestrating multiple activities simultaneously. Uses resources efficiently and identifies incomplete or informal information promptly to address any issues. Demonstrates strong organizational skills to manage complex tasks and projects.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The conditions outlined below are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of this role.

• Work setting: Hybrid office environment with flexibility in scheduling. Evening and weekend work may be required to support organizational needs.
• Travel: Independent travel to partner sites, events, and meetings required.
• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly be required to sit, stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and communicate verbally. The role requires frequent use of a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

BBBSLA is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all qualified individuals. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Applicants as well as employees who are or become disabled must be able to perform the essential duties & responsibilities either unaided or with reasonable accommodation. The organization shall determine reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law.

Compensation, Hours and Benefits

Non-exempt, part-time position (30 hours / week) with a starting hourly pay range of $20-$24 depending on experience. Typical work schedule includes both weekday and weekend work, depending on outreach activities and engagements.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is an Equal Opportunity Employer