Sunnyside Community Services

Background:
Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) is a community-based nonprofit centered on the belief that every person deserves meaningful support to achieve their aspirations – especially struggling families and individuals.  With programs designed to enrich lives and strengthen communities through services and engagement for individuals at all ages, SCS has been lighting up lives with programs as varied as the people they serve since 1974.

Sunnyside Community Services serves a diverse community of over 16,000 people of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels throughout Queens.  Approximately 2,500 students participate in SCS youth programs, which range from pre-kindergarten elementary after-school and summer camp programs, Beacon Community Centers, a Cornerstone program in public housing, and jobs and college readiness programming, amongst others.  Immigrants receive support services to be able to live as full members of the community, including free immigration legal services, English for Speakers of Other Languages and benefits access.  For at-risk older adults, SCS offers a full range of services, which includes social adult day care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, home care and home health aide training, and a vibrant senior center.

Sunnyside Community Services’ strength lies in its ability to work with people at every stage in their lives and in their own communities. It prides itself in an approach that is comprehensive, caring and community based.

Position:
Sunnyside Community Services is seeking an exceptional leader with strong youth development and program management background for the role of Division Director of Youth and Family Services. Reporting to the Associate Executive Director of Community Services, the Division Director will support the programmatic and administrative goals of the Youth and Family Services Division.  SCS’s support for youth begins in early childhood and extends through high school.  It provides holistic services promoting leadership development, academic achievement, job readiness, and social and emotional growth. The ideal candidate is a leader and manager well-versed in the principles of youth development and current trends in the field. They will be looked to for leadership around the development of programs, curriculum, and staff. Further, the Division Director must be an exceptionally strong manager with leadership vision, a sense of entrepreneurship and superior operations and budget management skills.

The new Division Director must be capable of integrating smoothly into the management team at SCS and fit into the organization’s collaborative and inclusive culture.   They must be able to establish strong communications with colleagues in order to set priorities about systems and supports that need to be established or strengthened. They must be passionate about SCS’s work and be able to work closely with all staff in a supportive and direct manner. The successful candidate will have strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and oral communication skills, a hands-on management style, an ability to listen and be inclusive of ideas, and be able to work collaboratively with staff and leadership to address and solve problems or issues as they arise.   In addition, they will be diplomatic, of the highest integrity, and possess sound judgment as well as a sense of humor.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Programs: Work with staff to ensure follow-through on program plans, ongoing program development and evaluation, and organization systems.
• Staff: The Division Director of Youth and Family Services will supervise a team of five staff members, who in turn supervise or support 130+ staff and over $6 million in youth programming across eight campuses. These staff members oversee programs that range from pre-kindergarten through high school.
• External Affairs & Communications: Serve as the public face for SCS youth services and represent SCS on external committees and groups. Develop and maintain communication lines with program officers, relevant staff, and funders.
• Administration & Finance: Responsible for the development and management of the programming budget. Advanced skills in Excel are essential.
• Other management responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a related field
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience working in social services, an educational organization or equivalent field. Experience with youth programs and supervising teams strongly preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of the youth development field, program development, and school settings
• Outstanding organizational skills, adept at prioritizing multiple and varied responsibilities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal, relationship-building and networking skills
• Ability to track and report on data is essential. Salesforce experience is a plus
• Tech savvy with strong computer skills and experience in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.

All positions at Sunnyside Community Services are filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, HIV/AIDS status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.  All are encouraged to apply.

SCS offers a full range of benefits.  Please note that if hired, SCS requires all employees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.  Location is convenient to public transportation (a 10-minute subway ride from Grand Central.)

For more information about Sunnyside Community Services, please visit their website at www.scsny.org