Friends of the Children

Basic Function / Position Objective:  

The Program Director is a member of the senior management team and is expected to keep other senior management members informed about the program's status.  The Program Director is expected to interact constructively and proactively with community members, partner schools, potential donors, and other third parties.  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Actively participate as a member of the senior management team in leading the organization, participating in strategic planning and budgeting, and making, implementing, and upholding decisions or policies related to the operations of the organization.  Effectively lead organizational change. 

Establish priority partnerships and programming that are responsive to the needs and goals of our children and families.  Utilize all resources that provide feedback, e.g. ETO reports and annual caregiver and youth evaluation assessments.   

Hire, supervise, inspire, develop, and evaluate efforts of Friends.  Serve as role model and mentor for Friends, ensure that they have the resources necessary to perform their jobs, act as team facilitator and organizational motivator, and facilitate effective communication in all directions.    

Manage the performance of Friends, including completing and conducting annual and semi-annual performance appraisals.  Hold Friends accountable for work performance, adequacy of time spent with children, quality and diversity of activities with children, and administrative/reporting responsibilities.    

Work with National program staff to implement initial Friends training, ongoing training, and other required professional development and performance improvement activities.  

Know and understand the needs and issues of the families served.  Meet with each Friend one-on-one each month, and review Roadmaps and Transition Plans for each child on a monthly basis.  Assure that each Friend has helped to identify and develop a specific area of interest or talent for each child. 

Lead and facilitate effective weekly staff meetings, ensuring focus on child and Friend successes, setbacks, issues, concerns, and ideas.  Ensure focus on the communication of organizational information or issues to team, and solicit feedback from team. 

Communicate effectively and appropriately in all directions regarding organizational data, issues, concerns, policies, and procedures.  Raise and resolve issues appropriately.   

Solicit and obtain feedback from a minimum of two parents/caregivers of children per month.  Document and maintain all feedback and include in Quarterly Report. 

Participate in regular conference calls with Program Directors in the network, and otherwise communicate with personnel at the National office and other chapters about the program. Research, develop, implement, and sustain best practice programming to serve current and future needs of the organization as required. 

Manage the child identification and selection process; including developing and sustaining a robust, formalized process, and training and supervising process participants. 

Develop and maintain strong relationships with partner schools and/or other community partners to allow for effective program implementation and sustainability.  Design and implement a process to ensure others are trained/developed to work in this capacity as well, to further strengthen our efforts to cultivate and maintain these critical relationships. 

Utilize program data to help develop, implement, and sustain enrichment activities and program excellence.  Ensure the quality of program delivery at all levels. 

Develop, implement, and oversee other projects as required. 

Be relentlessly committed to ensuring that youth and caregivers achieve their goals and our long-term outcomes. 

Work with the Executive Director to ensure compliance with budgets and program guidelines. 

Communicate regularly and effectively with the Executive Director about key aspects of the program, including status of children, performance of Friends, recommendations for improvement of the program, and potential issues with particular staff members or children. 

Provide input in the recruiting, selection, and hiring of new Friends or other staff as required.  Assist with trainings. 

Develop trusting, supportive relationships with families and guardians of the children we serve. 

Oversee the coordination of critical issues that arise with youth. 

Responsible for the quality, integrity, and timely entry of program data.   

Ensure compliance with and accountability to the organization’s policies, procedures, and practices as outlined in the Employee Manual and Friends Handbook.  Contribute to the development of any of these as required.  Help move the organization to one of increased accountability and zero tolerance.   

Understand and inspire others to buy into the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function. 

Serve as effective, compelling spokesperson for the organization. 

Collaborate with and benefit from National team resources. 

Other duties as assigned. 

Essential Skills and Abilities:

Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills; organizational and time management, delegation and follow-up skills. 

Ability to cultivate and sustain relationships and work effectively with a wide variety of constituencies, including staff, program children, parents, schools, organizational supporters, Board members, and community partners. 

Ability to represent, effectively and professionally, the organization to a wide variety of audiences. 

Ability to research, analyze data, design/develop, propose, implement, and sustain programming. 

Ability to solve problems, work in a team environment, manage several issues concurrently, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced constantly changing work environment. 

Strong project management skills. Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines, responsibilities, and competing priorities. 

Ability to influence the behavior of others to achieve necessary results. 

Strategic planning and budgeting skills. 

Ability to work in diverse work environments. 

Knowledge of child development and child issues, particularly those most relevant to our program youth. 

Awareness of community resources, and the ability to cultivate and sustain relationships with these resources. 

Ability to cultivate relationships with children, families, school personnel, organizational supporters, and community partners. 

Enthusiasm for helping to plan and manage the anticipated growth of Friends – Eastern Montana, and commitment to developing personal skills and knowledge as appropriate to that growth. 

Required Education, Experience, and Abilities:

Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field; Master’s degree preferred. 

Seven to ten years’ experience working with child-related programs in progressively responsible roles.   

Three to five years in a leadership or management role with significant supervisory duties and responsibilities.

Friends of the Children - Eastern Montana is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices, and to working toward racial equity. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, disability, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.