Special Programs Coordinator

REPORTS TO: Assistant Director of Programs

LOCATION: Anchorage

Salary: Starting at $21/hour, DOE

FLSA STATUS: Full Time

WE ARE

Defenders of potential. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska is a forward thinking agency who works with community members to help ignite the potential in our Alaskan youth. We do so by creating one-to-one mentoring relationships between our Bigs and Littles.

YOU ARE

An individual curious about what it takes to create a movement and make a real impact in your community. A self-motivated, proactive, collaborative, creative, effective communicator. Someone who understands the power of mentorship and can speak to it. A person who can convey the values of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska to a room full of strangers to help bring our vision to life. A highly organized professional that can shift from one task to another smoothly. You understand the importance of customer service and follow through. You are knowledgeable and thoughtful about relationships with all of our partners, including Alaska Native Organizations, Corporations and Tribal entities. You are professional and committed to the mission of supporting youth across the state of Alaska. You believe in the power of inclusion.

JOB SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for coordinating and marketing two specialized mentoring programs. The Sync Foster Care mentoring program, serving youth ages 14-21 aging out of foster care in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, and the McLaughlin Youth Center (MYC) mentoring program in Anchorage. This position is responsible for volunteer recruitment, youth outreach, the implementation of the volunteer and youth enrollment and matching process, and providing match support to MYC matches to ensure child safety, positive impacts for youth, constructive and satisfying relationships between volunteers and youth and a strong sense of affiliation with BBBS. This position also includes assisting with planning and managing expenses within the Sync grant budget and completing quarterly grant reports. This position will also provide coverage for all programs and communities that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska serves, as needed.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

•  Adhere to the mission, vision and values of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska.
• Recruit potential volunteer mentors and youth for program participation.
• Assess volunteer “fit” to BBBS. Conduct volunteer enrollments (virtual and in-person), including: individual and group orientations, interviews, and completion of any other enrollment processes.
• Conduct youth enrollments (virtual and in-person), including: youth and caregiver interviews, youth safety education and enrollment processes. Assess and refer families for alternative or additional services as needed.
• Identify youth safety issues for volunteers, youth and their families.
• Ensure high-level proficiency in applying youth safety and risk management knowledge, policies and procedures throughout all aspects of job function.
• Identify and eliminate any barriers interfering with the completion of the enrollment process.
• Review all enrollment information and assessments and make recommendations for participation in the program based on this information. Assess and apply factors contributing to successful match and effectively align volunteer interests and qualifications with service options of the agency.
• Provide comprehensive assessments and match support recommendations for volunteer and youth participation in the program based upon assessments of each individual volunteer. Maintain accurate and timely records for each participant according to standards.
• Conduct volunteer and youth reassessments/updates as indicated.
• Assess individual training, information and support needs for each match participant to assure a positive youth development experience for the youth, and successful and satisfying experience for the volunteer.
• Determine matches and facilitate match meetings (virtual and in-person) in accordance with volunteer and youth schedules.
• Through scheduled in-person, telephone, and electronic contact, ascertain that the elements of child safety, match relationship development, positive youth development and volunteer satisfaction are fulfilled and that potential problems and barriers are identified and addressed as early as possible. Match support is provided on a frequency according to BBBS Standards, at a minimum.
• Complete Child and Youth Outcomes Surveys and Strength of Relationship Surveys as scheduled.
• Identify and promote re-engagement of volunteers as Bigs, board members, donors, and in other volunteer capacities.
• Cultivate and maintain a positive working relationship with OCS (Office of Children’s Services) staff, attending regular meetings with OCS and BBBS staff.
• Work with OCS & MYC Liaisons to coordinate program logistics (child interviews, match meetings, in-person contacts, etc).
• Attend regular meetings (virtual and in-person) at MYC and OCS.
• Create and steward relationships with organizations that serve youth in the foster care system.
• With Finance staff, plan and manage expenses within the Sync budget.
• Provide information to the Director of Programs for completion of quarterly Sync grant reports.
• Represent, promote and protect the interests of the organization by participating and attending events, as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

JOB COMPETENCIES:

• Attention to Detail - Able to review data/documents for accuracy and consistency; take action to prevent mistakes; follow procedures closely; keep records accurate and up to date.
• Customer Focus - Able to build rapport with customers, listening and responding effectively and efficiently to meet their needs; identify unexpressed customer needs and potential products/services to meet those needs; prioritize work in alignment with the needs of the customer; use customer knowledge and feedback to improve own work results; provide a welcoming and inclusive experience for prospective volunteers, youth and families of diverse perspectives, talents, backgrounds and/or styles.
• Flexibility & Achieving Change - Able to positively deal with changes that affect job requirements; adapt to shifting priorities in response to the needs of internal and external clients; quickly recognize situations/conditions where change is needed; work to clarify situations where information, instructions, or objectives are ambiguous; support organizational change.
• Gets Results - Able to demonstrate high personal work standards and a sense of urgency about results; do everything possible to meet goals and deadlines without sacrificing quality; persist in the face of changing circumstances; accept responsibility for the outcomes of his/her own work.
• Influencing - Able to persuade and enlist others' support in accomplishing objectives; motivate/reassure prospective youth/families to enrollment by using data or logic to aid them in their decision; use different influence approaches as appropriate.
• Planning & Organizing - Able to create detailed work plans; balance the need for adequate planning with the need for action; avoid wasting time on tasks that yield low value; use resources efficiently; create and monitor measures to chart the progress and impact of assignments.
• Relationship Building - Able to deal effectively with people in order to get work accomplished; adjust own interpersonal approach to fit the interpersonal style/needs of others; recognize the impact of one's behavior on others; build a network of internal and external contacts to meet job responsibilities.
• Strategic Alignment - Able to align own work objectives with the organization's strategic plan or objectives; act with an understanding of how the community affects the business and how own actions and decisions affect other jobs or outcomes.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Must have a high school diploma/GED Equivalent and meet one of the following criteria:

• A documented bachelor’s degree, from an accredited college or university, in a related field, or be within six months of degree completion;
• A documented associate degree or two years of higher education experience, from an accredited college or university, and two years of relevant work experience in related fields, such as social work, counseling, social services, child development, or other related fields; or
• Four years of relevant work experience in related fields, such as social work, counseling, social services, child development, or other related fields.

Experience working with youth in the Foster Care and Juvenile Justice systems, preferred. Understanding of child development and family dynamics, working with both youth and adult populations, specific assessment, intake, or interview experience, preferred. Must have access to reliable transportation.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Excellent oral and written communication skills reflecting solid customer service and high-level interviewing skills. Ability to form appropriate assessment-based relationships. Experience or knowledge of trauma-informed care. Strong commitment to JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Maintain confidentiality throughout daily operations. Effectively collaborate with other staff. Use time effectively and focus on details. Ability to collect meaningful data and draw solid conclusions. Proficiency in Google Drive products. Comfortable using text messaging and social media platforms for communication with youth.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

This position will primarily telecommute/work from home, but some in-person work will be required. In-person attendance will be required at partner meetings, match meetings, recruitment presentations and events. Flexible work hours to meet customer needs. Ability to sit in meetings and work effectively using a computer for long periods of time. Follow agency COVID-19 mitigation plan in regard to in-person work.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska is committed to the health and safety of our staff, partners, and the community we serve. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska requires COVID-19 vaccination or valid waiver upon hire. Employment subject to passing required background check.

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. Contents may be subject to change to meet the needs of the organization