Senior Director of Program Innovation & Impact

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application through our online portal promptly. Please email [email protected] with questions or for support submitting your application.

Background on UTEC, Inc.

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they’re at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

 

About the Opportunity:

The Senior Director of Program Innovation and Impact will lead UTEC’s efforts to develop and enhance our programs. The Senior Director will cultivate a culture of continuous professional growth, reflection, learning, support, and accountability on the Programs team. The role will embed data-driven practices to inform and assess program quality and outcomes. This position will support UTEC’s replication in Lawrence and Haverhill and the expanding of education and workforce services in these communities

The ideal candidate will be a passionate leader with experience in designing new program models, setting targets for success, developing curriculum, integrating data into learning processes, supervising staff, and fostering students’ interest in social justice. The Senior Director reports to and collaborates closely with UTEC’s Chief Program Officer and will directly supervise four directors on the Programs team.

Responsibilities:

Agency Leaderships

• Serve on the CEO’s Leadership Team, supporting:
  • Agency direction setting, monitoring, and gathering input from colleagues and young adults.
  • Representation of the organization in meetings with partner agencies, funders, and others as needed and development and support of agency culture.
  • Agency efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in all activities.
  • Centering the needs of youth in org-wide decisions and any intended or unintended impact on the program

Educational Leadership

• Support the Education and Training components of the program and lead the growth of learning activities for UTEC Young Adults. Key activities include:
  • Supervise the Director of Education and Director of 2Gen and their work with teachers and educational consultants/contractors.
  • Supervise the Director of Workforce Development to create practical training programs that lead to meaningful employment
  • Supervise the Director of Transitional Coaching to ensure TCs provide a high quality, intensive wraparound service to all youth
  • Oversee professional development for teaching staff and develop opportunities for UTEC staff and program managers.
  • Identify workforce and educational needs of local employers to ensure UTEC participants gain necessary knowledge and skills for employment.

Development of the Learning Agenda

• In partnership with the Chief Program Officer, UTEC teachers, and Program Managers:

  • Refine current UTEC competencies and curriculum.

  • Develop and oversee educational and learning opportunities that support young adult economic and social success, focusing on:

    • Expansion of learning components of the UTEC model to Lawrence, Haverhill, and local jails.

Evaluation Effectiveness

• Review and revise evaluation methods and data to effectively track program effectiveness and positive outcomes for young adults.

  • Evaluate program implementation processes and develop metrics to quantify goal attainment.

  • Work with the Evaluation Team to integrate or expand data collection methods.

  • Collaborate with program leaders to integrate learning that supports competency development and whole family outcomes across all stages of UTEC programming.

  • Develop strategies to engage proven-risk young adults and create procedures regarding operations, discipline, and instructional practice that promote student learning and success.

Qualifications & Mindset: 

• Significant experience in youth development or educational settings with a strong understanding of nonprofit program management

• At least 3 years of management and supervision experience in a school, non-profit, government agency, or comparable setting required.

• Demonstrated success mentoring and cultivating people managers.

• Ability to utilize data to develop and track benchmarks for success.

• Ability to multi-task and adapt to a changing environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work as a leader and as part of a team.

• Ability to provide instruction to students on an as-needed/substitute basis.

• Master’s degree preferred.

Salary range:

The salary range is $100,000-$120,000 annual as determined by experience. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, a 457B retirement plan and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support.  With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3 week sabbatical. 

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e. for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee.


Application Process:

We are committed to diversity and encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their application through our online portal promptly. All applicants will receive a response to their application. Please email [email protected] with questions or for support submitting your application.

While subject to change, candidates elected to advance throughout the process can expect:

• initial interviews with Positively Partners
• a follow up video interview with Tamara Soraluz, Chief Program Officer
• a multi-part in person final interview day and facility tour

The expected start date is Spring 2024. Positively Partners is committed to conducting an equitable, accessible assessment process. If you would like to request an accommodation during the interview process, please email [email protected]. Accommodation requests will be handled confidentially.


UTEC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UTEC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.