Program Director: Wellness Together

University Settlement is one of New York City's most dynamic social justice institutions, with an impressive legacy as the first settlement house in the nation. For over 135 years, University Settlement has been an anchor in the low-income and immigrant communities where we work, offering pioneering programs in early childhood care and education, youth development, eviction prevention, literacy, theater and visual arts, older adults services, and mental health. Each year, we engage over 40,000 New Yorkers through our network of 30 sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Our mission is to empower residents by building on their strengths through comprehensive, quality services that meet the current needs of the community; innovation that anticipates future needs; and advocacy to bring justice to the community as a whole.

Wellness Together aims to improve the quality of life for older adults who are homebound due to age or infirmary. Through comprehensive case management, various virtual group activities, and volunteer services, the program supports older adults to live their lives to their fullest potential. The program is part of the agency’s LEARN (Longevity through Education, Arts, Recreation, and Nutrition) network that works with older adults.

The Program Director will oversee all aspects of programming and community use, including upholding University Settlement’s mission, implementation of LEARN collaborative projects, and the agency’s on-going transition through lingering pandemic challenges. The Director will provide leadership on external relationships and community outreach, contract compliance, the robust use of the program’s data tracking capabilities, the development of staff leadership and team-building, programming that responds to community interest and needs, and partner collaboration. A strong commitment to creativity and staff development to achieve high quality services is a must.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee, develop, implement, and monitor the program’s daily work to ensure high-quality services aimed at keeping older adults healthy, happy, connected, and as full participants in their community
• Articulate, model, and support an internal culture of inquiry, community input, and reflection for continuous improvement.
• Work with the Senior Program Director to conduct strategic planning within the specified program area as well as in relation to larger organizational goals; lead new initiatives to enhance existing programming
• Hire staff, provide supervision, coaching, and evaluation, lead regularly scheduled staff meetings, arrange for appropriate staff professional development and training. Supervise volunteers and interns
• Timely submission of all reports with respect to contract mandates.
• Design mechanisms to ensure accurate reporting
• Collaborate with data team and support data collection, analysis of program outputs, outcomes, and trends within program and across departments and develop tactical response.
• Maintain program’s readiness for internal and external audits and site visits
• Provide Budget oversight, collaborate with Fiscal Department to maintain program’s fiscal viability
• Support integration of all older adult services throughout the organization and within LEARN, the Older Adult Center (OAC), and Home Delivered Meals through participation in coalition meetings and effective relationship maintenance
• Cover cases as needed
• Close collaboration with Development Office on program development
• Development and nurturing of collaborations and linkages to other Settlement programs, as well as external service partners
• Participation and representation of the Settlement in professional groups, coalitions and advocacy forums
• Active participation in Settlement-wide activities and policy initiatives
• Weave a commitment to systems change advocacy into program communications, community materials, and staff expectation. Collaborate with the Communications team to manage internal and external program marketing, including social media efforts
• Perform other related duties within the scope of the position as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in social work or related field.
• Minimum of three years community-based direct service experience in the field of gerontology; administrative, program leadership, community coalition leadership, and/or managerial & supervisory experience required
• Ability to understand the budgeting process and articulate fiscal needs of the program
• Effective verbal and written communication and public presentation skills
• Highly organized and detail oriented with the capacity to work independently
• Ability to create a supportive environment for both program participants and staff is expected
• Strong leadership qualities and ability to work effectively independently and as a part of a team
• Capacity to work effectively under the pressure of deadlines
• An understanding of social policies impact on our communities; cultural competence within diverse settings and communities; and willingness to engage in community advocacy on behalf of the agency and the communities we serve and to support the agency to work toward just social policies locally and beyond
• Great attention to detail and follow-through, and strong technology skills
• Bilingual English/Spanish, English/Chinese, preferred. Language can change based on needs.
• A commitment to advancing the agency’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work and systems change advocacy

Work Schedule: Full-time, with some evening and/or weekend hours, mostly in person with the possibility of some remote work

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community. We support a broadly diverse team who will contribute to our organization. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.