ABOUT US Established in 1917, YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood (the “Y”) is a not-for-profit Jewish community center that welcomes people of all backgrounds and beliefs. We offer a wide range of educational, recreational and social services programs to enhance the quality of life of the people we serve. From top-notch early childhood education and youth development programs to innovative senior center services, there’s always something for everyone at the Y!

POSITION OVERVIEW

Supervised by the Y’s Managing Director of Youth and Recreation, the Director of Family Engagement will oversee and deliver high-quality experiences geared toward families with young children, and will partner with Directors across the Y’s youth programs to promote family engagement. Anchored in the Y’s Jewish universal values, the successful candidate will expand and strengthen our menu of enrichment offerings, both Jewish and general, targeting our under-5 population. They will build and maintain meaningful relationships with families that participate in activities at the Y, promote connectivity across programs, and ensure top-notch customer service and a high level of program quality.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Y Beginnings Parenting Center (60%)

• Responsible for all aspects of the Y Beginnings Parenting Center’s enrichment programs throughout the year, including but not limited to kid’s gYm, New Mom’s groups, Parent and Baby classes, Ukulele Shabbat, packages for families with newborn babies, and other special events/programs for the community;
• Perform all tasks related to scheduling, outreach, registration, programmatic communication, program planning, program evaluation, on-site support, and facilities management for Y Beginnings programming;
• Interview, hire, and schedule staff to implement Y Beginnings programs;
• Assist with billing and communicate with the finance team and Managing Director around all issues related to program finances;
• Work with Y colleagues and the community at large to identify and create new opportunities to expand programs and experiences for the Center’s target audience;
• Conduct outreach to potential program participants’ families and maintain up-to-date contact lists;
• Monitor and maintain all inventory related to Y Beginnings programs, and work with the Program Team’s Operations Coordinator to manage purchasing of equipment and supplies;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Norman E. Alexander Center For Jewish Life (20%)

• Run the “Volunteer Now!” program generously funded by UJA-Federation of NY. Responsibilities include:
  • Organizing at least 6 volunteer initiatives that bring together young families to address social inequalities in our community;
  • Outreach and volunteer recruitment and retention efforts;
  • Administrative management such as scheduling, registration, communication, and facilities management for volunteer initiatives;
  • Manage data collection and reporting for UJA “Volunteer Now!” grant;
  • In coordination with other Y programs focused on social justice, and with support from volunteers that participated in events throughout the year, co-organize the Y’s Social Action Summit in June 2023.
• Manage and run under-5 events such as PJ Library events, Jewish holiday events, etc;
• Assist in organization-wide planning of special events including but not limited to the annual Purim Carnival, participation in the Medieval Festival held at Fort Tryon Park, Kid Fit, and more;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Camp Twelve Trails (20%)

• Serve as the Y’s Liaison for the leadership meetings at Camp Twelve Trails, attending a weekly Liaisons’ meeting and taking responsibility for the engagement and recruitment of staff and campers from the Y of Washington Heights and Inwood;
• Work with the Camp Twelve Trails year-round leadership team to create and coordinate engagement opportunities for campers and their families, including but not limited to family tours, welcome events, reunions, and holiday celebrations;
• Help coordinate 2 Family night events during the summer season;
• Periodically visit Camp Twelve Trails during the summer season.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

• Full-time position
• Usually Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, with flexibility for occasional evening events and programs
• FLSA Classification: Exempt

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is performed in typical community center/camp environments

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• At least five years of demonstrated experience working in early childhood and/or family engagement role;
• Experience creating, managing, and leading programs infused by Jewish values and content;
• Experience managing and supervising staff;
• Proven planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluation skills;
• Able to manage competing priorities and follow through with multiple deliverables;
• Comfortable working with, recruiting, and engaging children under 5 years old and their families across programs;
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills: able to clearly and appropriately communicate in a variety of settings and styles;
• Proficient in the use of Google Suite, MS Office applications, social media, and other technology platforms for youth programs;
• Able to present in front of large groups of participants; singing / musical skills are a plus!

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Childhood Development, Jewish Education, Jewish Studies or Social Work or related area, with at least two years of successful experience working in early childhood or family engagement role
• Master’s Degree Preferred

BENEFITS

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and competitive benefits package:

• Health Insurance; Retirement Plan; Optional 403b Plan; Life Insurance; Flexible Spending Account; Commuter Benefit Plan

WORK AUTHORIZATION & CLEARANCE

• Documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S.
• Must pass the background check, medical tests, fingerprinting through the Department of Health and Department of Education, and other pre-employment requirements
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 upon commencement of employment

To apply, email your resume and cover letter to Kierstin Hettler, Managing Director of Youth and Recreation, at khettler@ywhi.org

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Additional functions and responsibilities may change or may be assigned.