Director of Education and Employment Programming
A position at Roca
Working closely with the Deputy Director, the Director of Education and Employment programming will ensure the integrity, operations and outcomes of the programming and delivery model by supervising and providing leadership across the educational and employment programs.
Hours: Full-time
Rolling application deadline
Location: Chelsea, MA
Organizational Overview:
Roca is an innovative, nationally recognized organization working with disengaged and disenfranchised youth in Chelsea,Revere, and East Boston, Massachusetts. Utilizing a model of “transformational relationships,” Roca intensively serves 606 young people, provides a less intensive level of support to 150 + young adults and 250 parents, as well as provides outreach and education to a minimum of 20,000 additional people each year. Roca’s vision is for young people to thrive and lead change in their communities. Modeling the organizational values of Belonging, Generosity, Competence, and Independence, Roca strives to create spaces in which change can happen. Roca generates hope by working with young people in various ways: Transformational Relationships, relentless outreach, peacemaking circles, and providing opportunities for life skills, education and employment. Roca has an exciting engaged institution strategy leverage resources for young people and impact informal and formal policy and practice. Serving and supporting high-risk young people is at the core of Roca, and every employee is fully committed to creating opportunities for young in an effort to help them lead happy and healthy lives. Roca’s organizational culture is described as extremely hard-working, collaborative, and responsive.
Model of Transformational Relationships, Educational and Employment Programming:
• Using the innovative model of transformational relationships, Roca works with youth and young adults to create
positive relationships and connections that can transform lives and create change. Roca believes change occurs in
the following stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, planning, action, sustaining, and relapse. Using this
structure, Roca’s programs engage young people and others in a process of change that enables them to increase
positive knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors over time.
• Roca designed an Alternative Adult Education Program that would lead to better and more appropriate
educational outcomes for high risk young adults. This framework sets up the ability to build curriculum that both
begins at the educational levels of many of the young adults (literacy and pre-GED levels) and allows for the “not
showing up” consistently factor. Given Roca’s role of readiness building, this model allows for everyone to have
the ability to access education regardless of where they are on the spectrum of can’t show up to can show up with
support, and low literacy/pre-GED to GED levels. Alternative Adult Education aligns with the MA Department
of Education Curriculum and will expand to include vocational and life skills training opportunities.
• Transitional employment is a key that unlocks a door for young people to secure permanent employment and
financial independence. Transitional employment is short-term, provides real pay for real work, offers workbased
mentoring, and provides an unpaid, mandatory development day of educational, life skills, and preemployment
programming. The KEY Project and Advanced Transitional Employment opportunities will focus
on training young people in the soft skills for work, attendance, participation, teamwork, and following
instructions. Upon successful completion in these transitional employment opportunities, young people will be
placed in full-time employment, training, higher education, and/or part-time employment with retention support.
Employment Programming also includes all job development, placement and retention supports and employer
relationship development to ensure long term self sufficiency for our target population.
Organizational Growth Strategy:
Roca is implementing a strategic plan to lead significant growth in 3 areas: deepening program quality, driving toward outcomes, and growing transitional employment opportunities. In terms of its programming, Roca recognizes that the core of its work with young people consists in building and maintaining transformational relationships. Accordingly, all programming must revolve around this model of transformational relationships. Furthermore, Roca must ensure that all young people in transformational relationships have flexible access to the multiple programs and services that will serve their needs and build on their strengths and interests. This focus on the multiple dimensions of transformational relationships requires Roca to build a new organizational structure and to develop and implement new operational policies and procedures.
Position Overview:
Working closely with the Deputy Director, the Director of Education and Employment programming will ensure the
integrity, operations and outcomes of the programming and delivery model by supervising and providing leadership
across the educational and employment programs, communicating with community partners, providing training, and
ensuring the development and sustainability of programs. The Director of Education and Employment Programming will
work closely with the Director of Transformational Relationships to ensure quality programming for all Roca participants.
The Director of Education and Employment Programming will provide overall leadership for the organization including:
• Understand, practice and promote the vision, mission, values, methods, and models of Roca.
• Ensuring the development and integrity of all Educational and Employment Programming including Alternative Adult
Education, the KEY Project, Advanced Transitional Employment and Job Development
• Oversight of organizational operations related to the delivery of programming for participants including: safety,
systems, daily operations procedures and organizational schedule, vehicles, building, coverage, etc…
• Working with the community to further the mission and programs of Roca;
• Producing all required programmatic deliverables for the Alternative Adult Education Program, Transitional
Employment Programs, and Job Development;
• Planning and implementing key projects and growth initiatives, ensuring that all programming is aligned with the
organizational theory of change, goals, key initiatives, and culture;
• Leading the effective utilization of program evaluation system, working with outside evaluators as appropriate;
• Supervising, supporting, training, and evaluating staff;
• Managing administrative responsibilities including reporting and budget management;
• Participating as a member of the management team to lead, manage, and sustain the organization, including
fundraising responsibilities
• Other tasks as assigned
Qualifications: The successful candidate for this position will have the following qualifications:
• At least 10 years of experience working directly with high risk young people
• At least 5 years of experience in program implementation, management, and supervision
• Extensive experience in education and employment programming
• Business development and entrepreneurial skills
• Demonstrated success in staff supervision and development
• Grant and contract management experience
• Outstanding crisis intervention skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
Requirements for the position:
• Travel around the Harbor Area
• Computer Literate
• Working with diverse cultures
• Valid MA Driver’s License
• Acceptable Driving record
In addition, the ideal candidate for this position will be a trustworthy decision-maker. He/she will have a sense of humor, feel passionate and committed to direct work with high risk youth, and demonstrate interest in coaching and supporting coworkers. Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred but not required.
To Apply: Please email a thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, and resume (both in Word format) to Roca at HR@rocainc.com, subject line “Director of the Education and Employment.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Roca is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.
