careers

Build navigation systems and partnerships

• Map existing navigation, mentoring, school, and community support with community partners; identify gaps, and opportunities to connect what already works.
• Help partners agree on universal and contextual navigator qualifications, roles, coverage, supervision, referral ownership, communication, and escalation procedures. Coordinate partnership agreements with YSS leadership.
• Work with partners to build a clear youth journey from outreach and consent through matching with a trusted adult, success planning, warm referrals, follow-up, and transitions.
• Coordinate with HUBs and opportunity providers to keep information about interests  

Strengthen youth-led success planning and referrals

• Review existing success-plan tools and co-design a shared approach with youth, families, navigators, and partners. Include strengths, interests, goals, next steps, supports, responsible people, and review dates.
• Support meaningful monthly success-plan check-ins with all navigator
• Use youth and family feedback to identify barriers such as transportation, cost, language, accessibility, scheduling, and trust; bring shared barriers to the partners who can resolve them.
• Establish warm-handoff and closed-loop referral routines

Support navigators through training and shared learning

• Coordinate onboarding and ongoing professional learning for all navigators
• Convene a navigator community of practice with case reflection using de-identified examples, peer problem-solving, practice tools, and clear follow-through.

Manage success-planning data and improvement

• Work with the data/research lead to translate navigation workflows into the designated management information system (MIS), including common definitions, forms, permissions, training, and reporting routines.
• Support accurate records of youth goals, plan updates, navigator contacts, referrals, barriers, participation, and progress. 
• Apply approved consent/assent, confidentiality, access, retention, and incident-response procedures.
• Review access, referral completion, youth experience, navigator workload, and implementation patterns with partners. 
• Test small changes, document what improves the youth experience, and bring recurring barriers, capacity constraints, and true delivery costs to YSS leadership. 

Contribute to the YSS team

• Maintain work plans, decisions, tools, and implementation updates; coordinate with the AOA Leadership Team, and YSS Director of Strategic Initiatives.
• Support pilot learning and reporting with accurate implementation evidence and cost information; represent YSS with partners and perform related duties as assigned.
• Participate in and support any YSS initiatives that align and support the YSS mission

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

• Collaborative Leadership and Partnership Development: Builds authentic relationships with community stakeholders and creates opportunities for people and organizations to work collectively toward shared outcomes. Develops and sustains strategic partnerships across sectors and helps diverse organizations align around a common vision and goals.
• Systems Thinking and Change Leadership: Leads others through change, navigates ambiguity, and helps partners move from ideas and strategies to action.
• Developing and Supporting Others: Communicates clearly and effectively with a wide range of audiences and uses influence to build alignment, commitment, and collective action. Coaches others for continuous development, including analyzing performance, building development plans, delivering appreciative and development feedback. Addresses sensitive issues. Strives to understand and resolve conflicting feedback or ideas from multiple sources.
• Youth-Centered Relationships and Inclusion: Builds inclusive partnerships and ensures that diverse perspectives—including those of young people and communities furthest from opportunity—inform the work.
• Project Management and Execution: Translates strategy into implementation by establishing goals, timelines, responsibilities, measures, and accountability.
• Data-Informed Decision-Making and Continuous Improvement: Uses data, research, community input, and sound judgment to identify opportunities, solve problems, and make strategic decisions. Generates, tests, and implements new approaches to improve and expand opportunities for young people.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in youth development, navigation, mentoring education, community partnerships, or a related field, with examples of positive outcomes.
• Must have reliable transportation and be able to regularly visit locations away from the primary work location.
• Knowledge of Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN) guidelines and program quality assessments tools.
• Maintain a valid Ohio’s driver’s license and motor vehicle insurance.
• At least five years of relevant experience in youth development, navigation, mentoring education, community partnerships, or a related field, with examples of positive outcomes.
• Experience coordinating people or organizations around a shared process and following through on commitments.
• Ability to facilitate adult learning, coach practice, and build trusting, culturally responsive relationships.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office/Google tools and shared data systems, documentation, and using evidence to improve services.
• BCI/FBI background check results prior to first day of work; results must be compliant with ODJFS Prohibitive Convictions per 5101:2-12 and 5101:2-13 of the Ohio Administrative Code

Preferred:

• Associate or higher degree in education, social work, youth recreation, child development or other related field
• Experience with adolescents, youth-led planning, cross-organization referrals, and Greater Akron community partnerships
• Experience launching a shared workflow, facilitating a community of practice, or supporting partner staff
• Familiarity with youth-development quality improvement and trauma-informed practice.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device.
• Frequently required to sit and reach and must be able to move around the work environment.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Position may require bending, leaning, kneeling, and walking.
• Ability to speak concisely and effectively communicate.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work only. They are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. Other duties may be added, or this description amended at any time. I have reviewed and understand this job description.