ABOUT COMMONPOINT:

At Commonpoint, community is at the heart of everything we do. With more than 90 program sites and flagship locations in Little Neck, Bayside, Forest Hills, East Elmhurst, and Jamaica, we proudly serve over 125,000 individuals each year. From early childhood to older adulthood, we support people from all walks of life on their journeys from crisis to stability and empowerment. Our wide range of programs, spanning social services, education, and recreation, reflects our mission to build a more connected, inclusive, and thriving community for all.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

To continue advancing the impact we have across the communities we serve, Commonpoint is hiring a Director of SYEP Initiatives situated within the Youth Employment Department. The Youth Employment department plays a vital role within Commonpoint’s Youth Workforce Department, serving individuals predominantly between the ages of 14–24. SYEP provides New York City youth with summer employment and educational experiences that build on their strengths and incorporate youth development principles, including engaging their talents and interests, developing skills and competencies, and providing positive adult role models.

The Director of SYEP Initiatives will provide leadership and oversight of Commonpoint’s Community-Based, Career Ready, Emerging Leaders SYEP, and Work, Learn & Grow (WLG) programs, ensuring high-quality implementation, achievement of program goals, and compliance with DYCD requirements. This role reports directly to the Senior Director of Youth Employment Programs.

Across the agency, Program Directors provide programmatic and operational leadership, support and develop staff, and ensure high-quality programs and outcomes for the communities Commonpoint serves.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Oversight & Compliance:

Provide overall programmatic and operational oversight of Community-Based, Career Ready, and Emerging Leaders SYEP, as well as Work, Learn & Grow (WLG), ensuring effective implementation across the summer and fall program cycles.
Provide oversight, guidance, and support to the Assistant Directors assigned to each contract, ensuring program requirements, deliverables, and performance expectations are clearly understood and achieved.
Maintain oversight of all Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) contractual obligations and ensure program targets are met on a weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis.
Monitor performance across contracts, identify areas of concern, and work with Assistant Directors to develop and implement strategies for improvement.
Ensure consistent systems and practices across contracts while supporting Assistant Directors in addressing the specific needs and requirements of their respective programs.
Oversee YEPS management and ensure appropriate systems are in place for accurate documentation, payroll committal, user access, and data integrity.

Staff Leadership & Development:

Supervise, coach, and evaluate Assistant Directors assigned to each SYEP/WLG contract, establishing clear expectations and accountability for program performance.
Provide Assistant Directors with ongoing guidance, problem-solving support, and professional development to strengthen their leadership and management of program teams.
Facilitate regular meetings with Assistant Directors to review performance, upcoming deliverables, staffing needs, program challenges, and priorities across contracts.
Support Assistant Directors in developing effective work plans, staffing structures, and day-to-day operating practices.
Promote collaboration and best-practice sharing across contracts while building a cohesive SYEP/WLG leadership team.

Program Quality, Participant Support & Issue Resolution

Provide oversight and guidance for participant recruitment, enrollment, orientation, worksite and PBL placement, engagement, and completion across contracts.
Provide leadership and support in troubleshooting and resolving incidents, complaints, participant concerns, worksite issues, and other program challenges, ensuring appropriate escalation, documentation, communication, and follow-up.
Guide Assistant Directors overseeing each SYEP program offering in responding to complex or sensitive situations involving participants, families, worksites, schools, and other stakeholders.
Oversee the Career Readiness and Learning Coordinator, providing guidance and support for the delivery of career-readiness, learning, and Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiatives.
Oversee PBL and curriculum development and implementation across programs, ensuring DYCD-approved curricula and learning experiences are consistently delivered and provide high-quality, engaging educational and career-readiness experiences grounded in youth development principles.
Support teams in connecting participants and families with appropriate Commonpoint and community resources when additional support is needed.

Worksite Development & Internal Placement Coordination

Oversee worksite development and employer engagement strategies to ensure sufficient, high-quality employment opportunities aligned with participant and program needs.
Support and guide the Employer Engagement Manager in cultivating and maintaining employer and worksite relationships, engaging new partners, and developing quality placement opportunities for participants.
Oversee and support the Director, Operations & Partnerships in coordinating participants placed at Commonpoint worksites, including placement planning, communication with internal departments, and support for staff serving as worksite supervisors.
Ensure internal worksite supervisors understand program expectations, participant supervision requirements, and available resources and supports.
Monitor the quality of internal worksite placements and collaborate with the Director, Operations & Partnerships, Assistant Directors, and internal supervisors to address challenges, strengthen coordination, and support successful participant experiences.

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

Develop and maintain strong relationships with DYCD, schools, employers, community partners, participants, families, and other stakeholders.
Support Assistant Directors in developing and maintaining partnerships specific to their contracts and program needs.
Represent Commonpoint’s Youth Workforce programs with external partners and at agency and community events.
Identify opportunities to strengthen partnerships and expand employment and career-development opportunities for participants.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

Review program metrics and reports across contracts to assess performance and ensure agency and funder expectations are met.
Collaborate with the Senior Director and Assistant Directors on staffing, budgets, supplies, and resources needed for successful program implementation.
Use program data, staff feedback, and lessons learned to strengthen systems and improve performance across SYEP/WLG.
Implement strategic program practices with direction from the Senior Director, AVP, and executive leadership.
Contribute to the continued growth, quality, and impact of Commonpoint’s Youth Workforce programming.

QUALIFICATIONS & KEY ATTRIBUTES:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum of five years of experience in youth workforce development, youth employment, education, or related programming, including at least three years in a supervisory or management role.
Demonstrated experience managing government-funded programs, contracts, compliance requirements, performance targets, and deliverables; experience with DYCD-funded programs strongly preferred.
Experience supervising, coaching, and developing managers and multi-layered teams.
Strong program and project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple contracts, priorities, deadlines, and program cycles.
Demonstrated ability to use data to monitor performance, identify challenges, and implement solutions.
Experience building and maintaining relationships with youth, families, employers, schools, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to navigate complex or sensitive situations professionally.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, databases, and other program-management systems.
Demonstrated cultural competency and experience working effectively with diverse communities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Direct experience with NYC DYCD Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and Work, Learn & Grow (WLG).
Experience overseeing multiple SYEP contracts or program models, including Community-Based, Career Ready, and/or Emerging Leaders.
Experience with YEPS and DYCD program management and reporting requirements.
Experience managing large-scale seasonal youth employment programs.
Knowledge of New York City’s youth workforce development landscape.
Previous experience in a Commonpoint role is a plus.
Bilingual skills are welcome.

KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR DIRECTOR ROLE:

Strategic, organized, and outcome-driven, with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
Strong people leader who provides clear direction, guidance, support, and accountability.
Solutions-oriented with sound judgment and the ability to effectively troubleshoot incidents, complaints, and operational challenges.
Collaborative and relationship-focused, with the ability to work effectively across teams and levels of the organization.
Adaptable and able to remain composed and effective in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and seasonal demands.
Demonstrates professionalism, discretion, integrity, cultural responsiveness, and a strong commitment to positive outcomes for young people.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Commonpoint offers competitive base salaries benchmarked against comparable nonprofit organizations in the New York metropolitan area. Salaries are determined based on internal and external equity, as well as each position’s scope, qualifications, and organizational impact. We believe in compensating staff fairly and consistently, ensuring that all salary decisions align with our mission-driven commitment to equity and transparency.

To maintain fairness across the organization, salary offers are set according to established salary bands and are not subject to negotiation. New hires typically start near the beginning of the salary range to allow for growth based on performance, professional development, and tenure.

Our total rewards package reflects our dedication to employee well-being, growth, and recognition. Current benefits include:

Tiered health, dental, and vision insurance options.
Pension plan and 403(b) retirement savings opportunities.
Generous paid time off and family-supportive policies.
Professional development and education support to foster career growth.
Recognition and appreciation programs for exemplary performance.
Employee discounts on programs and services.
Access to free amenities, including private seasonal pool clubs and fitness facilities at select locations.
Long-service severance upon retirement.

WORKING CONDITIONS & JOB DETAILS

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Consider the following:

Environment, such as an office or outdoors.
Exposures encountered, such as hazardous materials, loud noise, or extreme heat/cold.
Essential physical requirements, such as climbing, standing, stooping, or typing.
Physical effort/lifting, such as sedentary - up to 10 pounds; light - up to 20 pounds; medium - up to 50 pounds; heavy - over 50 pounds.
Indicate if required to work weekends, nights, or be on-call as a regular part of the job.
Travel requirements.

JOB DETAILS

Location: 63-25 Main Street, Flushing, NY, 11367

Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000

Working Schedule: Eg- Mon- Fri, 9am- 5pm

Non-Union Position

In Person

APPLICATION DETAILS:

Please submit a cover letter and resume as a Word or PDF document only, to Albina Baazov at abaazov@commonpoint.org. Please indicate “Director of SYEP Initiatives” in the subject line.

Due to the high volume of applicants, only qualified candidates will be contacted.

Commonpoint reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Commonpoint is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Commonpoint is an equal opportunity employer

Commonpoint

Director of SYEP Initiatives

About the Job