Family Center Director
Division: Impact Strategies
POSITION SUMMARY STATEMENT:
UWCM is well known for its Family Center programming, where high school student-
Parents participate in many supportive services designed to remove barriers on their path to high school graduation and beyond. The Family Center offers individual and group counseling, parenting workshops, case management, high-quality early childhood education for their infants and toddlers, and transportation to and from school, all at no cost.
The Family Center Director is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the center and for supporting equitable and healing programming for all participants.
The Family Center operates within UWCM Neighborhood Zones, geographical regions, where we listen deeply to residents and co-create solutions using an asset-based framework.
OBJECTIVES:
- Establish and maintain the Center’s operating budget, direct resources to meet budget guidelines, and achieve program deliverables for each funding source.
- Develop and ensure implementation of safe, quality programming, policies, and procedures.
- Support and grow Family Center funding relationships and resource partnerships.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (included but not limited to):
Weight (%) duties and responsibilities in priority order to total 100%
40% – Program Management and Oversight of the Family Center
- Drive strong programmatic planning and implementation of the Family Center model in accordance with UWCM, CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), COMAR and MFN (Maryland Family Network) standards, if applicable.
- Enforce and preserve the fidelity of the established family center model.
- Hire, train and supervise Center staff with UWCM staff to ensure a warm, nurturing and inclusive environment while maintaining MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education) and Center model standards.
- Plan and coordinate ongoing professional development opportunities for all staff.
- Engage with the Family Services Coordinator and Child Development Specialist to create the center’s schedule and coordinate all programming.
- Sustain maximum center enrollment.
- Lead the staff recruitment and retention process.
30% – Partnership and Outreach Strategy, Implementation
- Actively procure and maintain relationships with funding partners.
- Manage all contracts related to the Family Center.
- Accumulate participant and programmatic data/outcomes. Submit data/outcomes for grant proposals and reports; complete grant reports and portions of proposals, as needed.
- Solicit and adopt participant, resident, and guardian feedback in program strategy.
20% – Communication
- Lead the overall marketing and participant recruitment efforts for the Family Center.
- Serve as the primary point of contact between the center and other departments within UWCM; as well as other external partners and funders.
- Conduct enrollment inquiry tours, marketing presentations, and new participant intakes.
- Represent the center at various internal and external meetings.
10% – Processes & Procedures
- Generate and manage the center’s budget, including purchasing supplies as needed.
- Provide classroom coverage as needed.
- Attend all required training courses and monitor the training plans of all staff, ensuring adherence to MSDE, UWCM, MFN and CARF regulations.
- Comply with all reporting requirements.
- All other duties as assigned.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
- Understand and be committed to the overall philosophy of Family Support.
- Maintain respect for the confidentiality of information divulged by or on behalf of participants.
- Possess the ability to relate to people of diverse educational, cultural, and economic backgrounds.
- Be willing and able to do aggressive outreach and recruitment.
- Model appropriate interaction with young children and parents.
- Can work independently and as an effective and supportive team member and leader.
- Utilize race equity and healing framework.
INTERACTION:
Internal: Interacts with UWCM central and regional office staff on a daily or weekly basis to coordinate work/tasks; provides information as needed; participates on staff committee/team activities; and develops cooperative and effective working relationships with Impact Strategies team members, including Family Center staff and other UWCM colleagues.
External: Interacts with children, staff, community partners, collaborators, and other organizations regularly to respond to inquiries, provide needed assistance, and family center activities as assigned/identified.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS (required education, years of experience, skills, and abilities):
- Bachelor’s degree in child development, early childhood education, social work, human services, or a related field from an accredited institution; master’s preferred.
- At least four years of experience in developing and managing early childhood education programs preferred; management of human services programs required.
- At least two years of supervisory experience.
- Community relations and networking experience.
- Be willing to submit to a criminal background investigation.
- Have a current medical evaluation, including a tuberculosis screen, within six months before the individual begins work in the center.
SKILLS PREFERRED
- Experience with data analysis.
- Experience with budget management.
- Experience with community asset building.
- Focus on operations management.
- Focus on the development of creative solutions.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS (sitting, standing, lifting, etc.):
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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Walking or standing is required. The hands are regularly used to write, type, key, and handle or feel small controls and objects. The employee must frequently talk and hear. Weights of up to 25 pounds are occasionally lifted. There is extensive walking and use of a computer.
