Career Readiness Program Coordinator
Career Readiness Program Coordinator
About Partners for Youth with Disabilities
The mission of Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) is to empower youth with disabilities to reach their full potential by providing transformative mentoring programs, youth development opportunities, and inclusion expertise. PYD motivates youth to reach their personal, educational, and career goals, and guides organizations in becoming more inclusive to youth with disabilities.
PYD is a pioneer in its space. Founded in 1985 – a full five years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act – PYD began as a one-to-one mentoring program for youth with disabilities, providing these youth with adult role models and, through these mentors, an extended support system. Over the past 35+ years, PYD has established itself as a national, highly sought-after leader in its field, with a reputation for delivering innovative and
high-quality programs and services. PYD empowers more than 500 youth annually through direct service programs and has delivered inclusion best practices training to more than 10,000 individuals across 300+ organizations, spanning 13 states. PYD delivers impact at both the local and national levels, including:
Award-winning programs serving youth ages six to twenty-six experiencing a broad range of disabilities across Massachusetts, including Mentoring, Career Readiness, Access to Theater, Young Leader’s Rising, and the Youth Leadership Forum. The Career Readiness Academy, which provides PYD’s highly renowned Career Readiness curriculum, start-up training, evaluation, and technical assistance to partner organizations and schools across 13 states.
The National Disability Mentoring Coalition, which leverages the networks and collective influence of 550+ membership organizations to raise awareness of the importance and impact of mentoring in the lives of people with disabilities, and to increase the number and quality of disability mentoring programs around the country.
The Disability Mentoring Certification Program, the first training program of its kind for mentoring programs and professionals.
Live trainings, audits, and learn.pyd.org, all focused on increasing the inclusivity of workplaces, organizations, and communities across the country.
Headquartered in Boston, MA, Partners for Youth with Disabilities has a staff of 32 and an annual budget of $2M+. A highly engaged, mission-driven, 14-member Board of Directors partners with the leadership team to ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the organization. With an exceptionally strong reputation at the forefront of the field, an established set of programs delivered in Massachusetts, and a solid foundation of national work, PYD is poised to continue to significantly expand the organization’s leadership position, reach, and impact – at the individual, organizational, and societal level. This is a hybrid role, with the expectation of work at our office or in the community half the days of the week.
Opportunity Going Forward
The Program Coordinator plays a key role on the team, facilitating the career readiness direct service program. The Career Readiness Program is for youth with disabilities and addresses barriers to employment, graduation, and academic success in meaningful and measurable ways. The Program Coordinator is supervised by the Career Readiness Program Manager and
is responsible for planning and delivering the Career Readiness Program at Boston Public Schools and other program site locations. In addition to classroom instruction, the Program Coordinator will facilitate real-world learning experiences such as guest lectures, job shadows, and trade show events and work closely with the Career Immersion Program Coordinator to support students seeking employment experiences.
Desired Credentials/Profile of the Ideal Candidate
- Legally authorized to work in the U.S
- Passionate about working with youth with disabilities, and have an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of PYD
- Relevant experience in the fields of health or human services, education, social work, vocational rehabilitation, psychology, community organizing, marketing, communications, or related field
- Able to independently travel across Eastern Massachusetts including to BPS and other program site locations
- Available for occasional evening and weekend programming
- An excellent verbal and written communicator
- Able to work both collaboratively as part of a team and independently with excellent project management skills
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Essential Responsibilities:
- In consultation with the Program Manager, develops and maintains close working relationships with partners in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and other local agencies where the program occurs
- Serve as main point of contact for teachers and staff at the BPS school locations during program delivery
- Assists in planning, organizing, and presentation of classroom instruction at three or more BPS locations
- Differentiate curriculum, incorporating Universal Design for Learning guidelines, as needed for participants based on skill level.
- Assists the Outreach Team with fostering relationships with local businesses and coordinating logistics for all community based real-world experiences.
- Collaborates with Career Readiness Team to ensure work ready students are receiving job placement services
- Maintains records and collects data for program evaluation, including regular updates to Salesforce database
- Completes grant reporting documents for program funding and maintains database entry for funders as needed
- Where possible, participates in Career Readiness strategic planning and other related events
- Other teaching events and activities as assigned by the Career Readiness Program Manager
- Assist with program and agency wide program delivery and special projects as they occur.
Marginal Responsibilities:
- Engage in PYD’s online inclusion communities to provide additional resources, support, guidance, and timely access to events
- Attend biweekly staff meetings, team meetings, and supervision meetings
- Contribute to the newsletter, blog, social media content, and other promotional collateral
- Support the planning and management of PYD community and fundraising events
- Assist with grant reports and proposals as necessary
Diversity and Inclusion:
At Partners for Youth with Disabilities, we are committed to equal opportunity and the diversity of our workforce, and strongly encourage diverse applicants to apply. We strive for our staff to be representative of the full diversity of the youth and families we serve.
Compensation and Benefits:
The Career Readiness Program Coordinator is a non-exempt position with a starting salary range of $46,000-$51,000. PYD provides employees with a generous benefits package that includes a 401(k) retirement plan with 3% employer contribution, FSA and TSA plan, paid time off (vacation, sick, personal, and holidays), health/dental/vision insurance with a generous annual employer contribution, employer-paid life and AD&D insurance, and employer-paid short-term & long-term disability insurance. PYD has implemented a hybrid work schedule and this position is intended to be centered in the Greater Boston area.
Application Process and Additional Information
Candidates must include a resume and a cover letter that describes how their qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of PYD. If taking the job would require a candidate to move to Boston, s/he/they should mention why that is a good fit for them at this time.
Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.