Human Resources Director For Child Safety and Staff Operations, Manhattan Youth

ABOUT MANHATTAN YOUTH

Founded in 1986 by Bob Townley with the support of Lower Manhattan parents, Manhattan Youth currently serves more than 5,000children daily through its comprehensive After-School Programs, Community Center, and Camp. Manhattan Youth helps young people develop their athletic, artistic, and academic strengths, imparting values, and personal resiliency to ensure the success of its participants.

After-School Programs – Children participate daily in project-based activities, homework support, and physical exercise. Manhattan Youth’s athletic, arts, and enrichment programs are offered in 31 Manhattan middle and elementary schools.

Community Center – The Center serves as Manhattan Youth’s hub, offering a state-of-the-art aquatic facility for swimming programs for all ages starting with infants to children, youth, families, and seniors.

The Downtown Day Camp – Manhattan Youth introduces campers from ages five to 12 to a wide variety of athletics, arts, and enrichment activities in a fun, safe, and supportive environment.

Manhattan Youth has an annual budget of $15 million and a staff of approximately 700, including 100 full-time and 600 part-time workers.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with the other Associate Director and the Chief Operations Officer, the Human Resources Director for Child Safety and Staff Operations will provide strategic leadership and organizational oversight for human resources, staff development, operational effectiveness, risk management, program safety for the organization.

This senior leadership role is responsible for developing and implementing the policies, management practices, and organizational systems necessary to maintain safe, high-quality programs; strengthen staff performance and accountability; mitigate organizational risk; and ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and organizational standards.

The Director will take a proactive, organization-wide approach to risk management and child safety, ensuring that Manhattan Youth has clear policies, effective preventive measures, appropriate training and supervision, and consistent procedures for responding to incidents and concerns. The Director will also serve as a trusted adviser to the Executive Director and senior leadership team on sensitive personnel matters, organizational risk, and operational challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Complaints, Investigations, and Stakeholder Relations

·       Establish and oversee a clear, accessible, and consistent process for receiving and addressing concerns raised by children, parents and guardians, staff, school partners, and other stakeholders.

·       Serve as a senior organizational resource for sensitive or escalated concerns.

·       Ensure that concerns are addressed promptly, fairly, professionally.

·       Oversee or coordinate investigations and fact-finding, communications with affected parties, documentation of findings, and the development and monitoring of appropriate corrective actions.

·       Build and maintain effective working relationships with school principals and administrators, parents and guardians, and relevant city and state agencies.

·       Coordinate organizational responses to matters involving New York City Public Schools and the NYC Department of Education, and following the New York City and State agencies: DYCD, ACS, OCFS and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

·       Ensure that external communications, agency notifications, and regulatory reporting are appropriately coordinated with the Executive Director and legal counsel when necessary.

Organizational Risk Management, Child Safety, and Program Integrity

·       Provide organization-wide leadership in developing, implementing, and continuously strengthening policies, protocols, and best practices that safeguard children, support safe program environments, and protect the well-being of participants, families, and staff across all Manhattan Youth sites.

·       Establish and oversee a comprehensive risk-management framework.

·       Develop policies and management protocols for significant staff- or child-related incidents including allegations of misconduct, safety concerns, serious behavioral issues, and other events that may expose the organization to legal, regulatory, reputational, or operational risk.

·       Oversee the timely and appropriate investigation of serious incidents and allegations, ensuring that fact-finding is impartial.

·       Establish clear protocols for determining when matters require escalation to the Executive Director, legal counsel, insurance providers, or relevant governmental and regulatory authorities.

·       Analyze incident reports, complaints, investigations, and other available information to identify recurring concerns, systemic vulnerabilities, and opportunities to strengthen policies, training, supervision, and program practices.

·       Ensure that appropriate corrective actions are implemented and monitored.

·       Oversee required incident reporting, mandated reporting procedures, and communications with insurance providers.

Human Resources, Human Capital, and Staff Development

·         Develop and implement policies and management practices that promote a professional, respectful, inclusive, and accountable workplace and support staff in delivering high-quality programs.

·         Advise the Executive Director and other senior leaders on complex personnel matters including employee performance, workplace conflict, discrimination, harassment, disciplinary action, and termination.

·         Establish consistent procedures for receiving, assessing, investigating, documenting, and resolving staff concerns and allegations of workplace misconduct.

·         Partner with legal counsel and external human resources or risk-management professionals to ensure that organizational decisions are fair, well-informed, and consistent with applicable requirements.

·         Develop and oversee staff training and professional development related to child safety, appropriate conduct, mandated reporting, incident response, workplace expectations, and organizational policies.

·         Strengthen management capacity and accountability by equipping supervisors and program leaders with training.

Operational Oversight and Organizational Effectiveness

·       Oversee the Compliance Division Of Manhattan Youth with the Chief Operations Officer who reviews whether a staff member is compliant to work.

·       Review policies, procedures, and management practices across Manhattan Youth’s after-school sites and Community Center.

·       Develop and implement organization-wide standards, protocols, and management systems that promote consistent practices across sites while responding to the distinct operational requirements of after-school, recreational, educational, and aquatic programs.

·       Work collaboratively with program leadership to ensure that policies are understood, consistently implemented, and reflected in day-to-day operations.

·       Establish appropriate systems for monitoring compliance, assessing implementation, documenting concerns, and evaluating the effectiveness of organizational policies and practices.

·       Use incident trends, staff and family feedback, operational reviews, and other relevant information to inform management decisions.

·       Support the Executive Director and senior leadership team in organizational planning, change management, and the development of management practices.

Senior Leadership and Organizational Accountability

·       Serve as a key member of Manhattan Youth’s senior leadership team, reporting to the Executive Director and working in close partnership with the other Associate Director and the Chief Operations Officer. Liaison with department heads.

·       Advise the Executive Director on emerging risks, significant incidents, personnel matters, compliance issues, and organizational policies.

·       Establish clear lines of responsibility and escalation across the organization so that staff and managers understand their roles in preventing, reporting, and responding to concerns.

·       Promote a culture in which child safety, staff accountability, transparency, sound judgment, and continuous improvement are shared organizational responsibilities.

·       Provide regular updates to the Executive Director on significant incidents, emerging trends, risk-mitigation efforts, training and compliance, and recommended organizational improvements.

Qualifications

·       Five to 10 years of experience as an officer specifically dealing with staff investigations and compliance issues related to harassment, discrimination, reporting, documentation, and termination, and in a school, after-school, or childcare setting is highly preferred.

·       Extensive experience in human resources field. Current knowledge of principles and practices of employee relations necessary to achieve compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Deep knowledge: NYC, NYS, and federal employee rights laws including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and FMLA. Multi-sector experience including from the private sector is welcome.

·       At least five to seven years’ experience in a school or after-school setting.

·       Knowledge of school, after school, or child-care programs is essential.

·       Master’s degree in a related field, and HR SHRM-CP Certification or able and willing to obtain it.

·       Former principals, school administrators, and DOE or DOH legal officials with significant experience encouraged to apply.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $175,000 to $200,000 per year with a competitive benefits package.