Director, Youth & Community Initiatives

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

1. Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
2. Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and
3. Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide.
Learn more about our work at www.innovatingjustice.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Bronx Community Justice Center (BxCJC), one of the Center's newest projects, works to create a safer, more equitable Bronx through community-driven safety initiatives, violence prevention, youth opportunity, and economic development efforts.

The Bronx Community Justice Center is seeking a Director for Youth Community Initiatives. Reporting to the Project Director of Bronx Community Justice Center, the Director will manage all aspects of the planning and implementation of the Bronx Community Justice Center's youth and community initiatives including alternative to incarceration, interest-based, workforce development, economic mobility, placekeeping and community organizing initiatives.  

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the strategic development, planning and implementation of all youth and community initiatives and economic mobility strategies; 
• Develop and maintain relationships with community leaders, businesses, youth serving organizations, and youth advocacy groups;
• Develop and maintain relationships with funders, government officials, and stakeholders;
• Lead a portfolio of youth initiatives including alternative to incarceration, interest-based, and arts-based programs; 
• Lead an interdisciplinary team of social workers, youth advocates, community organizers and programs managers; 
• Develop and implement a youth leadership strategy to center youth voice in the development of new programs and initiatives and create scaffolded leadership opportunities; 
• Develop and support a workforce development strategy focused on building training programs, career pipelines, and non-traditional employment pathways; 
• Support a team of social workers providing individual and group clinical supervision and support; 
• Work with local and city-wide stakeholders to build workforce development and mobility out of poverty strategies;
• Develop a comprehensive youth entrepreneurship initiative; 
• Develop and maintain a Bronx-based entrepreneurship advisory board; 
• Manage existing relationships with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, and criminal legal stakeholders and develop new relationships;
• Ensure staff are providing the highest quality individual support, advocacy, education, training, internship, and employment services for program participants;
• Model and facilitate creative problem solving, facilitation, community and youth organizing practices; 
• Prepare grant progress reports and other program reports, as needed;
• Manage Youth Initiatives budgets; 
• Organize and participate in regular reviews with Center staff about program progress;
• Actively build a work culture centering anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice, community centered practice, and innovation; and
• Other relevant tasks, as needed.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required, with a minimum of 7–8 years of progressively responsible experience in innovative community-based youth-serving organizations or equivalent experience, including at least 1–2 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity. A Master’s degree is preferred. Additional qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience supervising multiple staff members and teams simultaneously, strongly preferred;
• A strong connection and commitmen