Assistant Director

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ)—a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York—seeks a dynamic, mission-driven Assistant Director for our Zone High School Programs.

The Assistant Director will bring a passion for HCZ’s mission: to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, place-based programming that empowers youth and families to thrive in school, work, and life.

We are seeking an Assistant Director to oversee a standalone high school site (not school-based programs) serving students in grades 9–12 from over 100 different schools citywide. The Assistant Director will play a critical role in fostering academic success, social-emotional development, and leadership skills for Harlem teens through intentional case management, targeted academic support, enrichment programming, and community engagement.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
• Minimum 3+ years of supervisory or program management experience in youth development, education, or social services.
• Experience working with high school populations and familiarity with college, career, and life readiness frameworks.
• Strong understanding of Academic Case Management (ACM) and strategies for supporting scholars attending multiple schools.
• Excellent communication, organization, and data management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace is required, and experience with databases like Salesforce or Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) is a plus.

• Flexibility to work evenings, occasional weekends, and be on-call for emergencies as needed.

Who You Are

• A dedicated, student-centered leader who believes all young people can achieve success with the right structure, relationships, and opportunities.
• A strong team builder with experience managing youth development staff, enrichment instructors, and advocates.
• An innovative problem solver who can design programs that meet the diverse needs of high school scholars attending various schools.
• A relationship cultivator who connects with families, schools, and community partners to create a holistic support system for teens.

What You’ll Do

• Oversee the daily operations of a Zone High School site, ensuring a safe, structured, and high-quality program for 200+ scholars in grades 9–12.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team of full-time and part-time staff—including Coordinators, Advocates, Teaching Artists, and Health Coordinators—to deliver a comprehensive program that integrates academics, enrichment, social-emotional learning, and wellness.
• Partner with the Academic Case Management (ACM) and Academic Services Unit (ASU) to ensure targeted academic interventions, tutoring schedules, and progress monitoring systems are in place for all scholars.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with high schools most attended by HCZ scholars to support communication, data sharing, and scholar success.
• Develop and monitor site systems for attendance, performance, and stipend tracking in collaboration with Data Managers.
• Support the development and implementation of site-based curriculum, enrichment schedules, and special events (e.g., college trips, community service projects, showcases).
• Ensure program compliance with all HCZ, DOH, and DYCD requirements, maintaining documentation, licensing, and staff training records.
• Lead ongoing professional development and coaching for staff to foster growth, accountability, and a positive team culture.
• Collaborate with families, the community, and partner organizations to enhance scholar engagement and program visibility.
• Participate in network-wide initiatives, meetings, and strategic planning efforts to strengthen alignment across the Zone High School portfolio.

Schedule

• School Year (September-June): Monday–Thursday 12:00 PM–8:00 PM; Friday 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
• Summer Program Session (July-August): Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Note: Assistant Directors are expected to attend early meetings as required and remain on call to respond to emergencies or urgent site needs.

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children's Zone team, you will join a supportive and