Associate Director of Pathways for Young Adults

About Friends of the Children and the Role

Friends of the Children is dedicated to breaking generational cycles of poverty through long-term, salaried mentoring relationships between youth facing significant challenges and professional mentors, known as Friends, spanning from kindergarten through high school graduation and beyond for over twelve years.

We are expanding our efforts with a new national initiative—the Pathways for Young Adults Program—supporting youth aged 16 to 22 as they transition from high school to adulthood, focusing on postsecondary education, career preparation, workforce entry, and overall life success.

Position Overview

The Associate Director of the Pathways for Young Adults Program plays a pivotal leadership role in building and scaling this innovative program. Collaborating closely with the Program Director, this position is responsible for operationalizing program infrastructure, supervising the Life Coaching team and National Alumni Coordinator, setting performance metrics, refining coaching frameworks, and ensuring the highest quality programming to support young adults' independence, education, and career journeys.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of programming and develop necessary tools for effective delivery.
• Set and pursue key performance indicators alongside the Director.
• Create and enhance coaching frameworks to maintain alignment with program standards.
• Promote consistent, high-quality coaching practices.
• Collaborate internally to balance standardized procedures with localized needs.
• Ensure seamless integration between the 12+ years mentoring model and the Pathways program.
• Analyze program data to spot trends, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Supervise and nurture the Life Coaches and Alumni Coordinator, fostering a culture focused on accountability and youth-driven success.
• Steward and develop internal and external partnerships beneficial to program graduates and alumni.
• Manage project timelines, organizational compliance, funding requirements, budgeting, staffing, logistics, communications, and reporting.
• Champion youth-centered and culturally responsive coaching, addressing systemic inequities to empower economic independence.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership abilities.
• Strong analytical skills with data-informed decision making.
• Proficiency in building and maintaining relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Cultural awareness and adaptability.
• Capability to manage complex projects and deliver outcomes.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least five years of experience in college access, workforce development, or a related field.
• Minimum two years of experience managing teams.
• Demonstrated knowledge of postsecondary pathways including college, career technical education, and workforce entry.
• Experience supporting underserved, first-generation, or historically marginalized youth.

Preferred Experience

• Experience managing outcomes-focused programs with measurable KPIs.
• Familiarity with FAFSA, financial aid, and admissions processes.
• History of building partnerships with employers and higher education institutions.
• Fluency with CRM systems and performance tracking tools.

Organizational Culture and Benefits

Friends of the Children fosters an inclusive, supportive, and healthy work environment where every employee feels valued and empowered. Our benefit offerings include:

• Full coverage of employee-only premiums for health, dental, and vision insurance (on two of four health plans).
• Basic life insurance and accidental death coverage fully paid by the organization.
• Short and long-term disability benefits fully covered.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare with contribution options.
• Employee Assistance Program and voluntary benefits including critical illness, hospitalization, and legal coverage.
• 401(k) plan with up to 4% company match on employee contributions.
• Reimbursements for business-related cell phone and internet expenses up to $75 monthly.
• Annual office expense reimbursement of $150.
• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, eleven holidays—with three floating holidays for cultural observance—and additional summer hours and year-end time off.
• Career development and wellness reimbursements up to $1,000 annually after the first year, including $200 for wellness activities.
• Employee discounts on various services and products.

Compensation and Location

This full-time role is located in Portland, Oregon, offering a salary range from $115,000 to $125,000 annually, commensurate with experience and location. Additionally, a $10,000 relocation assistance package is available for eligible candidates.

Application Requirements and Equal Opportunity

Applications must include a cover letter explaining the candidate’s motivation for joining as Associate Director of the Pathways for Young Adults. Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to equitable hiring based solely on qualifications, aiming to foster a workplace free of discrimination and bias.