Education Specialist

Over the past years the Y’s Youth and Family Department has significantly expanded its programmatic offerings to include several government-funded programs, mainly through the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). As such, we are currently running three Elementary School After School programs, all of which require an Education Specialist to support them. As we continue to expand, our commitment to educational excellence, alignment with school objectives, and clarity of programmatic outcomes remain the same. We are therefore looking to hire a Full-Time Education Specialist to enhance the Y’s educational quality as a whole. While the focus of the position will be on our externally funded programs (mostly DYCD), the Educational Specialist will also interact with the directors of our other youth programs, namely: Youth Hub (funded by New York Presbyterian), Summer Day Camp, fee-for service After School program for Elementary-aged children, Jewish Life Department, Inclusion Programs, Literacy Programs, and others.

• YM & YWHA of Washington & Inwood; 54 Nagle Avenue, New York, NY 10040 – primary location.
• PS 178; 12-18 Ellwood Street New York, NY 10040.
• PS 173; 306 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10033.
• PS 187; 349 Cabrini Blvd, New York, NY 10040.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Ensure classroom instruction align to the Y values and quality standards, as well as with the school’s policies and values.
• Provide oversight of curricula planning and implementation to support school instruction.
• Observe and provide feedback to activity specialists, teachers, tutors and worksite monitors, giving advice and leading instruction when needed.
• Ensure activity lesson plans and projects are age-appropriate and have clear learning goals.
• Assess the effectiveness and success of the curriculum and work on improvements based on student work, schools’ educational needs, and industry trends, with the goal of maximizing learning outcomes.
• Responsible for the administration and implementation of academic assessments systems.
• Analyze academic data and student work to support growth of scholar performance at our afterschool programs.
• Responsible for implementing effective and innovative approaches to homework help for our after-school programs.
• Participate and co-facilitate educational training programs at the sites and at the Y.
• Serve as an instructional coach and mentor for front-line staff.
• Plan and implement staff development as it relates to instructional strategies and classroom management.
• Assist in providing ongoing coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to equip staff in delivering successful programming.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Compensation range of $66,300 -$68,000 per year based on experience, skillset, and education.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and competitive benefits package: Health Insurance; Retirement Plan, Optional 403b Plan, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Account.

POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK:

• Full-time, FLSA Exempt position.
• Monday to Friday, with room for flexibility. – this position may require regular evening and weekend hours.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is performed in typical school and community center environments.
  

TRAVEL:

• Able to travel around New York City – mainly to after-school program sites

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field – required.
• At least six (6) years of direct experience working in a non-profit, including at least three (3) years in a supervisory capacity.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing diverse workforce development portfolios, preferably including the medical field as one of the areas of training.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) – preferred.
• Current First Aid and CPR certification and required Health and safety certification – preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Proven planning, leading, organizing, and monitoring skills; can work well in a planned and organized environment; can follow through on multiple deliverables.
• Proven track record of success in the classroom.
• Experience working with children of different abilities and learning styles.
• Knowledge of NYS Department of Education learning standards.

REQUIRED WORK AUTHORIZATION & CLEARANCE:

• Documentation of U.S. citizenship or eligibility to work in the U.S.
• Must pass the background check, medical tests, fingerprinting through DOH and DOE, and other pre-employment requirements.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Additional functions and responsibilities may change or may be assigned.


To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Established in 1917, the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood (the “Y”) is a not-for-profit Jewish Community Center that welcomes people of all backgrounds and beliefs. We offer a wide range of educational, recreational, and social service programs to enhance the quality of life of our clients. From top-notch early childhood education and youth development programs to innovative older adult services, there’s always something for everyone at the Y!