Salary & Benefits: Salary commensurate with experience, with an anticipated salary between $65,000-$75,000. Silver Lining Mentoring offers a strengths-based collaborative team, flexible work environment, and excellent benefit package with generous vacation including a 1-week closure in the winter.

To Apply: Candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter explaining why you would like to be considered for this position to InstituteHR@silverliningmentoring.org. Applications will be reviewed immediately for an anticipated early September 2024 start date.

Organizational Overview: Silver Lining Mentoring (SLM) empowers youth in foster care to thrive through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential life-skills. For 23+ years, Silver Lining Mentoring has matched young people in the child welfare system with highly-committed volunteer mentors. The match relationship is supported by in-depth training and ongoing, personalized match support from clinically-informed staff. Most youth participants are preparing to age out of the child welfare system, and Silver Lining Mentors offer both companionship and guidance in navigating critical life skills.

Silver Lining Mentoring offers a set of complimentary services to young people in the greater Boston area impacted by the child welfare system. The three categories of services offered in greater Boston region include: Community Based Mentoring, which provides one-to-one volunteer mentorships to youth ages 7+; Learn and Earn, a life skills curriculum accompanied by a one-to-one volunteer mentorship available to young people ages 16+; and life skills development and leadership opportunities to help young adults navigate their independent living goals when they are transition-aged (turning 18 and/or exiting the foster care system).

SLM also features a national initiative to expand access to mentoring relationships for youth impacted by foster care. This aim is achieved through several levers, including: by equipping mentoring programs nationwide with strategies and tools specific to mentoring youth in foster care, in partnership with the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) and MENTOR; through advocacy for policies that promote positive, healthy, consistent relationships for young people affected by the child welfare system; and thought leadership and media opportunities that build a movement of allies and advocates who will take action to support the relational needs of youth in foster care.

For more information, please visit www.silverliningmentoring.org.

Position: The Program Manager for e-mentoring is the human who ensures the program has everything it needs to operate effectively as a new initiative within the organization. The manager reports to the Director of Strategic Initiatives and works closely with multiple organizational departments to continue iterating on the program and meeting the needs of matches engaged in the service. This nimble, reliable, organized and curious individual will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of program development, day-to-day
operations, and continuous quality improvement.

The Program Manager will work closely with program staff, volunteers, and external organizational partners to ensure the delivery and continuous improvement of SLM’s new e-mentoring program in adherence with SLM’s values and best practices, which are based on 23 years of exclusively serving young people impacted by foster care and The Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring. Key responsibilities include recruiting and training mentors and mentees, providing match support to mentors and mentees, monitoring program outcomes, and maintaining and upgrading use of the e-mentoring platform in collaboration with the platform provider.

The ideal candidate will have experience related to youth development, the foster care system, and/or youth/young adult mentoring. They will have a proven track record of success in project management and as a mission-driven team member. This person will bring attention to detail and competency in program development to ensure a smooth and efficient young person and volunteer experience that upholds Silver Lining Mentoring policies, procedures, values and approach. This position may require some travel and attendance at events/activities on occasional evenings and/or weekends. Experience maintaining a digital communications platform virtual engagement space is highly desirable.

Responsibilities:

Program Development (40%)

• Participant Development: Recruit, screen and train mentors and mentees who meet program criteria utilizing organization resources and in collaboration with Director of Strategic Initiatives
• Partnership Development: Collaborate with the Director of Strategic Initiatives to identify and maintain relationships with strategic partners across the program service area. Partners will include organizations serving people with foster care histories, workplaces with employees interested in mentoring virtually, community organizations with regional connections whose mission aligns with Silver Lining Mentoring, and others
• Relationship Management: Communicate with key parties to understand their requirements, expectations and needs, ensuring alignment with program goals. Such parties may include but are not limited to: active mentors and mentees; potential mentors and mentees; potential partner
  organizations/companies/programs; and SLM staff, Board members, and funders
• Milestones Management: Collaborate with the Director of Strategic Initiatives to identify program milestones and timelines for program success. Milestones may include but are not limited to: establishing partnerships, conducting initial outreach and training for mentees and volunteers,
  group learning content delivery, recognizing match milestones, and more
• Risk Management: Collaborate with Director of Strategic Initiatives to identify potential risks or liabilities, particularly those that may be specific to the virtual nature of the program, and develop mitigation strategies to ensure program success

Program Operations (40%)

• Match Management: Provide match support to mentors and mentees
• Program Management: Implement program policies & procedures in accordance with identified timelines and manage resources allocated to the program
• Platforms Management: Manage all support needs, social media components and community aspects of all apps utilized by the program
• Group learning facilitator: You will be responsible for some in-person and virtual group learning opportunities throughout the New England region that require familiarizing yourself with relevant material, preparing presentations and delivering content to groups of people

Quality Improvements and Data Management (20%)

• Data Management: Collaborate with Director of Strategic Initiatives to maintain all program data in organization database and support the evaluation of data for program improvements
• Platform Management: Maintain and upgrade use of the e-mentoring platform(s) in collaboration with the platform provider
• Progress Tracking: Monitor program progress, assist the Director of Strategic Initiatives in preparing status reports and presenting updates to organization leadership and Board of Directors.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement best practices and processes to enhance program efficiency and effectiveness while recognizing the evolving program needs for this new initiative. Collaborate with Institute team to identify and perform pivots when necessary to ensure program
  success as defined by key performance indicators (KPIs)

Perform other duties as assigned by Director of Strategic Initiatives (acting supervisor) or Chief Strategy Officer, which may include regional travel (up to 10% of time) or representing the organization at events, which may include events in any part of the country.

Who You Are & What You’re Good At:

Our ideal candidate will be a values led, adaptable individual interested in supporting youth impacted by foster care. Data shows that BIPOC and women often rule themselves out from job opportunities when they don’t feel they fit 100% of the criteria listed in a job description. If that sounds like you, don’t
rule yourself out!

• You’ve done something like this before. You have 2-4 years in program/project management, or related roles, preferably in the nonprofit sector and/or managing social platforms with a track record of successful program delivery.
• You’re mission driven. You can demonstrate a strong commitment to and belief in the mission, vision and values of Silver Lining Mentoring. You have a desire to learn and grow.
• You’re an ambitious go-getter. You enjoy starting/building programs, sharing your enthusiasm about your work, being nimble and responsive, and being willing to both engage in the day to day running of the program while envisioning its future possibilities. If you have management or supervisory experience please let us know, as this could be a growing team.
• You’re on top of your stuff. You are highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to thrive while managing a brand new initiative in a dynamic environment. You are able to prioritize tasks and manage multiple priorities effectively to complete tasks within expected timeframes. You pay attention to administrative and data processing details.
• You know your stuff. You have a foundational knowledge of mentoring and/or operating programs in the virtual realm. Experience working with youth with out-of-home experience, young adults who are people of the global majority, and/or youth who identify as LGBTQ and/or TGNC preferred.
• You have the gift of gab. You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• You’re an awesome teammate – feedback is (or can be) your jam. You take initiative to drive progress towards goals independently and you also use your best judgment to identify when it’s necessary to collaborate with a team. You can demonstrate interpersonal and relationship-building skills and the ability to give and receive feedback effectively.
• People can trust you. You demonstrate self-awareness and a strong sense of responsibility and accountability. You act with integrity and maintain confidentiality. You have the ability to recognize and address challenges and roadblocks. You also have the ability to raise problems with your supervisor and colleagues in service of reaching a desirable outcome.
• You’re a low-key techie. You have some familiarity with Google Suite products (Docs, Spreadsheets, Forms, etc.). You also have some familiarity with or a willingness to learn about Salesforce (data-management platform used at SLM) and other new social-based applications. You have a passion for transforming lives and an interest in ensuring that data is collected and stored appropriately. If you have experience with data analysis, pivot tables, let us know. You use your keen eye for details to work with a team to understand the data and co-create strategies for program improvements.
• You’re the center of the crowd. You have the ability to collect relevant material and craft it into a dynamic learning experience for folks of various ages and backgrounds. You enjoy making learning content engaging and you don’t mind leading workshops as a flexible facilitator.

Please note that at this time Silver Lining Mentoring is not able to sponsor U.S. work authorization for this role.

Silver Lining Mentoring is an Equal Opportunity Employer