Director of Learning & Life Skills

ALI FORNEY CENTER•New York, NY

11d•$90,000 - $100,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Learning & Life Skills leads AFC’s education, workforce development, career readiness, credentialing, and life skills services. The Director ensures young people can access coordinated opportunities supporting educational achievement, industry-recognized credentials and certifications, employment, career development, independent living, and successful transitions into adulthood. The role oversees program development, implementation, and continuous improvement, and supervises staff responsible for education, workforce development, employment services, navigation, and related programming. The Director oversees credentialing pathways and partnerships with schools, colleges, training providers, workforce programs, employers, and community-based organizations to expand opportunities for young people. Services should respond to the individual goals, strengths, and needs of LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The Director collaborates across AFC programs and with external partners to integrate learning, education, credentialing, employment, and life skills services with young people’s broader service plans, and to identify and address barriers to participation and progress. The position is based in Manhattan, with four days on-site and one remote day per week. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with flexibility to attend occasional evening or weekend meetings and events as needed. The role may involve travel to other AFC locations or community partner sites. The work environment is dynamic and fast-paced and involves moving throughout program spaces, facilitating workshops and meetings, prolonged sitting and standing, computer use, and communication with staff and clients, with or without reasonable accommodation. The Ali Forney Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. Its mission is to protect LGBTQ+ youth from the harms of homelessness and empower them with tools to live independently through affirming, trauma-informed, and youth-centered housing, healthcare, educational, vocational, and supportive services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Work, Human Services, Workforce Development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
At least five years of relevant experience in education, workforce development, youth development, or human services.
At least three years of supervisory or program management experience.
Demonstrated experience in program development and implementation, including curriculum design, service delivery, program evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Strong knowledge of educational and workforce development pathways, including vocational training, credentialing, career readiness, and employment services.
Experience developing community partnerships, managing program operations, supervising staff, and using data to monitor outcomes and improve service delivery.
Knowledge of trauma-informed, strengths-based, harm reduction, and culturally responsive practices.
Demonstrated commitment to LGBTQ+-affirming and youth-centered services.
Ability to work on-site four days per week and attend occasional evening or weekend meetings and events as needed.
Ability to move throughout program spaces, facilitate workshops and meetings, and occasionally travel to AFC locations or community partner sites.
Ability to perform essential functions including prolonged sitting, standing, computer use, and communicating with staff and clients, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Mission alignment; cultural humility; clear communication; professionalism; collaboration; accountability; adaptability; sound judgment; and effective decision-making.
Strong organizational, budget management, data analysis, and program evaluation skills; ability to collaborate across departments, manage competing priorities, and drive measurable client outcomes.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Experience working with LGBTQ+ young people, particularly those experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
Experience managing government- or foundation-funded programs.
Experience developing education, workforce, or employer partnerships.
Lived experience relevant to the communities served by AFC is valued.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and oversight of education, workforce development, career readiness, credentialing, and life skills services.
Set departmental priorities, service standards, workflows, and annual goals; oversee program development, implementation, and continuous improvement.
Monitor program performance, identify service gaps, strengthen client outcomes, and support planning, budgeting, and resource allocation.
Directly supervise, coach, and evaluate Learning & Life Skills staff; establish expectations for service delivery, documentation, client engagement, and accountability.
Develop staff capacity in youth engagement, education and workforce navigation, facilitation, life skills instruction, and trauma-informed practices.
Develop and improve curricula, workshops, and learning opportunities in independent living, financial literacy, workplace readiness, digital literacy, self-advocacy, and other life skills.
Ensure programming is engaging, accessible, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and tailored to young people’s needs, learning styles, and readiness levels.
Incorporate client feedback and needs into programming and promote experiential, peer-led, and community-based learning.
Oversee educational navigation and support for high school completion, postsecondary education, vocational training, and industry-recognized credentials and certifications.
Lead workforce readiness and career development services, including career exploration, job search preparation, interviewing, and individualized support toward education and employment goals.
Monitor client progress in educational enrollment, credential attainment, training completion, employment, and other goals.
Develop and maintain partnerships with educational institutions, vocational training providers, employers, workforce programs, and community organizations.
Establish pathways to education, credentials, internships, training, and employment, with effective referral and coordination processes.
Represent AFC in external partnerships and monitor the accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of opportunities.
Oversee individualized assessments and goal setting related to education, employment, credentialing, and life skills, aligned with each client’s strengths, interests, readiness, and broader service plan.
Promote trauma-informed, harm reduction, strengths-based, and affirming engagement; address barriers and support individualized pathways to success.
Strengthen client engagement, retention, and self-determination while incorporating youth voice, feedback, and leadership into programming and services.
Collaborate with housing, drop-in, case management, clinical, and other AFC teams to integrate education, employment, credentialing, and life skills goals into individualized service plans.
Establish internal referral, communication, and service coordination processes to address client needs, participation barriers, and access to supportive services.
Monitor engagement and retention trends, adjust programming and outreach, and participate in interdisciplinary planning.
Monitor performance indicators such as participation, engagement, educational progress, credential attainment, training completion, employment outcomes, and program effectiveness.
Ensure accurate, timely, and complete program documentation, data collection, and reporting; evaluate performance against goals and deliverables.
Use program data, client feedback, and outcome trends to identify service gaps, implement improvements, and strengthen program quality and measurable outcomes.