Director, Talent Pathways

City Year•New York City, NY

About The Position

City Year New York (CYNY) is seeking a strategic, organized, and collaborative Director of Talent Pathways. Guided by the organization’s strategic plan, this individual will launch and lead the next generation of career support programming for AmeriCorps members. City Year AmeriCorps Members serve in schools full-time, helping students build academic habits and mindsets necessary to succeed in school and in life. During their year of service, ACMs are entrusted with a high level of responsibility and leadership opportunities that have lasting impact - on students, schools, and on their own personal and professional development. The Talent Pathways Director is a newly created role that will work collaboratively across the organization to develop a year-round calendar of programming and experiences that ensure structured career pathways for City Year AmeriCorps members. In a challenging and evolving job market, this role is critical to strengthening the value proposition of a year of service and creating clear, accessible pathways to economic mobility for those who choose to serve. Internally, the Director will collaborate across teams to align on the durable skills and key experiences that drive professional opportunity, and will co-create a comprehensive, year-round professional development calendar that ensures consistent access, exposure, and skill-building for currently serving AmeriCorps members. Externally, the Director will build strategic partnerships with colleges, universities, companies and community organizations to expand existing pathways and create new opportunities, including but not limited to increased access to City Year service through Federal Work Study, targeted credit for prior learning for existing ACMs, and new pathways connected to mental health, life sciences, healthcare, public service, business, and technology. The role will also contribute to the site’s alumni relations, leveraging the strong City Year alumni network to identify pathway opportunities for AmeriCorps members. In the future, alumni relations may also include career focused programming for recent alumni. The Career Pathways Director will report to the Managing Director of Impact and manage the Senior Manager of Talent Pathways.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strategic partnerships with colleges, universities, companies and community organizations.
Demonstrated ability to coach and develop young adults.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and events that involve many internal and external stakeholders.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Proficiency in collecting and analyzing data to measure program impact and inform decision-making.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for reporting and relationship-building.
Strong problem-solving skills to develop creative solutions for program challenges.
Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, including students, schools, companies and community organizations.
Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and the needs of the program.

Responsibilities

Build Strategic Partnerships: Alongside Senior Manager of Talent Pathways, establish partnerships with colleges and universities to identify degree and certification opportunities, as well as expanded access to Federal Work Study students.
In collaboration with the Impact team, expand the network of external partners participating in AmeriCorps member professional development experiences, including skill-building workshops, panels, and lunch-and-learns.
In collaboration with the Learning & Development Director, develop partnerships that increase the pipeline of math and science applicants to the Graduate Teaching Fellowship program.
In collaboration with the Development team, secure corporate pathway partnerships within the life sciences, technology, and business sectors.
Advance Talent Pathways: Lead and further develop the Talent Pathways Committee (a cross-departmental team of Cit Year New York staff members) to prioritize and advance career pathways in industries identified by the current and incoming Corps as areas of interest.
Establish one social-emotional development or youth mental health certification partnership by Fiscal Year 2027.
Launch social work / mental health counseling pathways with established educational and career partnerships in Fiscal Year 2027.
Expand the business & professional services pathway through additional career partnerships and at least one business certification partnership by 2028.
In collaboration with the Learning & Development Director, support expansion of alternative education pathways.
AmeriCorps Member Career Support: Collaborate across the site to develop and manage an annual calendar of professional development and career support opportunities.
Lead the AmeriCorps Member mentorship programs, maintaining existing corporate partnerships with the goal of future expansion.
Design and implement a career-based learning series aligned to key career pathways to take place one L&D Friday per month.
With the support of the Senior Manager of Talent Pathways, lead the site’s career cohort initiative, plan facilitate CYNY’s annual ACM Career Day, and take point on leading and implementing the annual Get Hired event with King’s Trust.
Alumni Engagement: Activate the alumni community to support professional development and career connections for currently serving AmeriCorps members through networking events, session facilitation, and systemized informational interviews.
Beginning with the most recent City Year New York graduates (class of ‘25-26), work to engage them and continue learning about their career moves. Use this cohort to help build systems and processes for the future.
Collaborate with City Year Headquarters to continue to identify opportunities to engage alumni, keep track of their career moves, and provide ongoing career guidance and support for recently graduated members.
Evaluate and Report Impact: In alignment with long-term outcomes, set annual goals for the AmeriCorps Member Mentorship programs, career cohorts, Career Day, and new career development initiatives.
Partner with the Senior Director of Analytics to design and implement evaluation systems that measure career preparedness and placement outcomes for AmeriCorps members, while strengthening tracking of recent alumni.
Regularly review and apply data insights to inform decision-making, continuous improvement, and strategic planning.
Organizational Initiatives & Site Support: Support sitewide initiatives, including fundraising events, Learning & Development Days (LDDs), AmeriCorps member appreciation events, and team days.
Organize, lead, and/or assist in executing special projects that may fall outside the scope of regular duties. The specific responsibilities and purpose of special projects may vary.
Assume other tasks as delegated by supervisor.