School Based Mentoring Program - Program Specialist

Big Brother Big Sister of Greater Los Angeles•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$20 - $24•Hybrid

About The Position

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA) empowers youth by establishing enduring, professionally supported mentorship relationships for those facing adversity. We collaborate with parents/guardians and volunteers to ensure every child in our programs reaches higher aspirations, gains confidence, builds better relationships, and achieves educational success. BBBSLA's track record proves that mentoring works, transforming lives one young person at a time. The Program Specialist is a dual-function role, responsible for program facilitation and enrollment/match support across BBBSLA's school site and workplace site mentoring programs. This position facilitates engaging group mentoring sessions, coordinates on-site program operations, and builds strong relationships with school and corporate partners. The Program Specialist also supports the full participant lifecycle for Bigs and Littles, including information sessions, recruitment, interviews, assessments, application processing, mentoring pair matching, match introductions, ongoing match support, and match closure. The successful candidate will be flexible, highly organized, culturally responsive, comfortable working with youth and corporate professionals, and committed to child safety and high-quality mentoring experiences. This is a part-time position that also requires travel for face-to-face meetings with corporate and school partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Working knowledge of local children's social support services and federal, state, and local child abuse reporting protocols and child safety practices.
Clinical assessment and case management experience, with strong analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
Experience assessing and developing positive relationships with children, youth, adults, and families.
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with community partners, youth and their families, corporate executives, nonprofit organizations, school officials, private individuals, and BBBSLA staff.
Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, execute, and successfully complete projects within established timelines and budgets.
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate professionally and effectively with diverse audiences.
Strong customer service orientation with an action-oriented approach to achieving results.
Excellent organizational, time management, and research skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated creativity, sound judgment, and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and collaborate successfully with internal staff and external partners.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) and the ability to quickly learn Salesforce CRM and other agency database systems.
Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and proof of current automobile insurance.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Facilitate structured, engaging, and culturally responsive group mentoring sessions at assigned school and workplace sites, serving youth, volunteer mentors, and partner representatives.
Prepare, adapt, and deliver curriculum and activities related to academic success, college and career readiness, financial literacy, health and wellness, relationship development, and social-emotional learning.
Serve as the on-site program lead by coordinating schedules, attendance, room setup, materials, technology, transportation-related communication, and other program logistics.
Establish and maintain positive working relationships with school administrators, teachers, corporate contacts, mentors, mentees, parents/guardians, and BBBSLA staff.
Communicate regularly with school and corporate partners regarding program progress, participation, upcoming activities, concerns, and opportunities for improvement.
Monitor participant engagement, group dynamics, mentoring relationships, and adherence to program expectations during sessions; respond promptly to concerns and elevate issues as appropriate.
Use effective group management, active listening, reflective questioning, and conflict-resolution strategies to create a safe and productive learning environment.
Support the planning and facilitation of orientations, Match Days, special events, field trips, partner meetings, and end-of-year activities.
Participate in curriculum development, program planning, and continuous improvement efforts for school-site and workplace-site programs.
Conduct enrollment processes, including interviews with guardians, youth, and volunteers, delivering youth safety education, and facilitating intake procedures.
Review enrollment information and assessments, providing recommendations for program participation based on collected data.
Ensure accurate record-keeping in accordance with BBBSA guidelines, database requirements, the Service Delivery Model, and BBBSLA Program Manual.
Evaluate the specific needs of each match participant to support a positive youth development experience for the child and a fulfilling mentoring experience for the volunteer.
Apply expertise in child safety and risk management when working with children, youth, and families exposed to trauma, poverty, or other adverse circumstances.
Escalate child safety concerns to the Senior Manager and report issues to the LA County Department of Children and Family Services when necessary.
Administer the Strength of Relationship (SOR) and Youth Outcome Survey (YOS) tools to evaluate the impact of matches on youth development, track Youth Outcome Development Program (YODP) goals, and facilitate the establishment of new goals as needed.
Document detailed written summaries of all match support interactions in real-time using Match Force, a web-based contact management system, to comply with national standards.
Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in child safety and risk management, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by children exposed to trauma or living in poverty.
Conduct exit interviews for all matches at closure, assessing the reasons for closure and re-match potential, and record the data in MatchForce CRM system.
Provide referrals to volunteers, youth, and parents for additional services, as needed.