The Dale House Project seeks a Program Admin to provide administrative support for its programs that serve youth building independent living skills. The Dale House is a “Christ-centered community of and for broken people doing life together.”
We offer several services where young people learn how to live on their own independently. Our clients are typically coming out of homelessness, paroling from Colorado Division of Youth Services, and transitioning out of Colorado Department of Human services (foster care).
As the Program Administrator, you oversee the planning, implementation, and scheduling of programs. You take hold of our administrative processes, ensuring that our programs stay organized, maintaining accountability for deadlines in a shared environment, and keeping everything in its right place for staff to access what they need. With so many details to keep track of, you realize that the best way to stay on top of things is to structure the job effectively with clearly defined (and communicated!) processes, ongoing reminders, and checklists to stay on top of things. You also will take the opportunity provided to serve as a mentor, leader, and companion to our staff as they go through a very difficult learning process in Christian ministry among at-risk youth.
This position is a great fit for a person who enjoys creating structure out of lots of information, who works patiently with people who are figuring out the expectations of a professional work environment, and excels in efficient communication between programs. It also allows those organizational gifts to meet the needs of an organization that, for 50 years, has shown Christ-like love for teenagers who have experienced a great deal of brokenness and staff who yearn to grow closer to Jesus in relational ministry.
The Program Administrator job has several key components:
- Managing program rhythms. We operate several programs to help young people learn how to live independently more successfully. These programs move quickly. Youth are often in a hurry, and our staff have to show adaptability to meet their needs. You provide consistent structure and order in this environment. You share diligent information to keep everyone on the same page, sharing schedules and making appointments, reminding our youth-serving teams about loose ends that need to be addressed.
- Making our office space hospitable for staff and youth. You will be the first person many youth see each dayFirst point of contact for youth in one of the main offices, answering the phone, being of assistance to staff who walk in and out, creating transportation for youth. Working directly with Quality assurance through answering the phone, responding to emails, and beginning the referral process for youth. Assisting Coordinators with the intake process of new clients.
- Coordinating event planning and logistics for DHP events. We run a variety of events all year for our staff and youth. You serve as lead organizer for these events each year. Youth events include our annual California Trip, our week at Young Life summer camp, Winter Banquet and more. Staff events include Winter Camping, Bike Trip, and monthly all-staff events. You work closely with program and discipleship staff, who also help in planning, to meet key deadlines and stay on top of plans..
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree
- A minimum of two years’ administrative experience.
- Proficiency in use of computer software including Microsoft office (Word, Excel, Outlook), spreadsheets, word processing, online databases, email and internet.
- Willingness to master web-based systems the Dale House uses for ongoing operations, including Reliatrax (EMR), Tableau, Little Green Light, and Notion.
- Ability to work independently but also a willingness to work cooperatively with others. Able to provide consistent reminders and structure to encourage other staff to make deadlines and complete their administrative responsibilities.
- High degree of discretion dealing with confidential information.
Who You’d Be Working With:
You will report to the Program Director, but you're also part of a team that includes our Clinical Director (who is responsible for providing quality care to youth through a mental health lens), our Program Coordinators (who are responsible for our youth programs; Daytime, Employment, and Housing), and Transition Specialists (who provide groups and one on one care for youth in all programs. Working with youth and young adult staff in our community comes with a great deal of interruptions, so your job is to be proactive and assertive in making sure we are following our administrative processes as well as we can.
We are a ministry with about 25 staff. Each year, eight new staff join us for a one-year program of relational ministry among at-risk youth, intentional community, and cohort-based learning. Most of these staff come right from college, and they learn entry-level job skills while also living closely with teenagers. Often, these staff have never had to work in a professional environment, where staff are simply expected to remember and keep deadlines. Your role is essential in providing consistent and clear structure to them, with reminders, clear communication, and follow-through when deadlines and key tasks are not being met.
You also serve as the primary point of contact for a number of stakeholders that make the Dale House Project ministry possible. This list includes our partners at the state of Colorado in the Department of Human Services, Division of Youth Services, and other providers who we use to connect services for our youth, including doctors’ offices, the DMV, and others. You also organize correspondence for our supporters, who give financially and via in-kind donations to our youth and community.
What Success Looks Like:
- To keep up with all of the deadlines and reminders that keep the Dale House going, you use a ‘tickler’ system to put reminders, key dates, and deadlines in front of other staff to stay up on things. So, as February comes along, you bring up to key leadership the need to do a training on emergency/safety procedures to maintain our personnel files in good standing.
- A member of our staff comes in after a very long and tiring shift, lingering in the office area. Recognizing they need a space to process something that occurred during work with youth, you set aside your to-do list for a few minutes to hear them out. After a while, they reach a place of peace - which lets them go into the next meeting with a clearer head.
- Creating a welcome environment for clients. Be able to answer some questions clients have and know the right person to direct them to for further questions or assistance. Creating a balance of work and also space for youth as needed.
The ideal candidate will possess certain essential traits for success in this role:
- Authentic Faith. Has a heart for Jesus and seeks to live out their faith more deeply. Often, that means exploring whether personal sacrifices are necessary to walk by faith.
- Heart for Young Adults and Youth. Has compassion for youth who have faced difficulty in their lives. Seeks to make connections with people who have very different life experiences - juvenile justice, homelessness, involvement in foster care, etc.
- Task Oriented. Has, or can create, a system for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. Asks for help when needed. Ability to manage time effectively. Prioritize and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously. Develop and maintain effective plans and timelines. Ensure deadlines are met without compromising quality.
- Leadership/Collaboration/Communicator. Communicates well with a team of people to keep everyone on the same page. Lead initiatives to implement innovative solutions.
- Self-Reliant. Ability to work independently to complete tasks given without constant supervision/guidance. Self-motivated.
- Critical Thinking. Ability to create efficient systems with new information given and seek to fill gaps on a day to day basis. Willing to adjust tasks as needed based on importance. Provide clear rationale for decisions to stakeholders and team members. Collect and interpret data to inform strategies and processes.
- Adaptability / Flexibility. Every day at the Dale House is full of surprises, so this candidate can roll with new information, changing goals, and unexpected hiccups. Can juggle competing demands and prioritize based on new information. Can problem solve and remain calm under pressure.
- Organized/Discipline/Consistent. Consistent ability to adhere to policies and procedures.Strong work ethic with a commitment to maintaining high standards. Proven ability to organize and manage multiple priorities. Strong attention to detail and accuracy. Ability to create and follow structured plans and schedules.
Compensation:
This is a full-time position. Salary Range: $40,000 to $45,0000, with a full benefit package.
Dale House covers the cost for health coverage (monthly premiums) at no expense to you. Other benefits come from Young Life, including: dental, vision, basic life insurance, and a match on 401(k) contributions up to 4%.
A full summary of benefits is available at https://jobs.younglife.org/benefits/
How to apply:
**Please submit your resume and cover letter as PDF attachments. For the email subject heading line type: Program Administrator, Your First Name, Your Last Name. Please email to info@dalehouse.org. We will begin scheduling phone interviews with candidates in July 2024.
