Dean of Culture and Climate, PowerCorpsPHL

Posted by EducationWorks on April 30, 2018

About PowerCorpsPHL
Launched in September 2013, PowerCorpsPHL is a City of Philadelphia AmeriCorps initiative. Operated in  partnership with EducationWorks and the Philadelphia Youth Network, PowerCorpsPHL engages Opportunity  Youth in transforming their lives through service. PowerCorpsPHL enrolls members in full-time AmeriCorps  service for 6 months with City departments to tackle pressing environmental challenges, including the need for improved stormwater management, increased tree coverage, and revitalized public land. Through a rigorous combination of service and training, corps members develop and practice essential 21st Century workforce skills, including time management, conflict resolution, accountability, teamwork, leadership, and network building. As PowerCorpsPHL alumni, individuals receive the customized support they need to secure career-track employment, pursue post-secondary education, and/or enroll in additional national service.

Successful staff and leaders within PowerCorpsPHL embrace their affiliation with AmeriCorps and share a number of common characteristics: commitment to the mission and goals of the program, dedication to their role in achieving those goals, and willingness to work across teams to create and maintain a strong program culture capable of creating opportunity and overcoming challenges.

Position Overview
The PowerCorpsPHL Dean of Culture and Climate is responsible for supporting the Assistant Director of Programming in the oversight of PowerCorpsPHL’s AmeriCorps crews’ performance and success. Directly reporting to the Assistant Director of Programming, the Dean of Culture and Climate will provide in-the-field support to the 6 Crew Leaders, developing and instituting a comprehensive program of Restorative Practices for a more progressive approach to the notion of discipline and corrective action. They will also serve as the primary Crew Leader substitute to allow for more Professional Development time for the Crew Leaders. The Dean will be responsible for developing and implementing curricula dedicated to the Assistant Crew Leaders’ professional development, as well as serve as their overall performance coach and mentor. The Dean of Culture and Climate will work in collaboration with the Leadership Team to support overall program functioning, including supporting the recruitment process, program promotion, and external partnership management as appropriate. The Dean of Culture and Climate position is also designed to serve as a liaison between internal and external program related needs and the service happening on the crews.

Essential Functions
The Dean of Culture and Climate will:
• Provide supervision, leadership, and mentorship to the Assistant Crew Leaders including:
o Lead bi-weekly team meetings with Assistant Crew Leaders to discuss:
§ Individual professional development and support with consistent feedback and goal setting, identifying relevant and necessary professional development opportunities,
§ Crew management, crew roles, and OSHA,
§ Crew Culture and Climate, formal and informal teambuilding ideas and implementation,
§ Benchmarks and Off-Site services needs and coordination
o Create, develop, and facilitate Individual Leadership Development Plans for all ACL’s
• Assist AD of Programming in creating and implementing a comprehensive Restorative Practices curriculum, including:
o Educating members and crews on Restorative Practices, its context and usage,
o Creating restorative assignments to pre-empt disciplinary actions, categorized by type of infraction and harmed area to be restored,
o Facilitating restorative conferences/circles as needed or recommended by Crew Leaders
o Helping to train the ACL’s in Restorative Practices and approaches to people management
• In support of the Project Management team, sub in for crew leaders when they are out, including:
o scheduled times to cover for CL’s when CL’s plan to be out for professional development or other pre-schedule needs.
o Nights and weekends for extra service hours for members
o Support AD of Programming in site visits to assess, evaluate, and ensure successful crew performance
o Provide individual support to Crew Leaders and Assistant Crew Leaders as needed, for the development of facilitation skills, workshop building, and lesson plan development
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Programming to inform and implement the following critical components of the PowerCorpsPHL model:
o Pre-Service Orientation
o AmeriCorps member training curriculum
o AmeriCorps service delivery
o Member recruitment support and external presentations
• Provide administrative support, including:
o Coordinating and collaborating with the Data Team to execute the administrative requirements to maintain compliance in managing all AmeriCorps members terms of service.
o Monitor benchmarks.
o Assisting in completion and submission of AmeriCorps paperwork (enrollment, exit, evaluation, etc.)
o Participating in the AmeriCorps member selection process.
o Identifying corps member training needs and participate in and lead training sessions
o Attending program, staff, and community meetings and outreach events as required.
o Responding to inquiries from staff, City agencies, and the public in a timely and courteous manner.
o Performing other duties and responsibilities as required.

Education, Experience & Skills Required
• Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, education, environmental science or related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years experience in staff supervision, or managing a team
• Experience implementing restorative practices with young adults
• Experience with vocational education and/or youth workforce development preferred.
• Meaningful experience leading and managing youth ages 18-26 who’ve been involved in the criminal justice system and/or experience challenges consistent with opportunity youth.
• Ability to motivate and guide disconnected and disengaged youth and mediate/de-escalate conflicts.
• Knowledge of sustainability, landscaping, horticulture, and/or stormwater management principles
• Strong work ethic and ability and desire to work outdoors in challenging conditions.
o Working in extremes of heat, cold or rain.
o Heavy lifting, bending and carrying up to 50 lbs.
• Experience with service-learning, AmeriCorps programming, and member management preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to adapt plans and be flexible on short notice and take initiative to problem-solve.
• First AID/CPR Certification preferred.
• Driver’s license, insurance and ability to drive a passenger van required.

Core Competencies

Caring Relationships
• Motivate and lead program staff and members to work collaboratively and perform with excellence
• Establish and foster, with diverse partners, positive relationships and open, informative, and effective communication
• Demonstrate high level of enthusiasm for and ability to convey the PowerCorpsPHL mission to internal and external stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner
• Exercise sound judgment

Professionalism and Professional Development
• Self direct and assume full ownership over responsibilities
• Set clear direction and accountability for members, while offering opportunities to share resources, obtain professional development and advancement to reach goals and objectives
• Provide clear communication and high level of organization to all staff; including sound written and oral communication skills
• Present strong problem solving processes
• Commit to professional development to advance skill growth of serving urban youth

Cultural Competence and Inclusion
• Promote inclusive behaviors and practices and equity among staff; setting high standard for open dialogue and problem solving

Adolescent Development and Empowerment
• Commit to the advancement of urban youth; including staff development

Program Management
• Evaluate program effectiveness and build capacity to develop systems and align resources to optimize success
• Develop relationships and plans to advance the goals of the PowerCorpsPHL program

Please submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected] with the subject line as “Position Title_Last Name” (ex. Crew Leader_Smith).

http://powercorpsphl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Dean-Of-Culture-and-Climate.pdf