Program assistant Jobs in Newark, NJ

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Assistant Director for our Promise Academy After School Programs.

We are seeking an Assistant Director to help lead the day-to-day operations of a dynamic after-school program, ensuring alignment with HCZ’s mission, values, and long-term goals. The ideal candidate is a proven leader with experience in program and administrative systems development, staff coaching, and professional learning design, who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families in historically underserved communities.

The Assistant Director will join our Promise Academy After-School program, closely supporting, and working in tandem with, the Director to lead the site. These programs provide hundreds of students in grades K-5 with a safe, nurturing, and educational environment that fosters self-confidence, personal and social development. Students are exposed to a variety of fun-filled, project-based learning, developmental, and high-caliber enrichment activities, which include arts enrichment (e.g., dance, culinary arts, and media arts and production), as well as health & wellness, and physical fitness. Additionally, scholars participate in leadership development, college & career readiness, and life skills activities, including community service, character education, conflict resolution, and much more. They can also engage in a variety of team sports and recreational activities, such as basketball, soccer, table tennis, track & field, and karate.

We strive to create strong bonds and partnerships among students, families, and staff to meet the needs of each individual child and the community overall.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree (Master's Degree preferred)
• 3+ years of experience managing in an education, social services, or community-related program.

Who you are

• A commitment to HCZ's mission and the communities we serve
• Demonstrated record of meeting and exceeding goals and positively impacting children, their families, and the community as a whole
• Demonstrated excellence in youth development program design, implementation, management, and continuous improvement
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to navigate and manage multiple stakeholders
• Strong knowledge of child safety protocols in New York State and the demonstrated ability to navigate complex stakeholder engagement while ensuring child safety
• Strong people manager with demonstrated success in coaching and developing staff to improve scholar outcomes
• Skilled at building, implementing, and refining systems and structures that support high-quality programming and efficient operations
• Highly organized with excellent time management skills and a strong sense of urgency, without sacrificing accuracy or ethical standards
• Strong qualitative and quantitative data analysis and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook, and Google Suite
• Willing and able to work flexible hours based on program needs

What you'll do

• Support daily operations of our Elementary After-School program serving 350+ scholars
• Partner with the Director to ensure students receive high-quality academic and enrichment programming
• Supervise and develop a multidisciplinary team supporting students’ academic, artistic, and socio-emotional growth
• Provide coaching and feedback to middle managers and youth-facing staff to strengthen instructional practice, engagement strategies, and overall impact on scholars
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve programmatic and administrative systems that support student services, staffing, scheduling, attendance tracking, compliance, and budgeting
• Assist in the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of professional development for youth-facing staff, aligned to program goals, scholar needs, and HCZ priorities
• Continuously monitor program performance and operational systems to ensure consistent progress toward program goals and scholar outcomes
• Collaborate closely with HCZ Promise Academy Principals and school leadership to align after-school curriculum, policies, procedures, and expectations with the school-day program
• Partner and collaborate with other sites and program leaders, including fellow Promise Academy after-school Directors and Assistant Directors serving students in grades K-12
• Help to build a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and reflective practice among staff
• Ensure the program stays on track to meet program goals and objectives consistently
• Use data, observations, and stakeholder feedback to improve the student experience and program quality continuously
• Clarify work policies for staff and ensure they are consistent with HCZ policies and procedures
• Ensure all students are safe, engaged, and appropriately supervised at all times
• Foster strong relationships and effective communication with students, parents, staff, and HCZ leadership

Schedule

• Monday-Friday 11 AM - 7 PM (flexibility will be required based on the after-school program's needs)
• During our Summer Camp Program, the Program Assistant Directors’ schedule will shift to 8 AM – 5 PM daily

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children's Zone team, you will join a supportive and inclusive community dedicated to helping children, families — and our staff — thrive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth.

Our exceptional full-time benefits include:

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Paid time off
• Employee referral bonus
• Career Advancement
• No-cost health insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more.)

The salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000 per year. To be considered, interested applicants should apply directly through the posting. No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants. Harlem Children's Zone is an Equal Opportunity Employer.