Senior Program Specialist @ Gallery 37

Chicago, IL

Full Time

Programs

Mid Level

About ASM: After School Matters (ASM) is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually engages nearly 19,000 high school teens through after-school and summer programs, allowing them to explore and develop their talents while acquiring critical skills for success in college and beyond. Through our programs, we not only invest in the future of these teens but also in the communities they come from, strengthening neighborhoods across the city.

Over the last thirty years, we have impacted over 400,000 Chicago teens, making us the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school students. Our paid apprenticeships, led by industry professionals in arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM, provide invaluable opportunities for young people to develop practical skills, engage in meaningful work, and contribute to their communities. This investment in youth is not only transformative for the participants but also helps uplift entire neighborhoods by fostering local talent and creating pathways to success.

With an annual operating budget of approximately $36M and a dedicated team of around 500 staff, ASM continues to be a pillar of opportunity, growth, and community investment across Chicago.

Summary of Position:
The Senior Program Specialist is primarily responsible for facilitating and managing the day-to-day logistics of a portfolio of 20 - 25 programs through regular site visits, program observations, and providing actionable recommendations to enhance program quality, safety, compliance, instruction, attendance, enrollment, and retention, as well as addressing other critical areas.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Employee Instructors and Program Providers
Provide direction to community and campus liaisons and ensure compliance with program requirements.
Annual operating budget responsibility: $1M.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:
Program Quality

Manage and provide coaching to a diverse program portfolio, which includes a combination of after school, daytime and/or other types of specialized content area programming.
Track and analyze program data to identify trends, address challenges, identify program supports needed, and implement strategies that maximize participation and retention in programs.
Assist in the recruitment process of program staff, oversee the selection of returning programs, identify new program providers, and ensure compliance with portfolio benchmarks.
Assess program quality and compliance and provide program budget and portfolio reports and recommendations to Program Manager.
Conduct regular program site visits for each program in portfolio and make recommendations for Youth Program Quality Assessments.
Manage ASM instructors from recruitment to providing ongoing coaching, ensuring they have the resources and training necessary to deliver high-quality programming.

Administrative Duties

Act as the primary contact for instructors, community/campus liaisons, and school staff for programs.
Review and submit timesheet approvals for all employee instructors and community/campus liaisons.
Assist in developing and implementing effective teen recruitment and retention strategies for branch programs.
Plan, schedule, organize, and conduct all assigned meetings with partners, instructors, community, and campus liaisons each session.
Organize and oversee specialized activities and events.
Submit incident reports and follow up on next steps, including conducting thorough follow-up on incident reports, and addressing concerns raised by instructors, community-based organizations, schools, and sites with support from Program Manager.

Community Relations

Coordinate community outreach efforts, including attending events and meetings (e.g., aldermanic meetings, police district beat meetings, library meetings) to promote programs and recruit participants, securing locations for programs.
Gather feedback from community members, schools and partners to create new programs; continuously improve existing programs and address the needs of the communities served. Other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands:
The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.
Must be able to sit for long periods of time.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Flexible work hours required consistent with out of school time programming; evening hours (11AM – 7PM) during school-year programming and for specialized events or programs.
Must be available on some Saturdays.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Strong interpersonal skills: Proficient in fostering positive and effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Expertise in developing and nurturing collaborative partnerships: Skilled at cultivating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships.
Demonstrated ability to lead and empower teams to achieve objectives.
Exceptional organizational and problem-solving abilities: Proficient in efficiently organizing tasks and adept at resolving challenges.
Effective communication skills: Articulate in conveying information verbally and in writing.
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office with the ability to gather, manage, and maintain data effectively.
Proven ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects to successful completion.
Strong multitasking skills: Ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
Thrives in a fast-paced, high-energy environment: Adaptable and comfortable working in dynamic settings.
Demonstrates respect for all levels of the organization and external partners: Exhibits professionalism and consideration in interactions.
Collaborative team player with high energy: Engages positively in team environments and contributes effectively to group efforts.
Customer service orientation: Committed to delivering exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required
3+ years of youth development experience
Valid Driver’s License, insured transportation, and driving record that satisfies our Motor Vehicle Policy required
Cook County residency required

Additional Requirements:
Staff are required to provide proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or have an approved medical or sincerely held religious beliefs exemption prior to starting employment. If a medical or sincerely held religious belief exemption is approved, weekly Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing is required part of any reasonable accommodation.

EEO:
After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.

Apply for this position

Required*

Apply with Indeed

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address

Resume*

We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

What's your citizenship / employment eligibility?*

What's your highest level of education completed?*

College or University

Are you 18 years of age or older?*

Were you a teen participant in After School Matters programs?*

Are you legally eligible for employment in this country?
(Proof will be required if hired.)

Are you 18 years of age or over?

Application Statement:

I certify that all information I have provided in this application is true, complete, and correct to the best of my knowledge.

I understand that, if any information I provide is found to be false, incomplete, or misrepresented in any respect, ASM may (1) cancel further consideration of my application, or (2) immediately discharge me from ASM’s service, whenever it is discovered.

I understand that any offer of employment is contingent upon my successful completion of ASM’s total pre-employment screening process, which may include background checks and references checks. I understand that employment is contingent upon my complying with the COVID-19 vaccination policy requirements, and if employed, I will provide proof of vaccination at the start of employment or provide documentation to support a medical or sincerely held religious beliefs exemption. I understand that employment is contingent upon my complying with the employment verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. I understand and agree that, if employed, I may be required to submit to random, cause, and/or reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol screening.*

Application Statement:

I authorize and request that all of my present and former employers and those individuals I have listed as references furnish information about my employment record, including a statement of the reason for the termination of my employment, work performance, abilities, and other qualities pertinent to my qualifications for employment, hereby releasing them from any liability for damages arising from furnishing the requested information.

I understand that nothing contained in this application, or conveyed during any interview which may be granted, is intended to create an employment contract. I further understand that if I am hired, my employment will be at-will, which means that it is for no definite period and may be terminated at any time, without cause or prior notice, at the option of either ASM or myself.*

The following questions are entirely optional.

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
- a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
- a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran status

I IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROTECTED VETERAN LISTED ABOVE
I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN
I DON’T WISH TO ANSWER

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Please check one of the boxes below:

YES, I HAVE A DISABILITY, OR HAVE HAD ONE IN THE PAST NO, I DO NOT HAVE A DISABILITY AND HAVE NOT HAD ONE IN THE PAST I DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Name	Date

Human Check*

Submit Application