Leadership Development Specialist

About the Organization

Rooted in the Bronx, New Settlement stands with community members to break systemic barriers, advance justice, promote leadership, and strengthen neighborhoods. By ensuring agency around education, employment, housing, wellness, and creative expression, we help cultivate an equitable society where individuals and families have the power to use their voice to create the change they wish to see. Since 1989, New Settlement has evolved from revitalizing abandoned buildings into affordable housing to a multi-generational organization supporting 15,000 community members annually through programs in education, college access, youth development, arts, workforce development, wellness, and more.

About the Role

The Leadership Development Specialist will work closely with the Program Director to co-facilitate a range of classes for adolescent girls and young women, including:

• Girls Be Heard (Playwriting and performance, ages 13-20)
• Adventure Learning (ages 11-young adult)
• Build a Bridge (Mental Health Awareness, ages 11-young adult)
• EDsnaps (STEM workshops, ages 11-18)
• Silence Out Loud (Poetry, ages 13-young adult)
• G.O.A.L. (reproductive health, leadership development, financial literacy, self-defense, and college workshops for high school young women)

The Specialist may also independently lead gender-specific classes or workshops for 3rd-8th graders in after-school programs, covering topics such as fitness, self-defense, financial literacy, and reproductive health. This position is part-time, ranging from 4 to 10 hours per week depending on class schedules.

Responsibilities

• Attend all assigned classes, rehearsals, and workshops unless ill or prior arrangements are made.
• Staff cultural, leadership-building, and recreational field trips and outdoor expeditions; cover additional classes as needed with advance notice.
• Record attendance for classes, rehearsals, and trips.
• Provide instruction in collaborative playwriting, reproductive health, fitness, adventure learning, self-defense, and economic literacy using licensed curricula.
• Lead team-building exercises and model clear, respectful communication and collaboration skills for youth.
• Support students in developing poems, scenes, and performances.
• Provide grade-appropriate instruction in college preparedness.
• Support the STEM workshop leader and maintain a safe, collaborative environment using positive youth development best practices.
• Assist students with hands-on projects, experiments, and college/career research.
• Supervise classes and trips, ensuring participant safety and fostering an inclusive environment.
• Participate in monthly staff meetings and required program/agency staff development workshops.
• Engage in professional development or trainings related to licensed curricula, arts and literacy, reproductive health, financial literacy, and youth development when possible.
• Maintain professional boundaries with program participants, especially peers close in age.
• Contribute to curriculum development for the Build a Bridge class and others as needed.
• Participate in trip planning and evaluation for Adventure Learning.
• Assist in curriculum planning for weekly college workshops.
• Perform administrative duties such as creating monthly calendars or event flyers.
• Complete other reasonable duties as requested.