Senior Vice President of Programming (Full-Time, Exempt)

By The Hand Club For Kids is a Christian, after-school program that emphasizes academic excellence while nurturing the whole child – mind, body and soul. Located in Chicago’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, By The Hand helps children have abundant life. The culture of By The Hand is Christ-centered, people-focused and results-oriented. While loving and nurturing, By The Hand has a strong results-orientation, a very structured program and a growth mindset that believes with hard work we can all continue to learn and grow.

Joining By The Hand’s incredible mission as an abundant life builder means jumping right into the work of healing and hope on behalf of our extraordinary children. You’ll have the opportunity of a lifetime to impact the trajectory of generations of stories; helping students soar to success in their academic performance, practice personal accountability and, even more importantly, grow in their understanding of God and their relationship with Jesus. 

By The Hand is a not for profit, religious organization. Individuals employed by By The Hand are working in ministerial roles and perform all or some of the following responsibilities: sharing the Gospel, teaching chapel, leading Bible studies, discipling students and modeling behavior that is consistent with Christ’s teaching. 

Rate of Pay: $105,000 - $120,000 per year

Overview of Position 

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President, the Senior Vice President of Programming is the senior-most leader over all programmatic initiatives at By The Hand Club For Kids. This visionary and strategic leader is responsible for overseeing the effectiveness, innovation, and Christ-centered impact of our programming across six club locations. 

This role requires deep expertise in organizational leadership, youth development, staff development, program design and data-driven strategy. The ideal candidate is passionate about developing young people, skilled in cultivating high-performing teams and committed to advancing the gospel in every aspect of the organization’s work.

The position reports to the Executive Vice President and COO. The position directly supervises the Site Directors of each club, the Director of NXT, the Director of Crisis and Compassion and the Director of High School and College Readiness.

Spiritual Requirements

• Has a personal and saving relationship with Jesus Christ, evidenced by a lifestyle that demonstrates the Word of God, and is in regular fellowship with other members in a Bible-believing church.

• Is in agreement with the By The Hand Club Doctrinal Statement and adheres to the Biblical Standards of Living.

• Shows by example the importance of Scripture memorization, Bible study, prayer, witnessing and Christian fellowship.

• Integrates Biblical principles into all organizational objectives and goals.

• Is ready to pray with and offer spiritual advice to staff, children, families, and others.

• Is prepared to share religious beliefs to any who inquires.

Corporate Responsibilities

• Performs in a way that is consistent with the vision, mission and culture of By The Hand and commits to excellence in every aspect of the overall operation.

• Models cultural values of By The Hand Club For Kids in day-to-day behavior.

• Follows all policies as outlined in the operational guide, including maintaining brand standards and ensuring 100% adherence to the Child Protection Policy.

• Participates in employee growth plans including quarterly conversations and annual reviews. 

• Completes department budget planning, manages budgets, ensures all variance reports are completed and approves expenses by deadlines. 

• Make sure that all time off requests and time card submissions for payroll are completed by deadlines.

• Performs all other duties as required.

Role Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Lead the vision, design, and execution of high-impact, Christ-centered programming that promotes abundant life - mind, body, and soul.

• Develop and drive strategic goals and performance metrics in alignment with organizational mission and values.

• Make sound, mission-driven decisions, knowing when to engage others and when to take decisive action. 

Team Development and Accountability

• Hire, develop, and retain mission-aligned, high-capacity leaders for each program area.

• Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to direct reports.

• Create and sustain a culture of accountability and professional growth for all program staff.

Program Innovation and Impact

• Lead innovation in youth programming, integrating best practices in education, social-emotional learning, and spiritual formation.

• Evaluate and refine program design using evidence-based practices and emerging trends in youth development.

• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to pilot and scale new initiatives that improve outcomes for youth.

Data and Outcomes Management

• Utilize data to inform decision-making, drive program outcomes, and align initiatives with strategic priorities.

• Ensure Salesforce is fully leveraged to track and evaluate program effectiveness, student progress, and staff performance.

• Meet or exceed established minimum requirements, as well as standards of excellence as outlined in the By The Hand Club Affiliation Agreement for programming.

• Particularly, meet enrollment, attendance, and “Every Seat, Every Day” students served goals.

Organizational Culture and Integration

• Set and model a culture of excellence that is Christ-centered, people-oriented, and results-driven across all programming.

• Use Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to collaborate across the organization to align programming with broader organizational goals.

• Champion the integration of spiritual development into all aspects of programming and staff engagement.

Qualifications

Cultural Fit

• Passionate about discipleship and youth transformation through holistic, faith-based education and care.

• Culturally competent and deeply relational leader with a heart for urban youth and under-resourced communities.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in youth development, education, social services, or a related field.

• Proven track record in managing large, diverse teams and implementing systems for hiring, training, coaching, and accountability.

• Demonstrated success in using data and evidence-based practices to set and meet ambitious goals.

• Experience implementing innovative, impactful programs for K-12 and post-secondary populations.

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional leadership and team-building skills.

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills – including ability to clearly cascade information throughout the organization.

• Able to build strong relationships with all constituents e.g. students, parents, partner organizations, teammates, supervisor, board members.

• Adept at change management and building a culture of continuous improvement.

Required Skills/Abilities

• This position requires a Christ-like servant leader who has a sense of calling and who models Biblical principles.

• Passion and commitment for urban student transformation, confidence to lead in a challenging situation and belief that all children can learn.

• Ability to convey a vision of By The Hand Club’s strategic future to staff, board, volunteers, and donors.

• Outstanding problem-solving skills with an orientation toward results, action, impact and influence.

• Ability to work both as a team player and independently.

• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and multi-task well.

• Outstanding time management and communication skills.

• Ability to develop strategic plans with an understanding of social and workforce trends.

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in a related field, e.g., Urban Ministry, Education, Youth Development, preferred. 

• Ability to utilize database software, research programs, MS Office Suite, Google Suite, Google Drive, and all social media platforms.

• Must have a valid driver’s license and their own auto insurance to travel to sites.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopies, filing cabinets and fax machines. This job is not a virtual job, but it requires in-person attendance as agreed upon by your immediate supervisor.

Physical Demands

The employee is regularly required to speak and listen. This role may require you to move equipment from room to room and lift up to 50 pounds. The individual is also required to travel to other organization sites to meet with staff and supporters.

Disclaimer

The duties and responsibilities described are not an exhaustive list of all functions that the employee may be required to perform. The employee may be required to perform additional functions as necessitated by business demands. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. Employment with By The Hand Club For Kids is at will, and the employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation.

By The Hand Club For Kids is an equal opportunity employer. By The Hand does not unlawfully discriminate against any protected classes. As a ministry, By The Hand is permitted and reserves the right to prefer employees or prospective employees on the basis of religion in our screening and selection process. By The Hand is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified candidates with a disability, absent undue hardship. An employee or applicant who believes he or she has a disability and may require an accommodation must contact the Human Resources Department at hr@bythehand.org or call 773-854-4176.