Youth Advocacy Program Manager – Bilingual Spanish
Covenant House International · New York, US ·
- Work mode
- Remote
- Seniority
- C level
- Employment
- Fellowship
- Category
- Project management
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Company size
- 501-1000
Manages an international youth engagement program (International Youth Congress) by coordinating operations, supporting youth participants, organizing events, and fostering partnerships across 34 sites in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Focuses on program coordination, youth development, and advocacy while ensuring bilingual (Spanish/English) communication and cross-cultural engag
Overview
Since 1972, Covenant House has served and advocated for youth and young families experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, and exploitation. Our overarching goal is to end homelessness among youth and young families by helping them achieve housing stability, heal from trauma, tap into their innate resilience, and hone their interests and skills to forge new pathways to independence. This work is carried out across Covenant House sites in 34 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
About the Role
The Youth Advocacy Program Manager will play a central role in supporting the successful implementation and growth of CHI's flagship youth engagement initiative: the International Youth Congress (IYC). This position is ideal for an early to mid-career professional who brings a combination of strong program coordination skills with experience working directly with young people.
The Youth Advocacy Program Manager will oversee day-to-day operations of the IYC, coordinate virtual and in-person programming, support youth participation and retention, facilitate communication across CHI's international federation, and ensure that youth members receive the support necessary to thrive in the program.
The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, relationship-driven, and deeply committed to authentic youth engagement. They are equally comfortable managing travel logistics, tracking action items, facilitating communications, supporting youth leaders, and coordinating with staff, partners, and external stakeholders. This position works across our international federation of sites and requires fluency in both Spanish and English.
In this role, you will report directly to the Vice President of Youth Advocacy, Planning, and Strategic Partnerships, and supervise members of the IYC. If you're passionate about youth leadership and social change, this role offers a rare opportunity to help launch and grow an international youth advisory body that is influencing policy, research, and program design across five countries. You'll work directly with inspiring young leaders, build meaningful partnerships, and play a pivotal role in turning big ideas into action through exceptional coordination, relationship-building, and execution.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Program Coordination & Operations (35%)
Coordinate the day-to-day administration and implementation of the IYC
Maintain project plans, calendars, meeting schedules, participation records, and program documentation
Coordinate budget for timely reporting, payments, and expenditures for program needs
Support Development and Brand and Communications teams for IYC related initiatives and projects
Track deliverables, follow-up items, deadlines, and reporting requirements
Support the onboarding and ongoing engagement of IYC members
Coordinate communication with youth participants, CHI staff, site staff, advisory board members, consultants, and partner organizations
Manage program databases, contact lists, resource libraries, and participant records
Develop and maintain operational systems that promote efficiency, accountability, and strong participant experiences
Youth Engagement & Participant Support (25%)
Serve as a primary point of contact for IYC members
Provide light case coordination and youth development support through regular check-ins and relationship building to ensure IYC members have their needs met through their sites
Connect participants to resources and support systems available through their local Covenant House sites
Identify barriers to participation and collaborate with site staff to support youth success
Promote a trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally responsive environment
Support youth leaders in navigating travel, training participation, public speaking opportunities, and leadership development activities
Events, Trainings & Convenings (25%)
Coordinate virtual trainings, workshops, leadership development sessions, partner meetings, and community-building events
Lead logistical planning for domestic and international convenings, retreats, and conferences
Manage travel arrangements, participant communications, accommodations, stipends, accessibility needs, and event materials
Coordinate vendors, consultants, facilitators, and guest speakers
Support facilitation of meetings and trainings as appropriate
Ensure events are youth-centered, accessible, and aligned with CHI values
Partnerships, Advocacy & Special Projects (15%)
Support the SVP of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships with administrative tasks related to CHI’s legislative and regulatory advocacy work.
Support engagement of VP of Youth Advocacy, Planning, and Strategic Partnerships with external partners, coalitions, researchers, youth-serving organizations, and advocacy stakeholders
Assist with coordinating CHI staff, sites, and key partners in authentic youth engagement and participation in advocacy opportunities, research projects, conferences, and public events
Support information gathering, meeting preparation, and follow-up related to partnerships and collaborative initiatives
Contribute to special projects that strengthen youth leadership and systems-change efforts across the federation as assigned by strategy office leadership
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Exceptional organizational discipline and attention to detail
Strong execution and follow-through
Sound judgment and professionalism
Cross-cultural communication and cultural humility
Relationship-building and consensus-building skills
Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment
A commitment to youth partnership and shared decision-making
The ability to balance administrative precision with warmth and empathy
Required Qualifications
Minimum 3 years of professional experience in youth development, social services, advocacy, program coordination, nonprofit management, or related fields
Experience working directly with young people who have experienced housing instability, homelessness, trafficking, foster care involvement, or other significant life challenges
Fluency in both English and Spanish, including verbal and written communication and bicultural competency
Experience coordinating complex projects, events, or programs involving multiple stakeholders
Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and follow through on commitments
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, Zoom, and project management tools
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in social work, education, and/ or equivalent lived and professional experience in systems that impact our young people
Experience coordinating advisory boards, youth councils, leadership programs, or community engagement initiatives
Experience participating in coalitions, cross-sector partnerships, or community-based collaborations
Familiarity with homelessness, housing policy, anti-trafficking efforts, youth development, or related social justice issues
Experience supporting virtual learning communities, trainings, fellowship models or leadership development programs
Experience as an educator and / or building learning curriculum
Experience as a social worker supporting vulnerable populations
Knowledge of trauma-informed, positive youth development, and participatory leadership practices
Applied knowledge of safeguarding and child and youth protection approaches and best practices
Travel Requirements
Ability to travel once per year to New York City in early October for our annual in-person traditions
Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25%
Outside of our above-mentioned travel requirements, this position is 100% remote
Our Community
Our critical mission demands that we have all voices at the table. A team of diverse people, perspectives, and experiences is smarter, stronger, and more effective for our young people. At Covenant House, every team member is valued, respected, heard, and supported, and we welcome honest and courageous self-reflection on any aspects of our work that are based on biased or outdated viewpoints. We deliberately create opportunities for our staff to grow and thrive.
Covenant House International is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind: CHI is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CHI are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, family or parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CHI will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.
If you have a disability or medical condition and need a reasonable accommodation, such as an ASL interpreter or a different interview format, or if you have physical accessibility needs, let us know. Contact us at 1-929-502-2521, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time or email us at [email protected].