DEPUTY COMMISSIONER YOUTH SERVICES

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Deputy Commissioner Youth Services

Department of Family and Support Services

Number of Positions: 1

Salary: $135,084

Mission

Working with community partners, we connect Chicago residents and families to resources that build stability, support their well-being, and empower them to thrive.

Background - Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)
DFSS is the largest human and social service funder in the City of Chicago. The department serves approximately 400,000 vulnerable Chicagoans every year through seven service areas: children and youth services, human services, workforce, seniors, domestic violence, and homelessness. The department provides critical services through its network of 350 not-for-profit agencies with an operating budget of $790 million ($404M annual budget + $386M in CARES, ARP, and Bond investments).

Youth Services

Chicago young people realize their potential as drivers of development, change, and leadership. Building upon Chicago's rich history of providing human services for all residents, the Youth Division of DFSS supports young people through programming in three distinct portfolios and continues to focus investments and resources to address youth who are most acutely at risk. The three portfolios are:

• Enrichment

To meet the needs of youth in Chicago by providing access to high-quality afterschool programs to build the key skills necessary to succeed in life.

• Prevention & Intervention

To meet the needs of the most acutely at-risk youth by providing support and services to address their needs and better position them to reach their full potential.

• Youth Employment

To provide youth with access to career readiness and employment opportunities to gain experience and build the skills to succeed in life and work.

Annually, $85M ($71.5M annual budget + $13.5M in Grants and ARP investments) is granted to community partners through a competitive grant-making process. In 2024, the Youth Services Division funded over 300 programs serving 106,860 participants across 147 delegate agencies impacting every Chicago neighborhood.

Deputy Commissioner Youth Services

The Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services sets the strategic vision for youth services for the City of Chicago and is the driver of strategy and impact to provide greater opportunities to underserved youth. Additionally, this position is part of the department's senior leadership team helping to shape and deliver the overall youth strategy for the City of Chicago. The Youth Division designs, implements, and delivers on large-scale public initiatives including One Summer Chicago (over 10,000 youth served) and the Mentoring Initiative (4,000 youth served). Additionally, the portfolio includes programs such as the Service Coordination and Navigation Program, and Girls Empowerment and Mentoring Program that address youth involved in the justice system that seek to stabilize young people and offer wrap-around resources to create alternative pathways for them.

Evolving Role of Deputy Commissioner
The role of the Deputy Commissioner is continually evolving within the City of Chicago and as a key programmatic division of the department. This position requires both strategic and tactical leadership, and an ability to conduct an annual assessment of the division's opportunities and challenges, which includes the following:

• Ability to adapt annually to new opportunities without sacrificing program quality or operational excellence.
• Ability to bring depth to existing initiatives and create innovations that drive better outcomes for youth and focus on best practices and evidence.
• Serve as the expert and spokesperson for youth services including presentations to the Mayor's Office, funders, media, and aldermen.
• Deliver annual goals with an eye toward future planning with a 2-3-year planning cycle.
• Lead the division's shift from outputs to outcomes as part of the department's strategic framework.
• Lead on city-wide violence prevention efforts and career development pathways for youth.
• Serving as the liaison for the DFSS in emergency preparedness as it relates to youth within the City and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

Key Functions
Under the direction of the Managing Deputy Commissioner for Programs, the Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services is responsible for the implementation of the Youth Services Division's mission leading a multi-layered, highly visible approach to delivering critical services and programs for Chicago's youth ages 14-24. This approach is delivered in partnership with leading community-based organizations and includes:

• Program Performance, Strategic Goal Setting and Team Management 40%

Guiding a pre-existing portfolio of over 650 programs and 152 funded partners, the Youth Deputy is responsible for setting and articulating outcome measures that support program goals and working with community agencies to strengthen their collective learning. This position will identify best practices and broadly share models with a vast network of service providers by engaging in active contract management with internal teams and external providers. It is important that programs can articulate impact, and not just the number of youth served. The Deputy will work with the team to create visuals and data dashboards to lead learning agenda with partners to address performance in real-time.

• Program Management - 35%

Planning and establishing youth services goals and objectives in compliance with overall departmental goals as they relate to the overall achievement, safety, and stability of youth. In addition, this position is responsible for setting strategy and ensuring resources are linked to those in need. There are five direct reports to the position: four Managers of Family and Support Services (one for each program portfolio and a manager of operations) and a staff assistant. The Youth Deputy Commissioner will ensure that work moves forward in a consistent manner. This position will also provide management support to assist with problem-solving, funding issues and address service gaps where needed.

• Outreach and Partnerships - 10%

Creating new and maintaining existing relationships with the non-profit, City, State, and Federal levels. Represent the department and/or the Youth Services Division at partnership meetings with delegate agencies, state, federal, and local youth advocates. Working collaboratively with local and national youth-serving advocates, city departments, sister agencies, and the City's vast network of community partners to deliver a comprehensive strategy to serve Chicago's youth. Coordinating with leading local and national research partners to design program evaluations and analyses to improve services. Participating in collective impact efforts such as the Community Service Coordination Center, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Youth Committee, Thrive Chicago, the Chapin Hall Collaborative, and the citywide violence reduction working group.

• Other - 15%

o Setting the strategic direction for new programs and initiatives that can support identified gaps and opportunities as additional resources become available that support violence prevention, civic engagement, youth employment, and enrichment activities.

o Identifying best practices and broadly sharing models with a vast network of service providers by engaging in active contract management with internal teams and external providers.

o Leading change management initiatives

o Leading staff who are responsible for working cross-functionally with administrative and support divisions including finance, contract management, grants, human resources, monitoring, policy, and communications.

o Coordinating with leading local and national research partners to design program evaluations and analyses to improve services.

o Developing RFPs and leading the contract award process

THIS POSITION IS SHAKMAN EXEMPT

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in the Social Sciences, Human Services, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a directly related field plus five years of experience in the planning and administration of a social or community service program of which three years is in a management/supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position, provided the minimum degree requirement is met. Preference will be given to candidates possessing a master's degree.

Selection Criteria

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral part of the interview will be selected.

Minimum Qualifications

• Proven track record in developing programs including outcome measures, research questions, and evaluation criteria.
• Knowledge of trends and best practices in youth development and related fields such as education, violence prevention, and diversion programs for youth.
• Commitment to meeting the needs of Chicago's youth through innovation and scalable interventions with the ability to work collaboratively with other leading youth service partners including city and sister agencies.
• Ability to develop and maintain robust partnerships that further the City's youth services goals.
• Ability to plan and convene large groups of internal and external stakeholders including Alderpeople, youth, and community groups.
• Understanding of and ability to use data and outcome measures to support programmatic and organizational change.
• Knowledge of grant-making including the development of proposals, selection criteria, and evaluation tools with the ability to make annual funding recommendations.
• Substantial, progressively responsible supervisory and staff development experience, which demonstrates the ability to administer a major division of a DFSS.
• Strong political acumen, especially in addressing critical needs for at-risk youth in a resource-constrained environment.
• Working knowledge of budget and project development/management.
• Proven ability to make presentations in a variety of settings_; and to speak and write effectively_.
• Ability to form and maintain positive working relationships with staff and the community.
• Ability to prepare and execute budget recommendations.
• Knowledge of the principles of organization, administration and management.
• Understanding of personnel and labor relations principles, policies, and procedures.

Individuals interested in this position should send their resume to the following:

Olga Feliciano

Executive Assistant

Department of Family and Support Services

olga.feliciano@cityofchicago.org

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf