Regional Program Specialist (5343)

YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES

The LA Y is the Center for Community Well-Being in Los Angeles, committed to building stronger communities by providing equitable programs and services to empower all. We are focused on fighting food insecurity, providing equity in education, making sure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of sports, ensuring kids and teens have a safe place to grow, learn and live a healthy lifestyle. The LA Y’s health and wellness initiatives offer medical and mental health resources to ensure everyone has access to basic health needs. Our mission is to provide services and resources that contribute to the well-being of our community. The LA Y operates 29 Centers and over 200 program sites across LA County.

*This position is grant funded, and continued employment is contingent upon the availability and renewal of funding and compliance with grant requirements. Positions may be modified or eliminated if funding is reduced, discontinued, or not renewed.*

POSITION SUMMARY

• Connect community members impacted by HR1 policy changes and new community engagement requirements to YMCA volunteer opportunities where they can complete required hours and support continued benefit eligibility.
• Match individuals with appropriate YMCA volunteer opportunities based on required hours, location, availability, interests, and ability to participate.
• Guide community members through the volunteer placement process, including identifying opportunities, completing onboarding, and preparing to begin service.
• Work closely with Certified Enrollment Specialists (CES) to receive referrals and connect individuals who need volunteer hours to meet HR1 requirements with available YMCA placements.
• Maintain an up-to-date pipeline of YMCA volunteer opportunities that can support HR1 community engagement requirements, including schedules, capacity, locations, and available hours.
• Partner with YMCA centers to identify and develop volunteer opportunities and support registration, screening, background clearance, orientation, and onboarding.
• Maintain communication with centers regarding volunteer capacity, placements, scheduling, and barriers that may prevent individuals from completing required hours.
• Conduct proactive outreach through community events, resource fairs, schools, partner organizations, YMCA centers, and other trusted community spaces to reach populations impacted by HR1.
• Educate community members on HR1 policy changes, community engagement requirements, potential impacts, required actions, and available YMCA support.
• Stay informed of HR1 policy and implementation updates and share accurate, current information with YMCA centers, partners, and community members.
• Connect individuals to CES enrollment and renewal assistance and additional YMCA programs and resources as needed.
• Build relationships with community organizations and regional partners to strengthen HR1 outreach, referrals, and awareness of YMCA volunteer opportunities.
• Track volunteer referrals, placements, service hours, outreach activities, and other program data to support reporting and follow-up.
• Identify barriers, emerging community needs, and gaps in volunteer capacity and work with centers and program leadership to develop solutions.
• Funding Contingent Position: Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of program funding, ongoing program needs, and satisfactory job performance. Funding beyond the current funding period is not guaranteed.

YMCA LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

The Y’s Leadership Competency Model is comprised of multiple leadership competencies (leadership knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for success in the Y), organized by the four disciplines of cause driven leadership:

• Advancing Our Mission & Cause: Provide visionary leadership to the organization and ensure that all resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community.
  • Competencies Include: Change Leadership, Engaging Community, Philanthropy, & Volunteerism
• Building Relationships: Connect people to the Y’s cause by developing inclusive relationships, partnerships and collaborations so that Ys can co-create solutions to pressing social needs.
  • Competencies Include: Collaboration, Communication & Influence, Inclusion
• Leading Operations: ensure relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization so that we can continue to fulfill our promise to the community.
  • Competencies Include: Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Fiscal Management, Functional Expertise, Innovation, Program/Project Management
• Developing & Inspiring Others: support the holistic development of self and others so that everyone can embrace the Y’s cause, sustain the Y’s culture, and inspire others to take individual and collective action to further our impact.
  • Competencies Include: Developing Self & Others, Emotional Maturity

While all competencies are significant the following are critical to success in this position:

• Engaging Community: Builds relationships with YMCA centers, community members, and trusted community partners to expand outreach, connect individuals impacted by HR1 policy changes to volunteer opportunities, and increase access to YMCA resources and support.
• Volunteerism: Connects community members impacted by HR1 community engagement requirements to meaningful YMCA volunteer opportunities and supports them through the placement and onboarding process.
• Collaboration: Works closely with YMCA center staff, Certified Enrollment Specialists, community partners, and the Civic Engagement team to coordinate volunteer placements, outreach, and effective program implementation.

*This position is grant funded, and continued employment is contingent upon the availability and renewal of funding and compliance with grant requirements. Positions may be modified or eliminated if funding is reduced, discontinued, or not renewed.*

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• AGE: 21 or older
• EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, political science, social work, sociology, human services, community development, public health, communications, business administration, or a related field.

• RELATED EXPERIENCE:
  • 2–3 years of experience in community outreach, volunteerism, community engagement, program coordination, policy education or implementation, social services, or other community-facing programs.
• SPECIALIZED SKILLS:
  • Strong communication, organization, relationship-building, and project coordination skills. Ability to work across multiple sites and manage competing priorities.
• CERTIFICATIONS:
  • Must successfully complete and maintain the Covered California Certified Enrollment Counselor (CEC) certification upon hire, including any required training and recertification
• ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
  • Attend staff meetings and training as required.
    • Uphold YMCA policies for safety, supervision, mandated reporting and risk management.
    • Demonstrate the Six Pillars of Character (Trustworthiness, Citizenship, Respect, Responsibility, Caring and Fairness) as well as the YMCA Core Values of Caring, Respect, Honesty and Responsibility, in all dealings with members, guests, volunteers and fellow staff.
    • Demonstrate competencies in and willingness to develop in the Cause Driven Leadership areas of mission advancement, collaboration, operational effectiveness and personal growth.
    • All other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/MINIMUM PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• You must have the physical, visual, and auditory ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be able to lift at least 15 pounds, without assistance.

*This position is grant funded, and continued employment is contingent upon the availability and renewal of funding and compliance with grant requirements. Positions may be modified or eliminated if funding is reduced, discontinued, or not renewed.*

Req# 5343