Manager, Post High School Success

At Raw Art Works (RAW) we believe that all young people should be seen heard and that everyone has a story to tell. Rooted in art therapy our creative community arts organization empowers youth through the arts giving them tools to process what is happening in their lives and to envision new possibilities for their future. Our mission is to ignite the desire to create and the confidence to succeed in underserved youth.

Founded in 1988 RAW fosters an inclusive trauma-informed environment where young people can express themselves and build strong relationships with peers and staff. Today more than 350 youth ages 8 to 19 take part in after-school and summer visual and expressive arts groups digital film school classes leadership development opportunities and college and career access programming in Lynn. RAW staff have helped lead the creative youth development movement since its inception and RAW is recognized nationally for its program impact.

The Manager Post High School Success supports older youth through the final years of high school the move into college career or creative pathways and their continued connection with RAW as alumni. This is both a program design and a direct youth work role.

RAW is moving from required workshops and a separate one-to-one mentoring program to small consistent groups organized around youth interests and the first year you will help design and pilot that model. As it develops you will lead and improve the groups directly facilitating up to four. Seniors will continue to receive individual mentoring within the groups most relevant to them.

This is a hybrid role. Group facilitation and programming take place in person in Lynn and the schedule follows RAWs after-school program hours including regular afternoons and some evenings.

The position reports to the Senior Manager Service Design & Impact and supervises an AmeriCorps Fellow.

You will be the person who holds both the vision for RAWs older youth programming and the relationships that make it work. Your work will include:

• Work side by side with leadership and the Senior Manager Service Design & Impact to determine group offerings and curriculum for the enrolled-group model
• Design and pilot enrolled groups of up to 12 youth including at least one virtual alumni group that will replace RAWs current alumni program
• Explore whether workshops for younger participants should remain part of the pathway
• Turn the shift away from mandatory workshops and a standalone one-to-one model into a coherent choice-based group experience

• Directly lead up to four enrolled groups holding the room and the relationships with youth and families
• Build group experiences that are culturally relevant developmentally sound and grounded in RAWs model
• Support young people through the post high school transition including college applications financial aid and career workforce and creative pathways
• Keep at least one group focused on alumni sustaining their connection to RAW through active programming

• Recruit train and manage volunteer mentors with one-to-one mentoring taking place inside the relevant senior groups
• Match mentors thoughtfully and support those relationships so they hold over time
• Supervise and develop an AmeriCorps Fellow who also leads groups and manages mentor relationships for seniors under your guidance

• Develop and maintain partnerships with colleges scholarship programs employers and career organizations that serve the group model
• Build relationships with guest speakers and community partners who enrich groups and the post high school pathway
• Create opportunity pipelines that directly support program offerings and expand youth access

• Contribute to mapping the youth journey and documenting RAWs model as it relates to post high school success
• Track participation and engagement across groups and coordinate with the Program Director so that data lives in RAWs enrollment and CRM systems
• Share insights and documentation that support evaluation storytelling and RAWs fundraising goals
• Take part in supervision staff meetings and professional development as a member of the RAW community

This role sits where direct youth work meets program design. It calls for someone who has spent real time with older teens and young adults and who can also build the structures that support them. We are looking for:

• Bachelors degree in education social work youth development counseling the arts or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least three years of experience working directly with high school students or young adults ideally in college access career readiness mentoring or youth development settings
• Experience designing and facilitating group programming including developing curriculum; you can hold a group with warmth and structure and adapt in the moment
• Working knowledge of post-secondary pathways including college applications financial aid and career and workforce options
• Experience recruiting training or supervising staff fellows or volunteers
• Experience building partnerships with colleges employers or community organizations
• Comfort tracking participation data and using it to improve programming
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• A consistent equity mindset cultural humility and a commitment to centering youth voice and choice in program design and delivery
• Successful completion of a background check is required as a condition of employment

• Experience running or supporting a mentoring program
• Familiarity with trauma-informed practice and creative youth development
• Fluency in Spanish or another language spoken in the Lynn community
• Experience designing piloting and refining a new program based on what youth staff and data are telling you

We know that strong candidates sometimes hold back unless they meet every listed qualification. If this role excites you and your experience does not line up perfectly we still encourage you to apply.

• A mission-driven workplace dedicated to supporting young people through creativity relationships and community.
• A collaborative inclusive and creative team that values reflection supervision and shared responsibility.
• Professional development opportunities to support continued learning and growth.
• Health coverage including medical dental and vision insurance with coverage beginning on your first day of employment.
• Additional health and financial benefits: health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts an employer-funded Health Reimbursement Arrangement and employer-paid life AD&D and long-term disability insurance.
• Generous time off: 15 days of paid time off in your first year paid sick time 12 paid holidays a paid birthday holiday and 2 floating holidays.
• A 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match for eligible employees after one year of service.
• Pre-tax MBTA commuter benefits.
• As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit employer full-time RAW staff may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Benefits are subject to eligibility requirements and the terms of RAWs benefit plans.

At RAW creativity connection and care shape both our programs and our workplace. You will join a team that values collaboration takes the work seriously without losing sight of the people behind it and is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for young people in Lynn.

This role offers a rare vantage point: you will work alongside both executive leadership and the development team see how the whole organization fits together and play a direct part in helping RAWs people and systems work well.

This is a mostly sedentary role. It requires sitting at a desk and using a computer and phone for most of the day and occasionally lifting items up to 20 pounds including when supporting events.

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Accessibility is a core value at RAW. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

To be considered for this role both a resume and a cover letter are required. Please ensure you apply directly to this job listing. Our hiring team reviews applications on a rolling basis. If your skills and experience align with the requirements of this role we will contact you to schedule an initial phone interview.

Raw Art Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks a diverse staff that reflects the community we serve. Employment decisions are based on qualifications and organizational needs without discrimination based on race color religion creed sex gender identity sexual orientation national origin ancestry age disability genetic information pregnancy marital status veteran or military status citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process please let us know at

Required Experience:

Manager