HEAF Program Director

HEAF Program Director 

About PAL 

The Police Athletic League (PAL) of New York City is an independent youth development nonprofit organization and has been a vibrant and vital institution, serving as an effective, critical bridge between police and communities across all five boroughs of the City since 1914. PAL operates diverse programs for children as young as 2 years old to young adults. Programs include Head Start, after-school programs and summer day camps for elementary, middle and high school youth, and summer Playstreets. PAL also runs evening teen centers and college readiness programs, youth employment, and juvenile justice programs. Staying true to PAL’s roots, a cornerstone of our youth development strategy includes offering competitive and recreational sports for children of all ages.  At PAL, we’re devoted to empowering communities and building the best places to work, and that goes for our own teams too. 

Position Summary  

The HEAF Program Director oversees the day-to-day operations and implementation of PAL's afterschool program serving middle and high school students. Reporting directly to PAL's Chief Operating Officer (COO), this position provides leadership and supervision to program staff, coordinates scheduling and site logistics, and ensures programming is delivered effectively, safely, and in alignment with PAL's mission, program goals, and organizational standards. 

The HEAF Program Director works closely with the Youthlink Director at the Harlem Center to coordinate program activities, support staff development, monitor program quality, and ensure effective integration of the program within the center's daily operations. This position plays a key role in ensuring a positive, engaging, and supportive experience for all participants. 

Commitment & Compensation  

• Schedule: 15 hours per week 

• Salary: $40 per hour  

Major Duties & Responsibilities  

Team Leadership & Staff Development 

• Manage, coach, and support the HEAF Outreach Coordinator, HEAF Content Specialist, and HEAF Youthlink Specialists. Lead regular team meetings to review priorities, student needs, program delivery, and follow-up. 

• Coordinate with the HEAF Content Specialist to support staff onboarding, training, and consistent implementation of the program model. 

• Establish clear performance expectations, observe program sessions, provide timely feedback, and address performance or coverage concerns. 

• Maintain staffing and coverage plans to ensure that all program sessions and activities are appropriately supervised. 

Program Operations & Logistics 

• Own and maintain the program calendar, including Tuesday and Wednesday in-person sessions, Monday virtual tutoring, college tours, workshops, community events, culmination events, and PAL holiday or site closures. 

• Ensure that program spaces, including the three classrooms and cafeteria used for Culinary Arts, are prepared and ready for each session. 

• Coordinate student arrival, supervision, snacks, transitions, and dismissal in collaboration with the appropriate PAL site staff. 

• Coordinate college tours, including transportation, chaperone arrangements, campus schedules, and student meals. Work with PAL to confirm participating campuses. 

• Manage program materials, supplies, and purchases within approved cohort budgets. 

• Maintain current program procedures and materials, including student and family handbooks, behavior expectations, field trip protocols, and incident-reporting procedures, in alignment with PAL policies. 

Program Quality & Performance 

• Ensure that program activities and curriculum are delivered consistently across the middle and high school cohorts. 

• Monitor attendance, participation, and student engagement in coordination with the appropriate PAL staff and available program data. 

• Identify gaps in program delivery or student participation and coordinate timely follow-up and corrective action. 

• Resolve day-to-day operational and student-support issues, escalating safety concerns and significant incidents in accordance with PAL procedures. 

• Maintain communication with the COO regarding program implementation, staffing, operational needs, emerging concerns, and progress toward program goals. 

What You Bring: 

• Bachelor’s degree in education, youth development, social services, or a related field required. 

• At least six years of experience in youth programming, including at least three years managing or supervising a team. 

• Experience working with middle and high school students strongly preferred. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage program operations, schedules, events, budgets, and multiple priorities. 

• Experience hiring, onboarding, coaching, supervising, and evaluating staff. 

• Ability to use attendance, participation, and other program information to assess performance and guide improvements. 

• Strong written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills. 

• Experience with Salesforce or a similar database or program-management platform is a plus. 

• Availability to work occasional evenings and Saturdays as required by program activities. 

• Bilingual Spanish/English skills are a plus. 

Benefits: PAL offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes health insurance, flexible spending account options, an employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement, pet insurance, life insurance, retirement savings options, a generous paid time off policy, training and more!  

Location: Harlem Center – 441 Manhattan Avenue, New York, NY 

Start Date: November 2026 

At the Police Athletic League, we seek people who are talented, creative and passionate to help create a more inclusive city and better futures for our youth. We’re devoted to empowering communities and building the best places to work, and that goes for our own teams too. 

The Police Athletic League is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected characteristic including, but not limited to, an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy 

Employment with PAL is contingent upon successful completion of all the Agency’s lawful pre-employment checks, which may include a background check.