Director of Evaluation & Learning

Position Title: Director of Evaluation & Learning

Reports To: VP of Programs & Impact

Community: Org-Wide

Office Location:  Milpitas, CA; Redwood City, CA; Oakland, CA; or Richmond, CA (up to 50% hybrid role of in-person and remote;)

Compensation: $100,084/annually, generous benefits package

Status: Full-time, exempt

About Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Fresh Lifelines for Youth is an award-winning non-profit whose mission is to partner with youth to unlock their potential, disrupt the pipeline to prison, and advance justice in California and beyond. By 2030, through partnering with young people, communities, and systems, FLY will contribute to the fight for equity and justice by taking concrete steps to dismantle California’s pipeline to prison, equip 30,000 youth to transform their lives and create meaningful opportunities for them to live healthy, free, and productive lives. For more information about Fresh Lifelines for Youth, please visit: www.flyprogram.org

Director of Evaluation & Learning - Position Summary

The Director of Evaluation and Learning is a pivotal role within FLY, tasked with championing and advancing an accountable culture of data driven decision-making and continuous improvement across the organization. As a senior member of the organization, this role is crucial for integrating and synthesizing data from various program areas to support strategic decisions and enhance program efficacy and impact. Collaborating closely with the Vice President of Programs and Impact and other members of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Evaluation and Learning ensures that program evaluation, data insights and learning frameworks align with FLY’s strategic goals and drive enhancements in service delivery and outcomes. 

This role oversees a team of three including direct supervision of the Associate Director of Evaluation and Learning. The Director is instrumental in fostering an environment where data and evidence guide program innovation and policy advocacy, thereby amplifying FLY’s mission to disrupt pipelines to prison and promote justice in California and beyond. 

Position Responsibilities

Learning and Evaluation Leadership

• Oversee all department functions, ensuring alignment with FLY’s strategic goals and fostering a culture of continuous improvement 
• Refine existing systems and develop new approaches to utilize data comprehensively for ongoing feedback and enhancement of program practices and organizational learning 
• Lead the design, utilization, and maintenance of FLY’s internal tracking system, Efforts to Outcomes (ETO)
• Support the data and information needs of all FLY programs, the Board of Directors, funders, partner agencies and the entire FLY organization
• Establish comprehensive data standards, policies, and procedures; create, refine and monitor efficient and reliable data entry systems to ensure data quality, integrity and compliance with established standards 
• Develop annual organizational impact reports; generate periodic reports to monitor program health and grant execution; and create quarterly organizational dashboards highlighting key program outcomes and insights 
• Develop custom queries, excel reports, and analysis tools to meet all program management and grant reporting needs, enhancing data accessibility and utility for strategic decision-making 

Strategy and Operations

• Oversee ETO usage and data collection methods, aligning data practices with FLY’s Theory of Change (TOC), key indicators of success and organizational outcomes to ensure strategic coherence and operational effectiveness 
• Use crucial data insights to make recommendations to refine programs and inform resource allocation and investment decisions, supporting the organization’s adaptability and growth
• Facilitate and co-lead Theory of Change implementation meetings and strategy sessions with the VP of Programs and Impact to ensure strategic alignment of programming across multiple jurisdictions
• Lead brainstorming sessions to refine TOC outcomes and explore and implement program changes to achieve targeted goals and outcomes  
• Work cross-functionally with Development and other departments to align grant applications and funding opportunities with program data and expected impacts
• Provide comprehensive training, coaching and support to program staff to educate staff on FLY’s theory of change and to ensure capacity to achieve high standards of performance and make informed, data driven decisions

Performance Management and Supervision 

• Hire, train, develop and supervise the Evaluation & Learning Associate Director
• Guide team members in setting and achieving individual and program-wide goals, guiding execution, and maintaining accountability for goal achievement.  
• Co-facilitate department team meetings, and facilitate trainings as needed, with support from the Talent Department 
• Conduct annual reviews of direct reports and lead the performance management process within the department, ensuring team members receive constructive feedback and targeted development plans to foster career growth and enhance departmental effectiveness  

Compensation & Benefits

This position is a full-time, non-exempt role at a rate of $100,084/year with differential pay options based on an advanced degree and, when applicable to the role, speaking another language. Our Total Rewards Package also includes the following: 

• Full medical dental, vision, and chiropractic healthcare and retirement contribution match
• 10+ PTO Days
• 12 Holiday Days
• FLY provides 3-4 additional "rejuvenation days off" twice per year in July and December 
• Annual Wellness Funds 
• Annual Professional Development Funds
• Employee Assistance Program (paid for by FLY)
• Annual Staff Retreat, Holiday Party, End of Year Celebration, Team Off Sites, and other FLY Events. 
• Customize your Work Schedule (dependent on supervisor approval based on positional and departmental needs)
• Hybrid of In-Office and Remote Work (frequency of required in-person work is dependent upon the role)
• 8 Hours of Civic Engagement
• Mileage Reimbursement. 

At FLY, we have adopted a no-negotiation policy. This policy reflects our commitment to equity and ensuring that the offers we make to our candidates reflect competitive and appropriate compensation given the market and the role.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

At FLY, we embrace a diversity of identities, beliefs, thoughts, and experiences. We commit to creating an organizational culture of equity and inclusion to better serve our youth and communities. FLY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive for an inclusive culture and a staff team that reflects diversity. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex/gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage women; people of color, people who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities; people with experience in the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems; and people with disabilities to apply.  Fresh Lifelines for Youth is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or compliance@flyprogram.org

COVID-19 Vaccination

At FLY, we are committed to the safety of our employees, clients, and all others who enter our workplace. As such, FLY would like to make clear that the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment. However, FLY does allow staff to apply for exemptions based on medical history or sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. This must be approved through FLY’s compliance department. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or email compliance@flyprogram.org

What to expect

• Application with 8-10 questions and an applicant screening question. 
  • No Cover Letter Required
• 2-3 Interviews (for many roles, at least 1 would be in person)
• Meet w/FLY youth
• Work Product (Done in advance of the Final Round Interview)

Position Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to equity, social, racial, and economic justice. They will understand how to utilize data to inform strategic decision-making, experience effectively utilizing database software, and a general understanding of programs. The candidate will believe in FLY’s vision, mission, and values: accountable, dedicated, respectful, equitable and just, loving, innovative, hopeful, and youth-centered.

Core Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff to exhibit across all positions at various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate  and advanced) 

• Cultural Responsivity: Demonstrates an openness and commitment to equity, justice, and belonging. This includes being aware of one’s own bias and privilege, building an understanding of systems of oppression, and valuing diverse perspectives; you take actions to learn and contribute to an environment that creates power-sharing, access, and opportunity within our community.
• High Quality: The ability to own your work, be accountable, and take initiative to produce high-quality results. This includes setting and achieving standards that demonstrate a high level of care and commitment to our mission, our population, our colleagues and our partners.
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively within a team and intentionally across teams to contribute to FLY’s mission and agency goals. When working with others, you exercise your strengths and build on the strengths of others.
• Communication: The ability to convey information effectively with consideration of the situation and audience. This includes communicating clearly with people of different backgrounds and cultures in which you demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and active listening. 
• Problem Solving: Applies critical thinking to problem solving that considers multiple perspectives and actively identifies creative solutions to address individual and systemic challenges. 
• Adaptability: The ability to adapt and respond to change effectively. This includes engaging in continuous learning, maintaining a solutions orientation, and proactively seeking opportunities to be supportive of change that  best serves our mission.

FLY’s Leadership Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff in Leadership positions to exhibit across various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate  and advanced) 

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates self-awareness and the ability to process one’s own emotions and the impact and influence on others. This includes maintaining a compassionate and authentic perspective of issues and information that allows you to effectively work through challenges with teams and to respond with empathy.
• Change Management: The ability to recognize a need and assess the readiness for change. This includes effectively promoting and building commitment toward change and successfully guiding your team through the implementation process. 
• Strategic Decision-making: Effectively structures and facilitates inclusive decision-making processes. This includes responsibly making informed decisions to improve organizational health and impact through the use of key information to problem solve and to identify equitable solutions.
• Develops & Motivates Others: Motivates, inspires and supports teams and individuals through strong coaching, mentorship, and targeted development activities. Builds healthy and effective teams through regular feedback, collaboration, role clarity and conflict resolution.  
• External Relationship Builder: Invests in and builds strong, trusted and ongoing relationships with external partners and cultivates new relationships. This includes the ability to analyze and understand relationships as a strategy for achieving the mission, which often means navigating complex relationships while anchoring to FLY’s values.
• Project Management: The ability to create project plans, implement plans with effective delegation to team members, and manage those plans to intended impact, while adjusting the course when needed. This includes managing at various levels of complexity and scale, as well as anticipating potential barriers and evolving plans to achieve the desired impact.

Note on Qualifications: In FLY’s quest for an equitable hiring process, candidates are encouraged to apply even if they feel they only meet 75% of the position requirements.