Director of MEL: Partnership Initiatives (Volunteer)

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mentor a promiseNew York (NY)

Social and Community Service Managers Child and Youth Services

SENIORITY

Manager

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About the role

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well‑being, and creative voice, all within a trauma‑informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility‑centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity‑protective storytelling, consent‑driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long‑term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward.

Role Summary: The Director of MEL Partnership Initiatives manage the evaluation of programs designed and implemented in collaboration with partner institutions. This role works with partners to define indicators and design and implement evaluations that reflect the impact goals and learning interests of both Mentor a Promise and its partners. The MEL director will lead a small team of data analysts and manage overall evaluation design, coordinate data collection activities, manage research compliance, and lead field teams to ensure high-quality implementation of evaluations.

Key Responsibilities: Design and implement evaluations of partner-led programs and initiatives. Design data collection tools, a clean, secure data management system, and preanalysis plans. Where relevant, develop and follow IRB proposals and protocols. Train, supervise, and support enumerators conducting field‑based data collection. Train and monitor a small team of data analysts on data storage, cleaning, and analysis. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and experts throughout the evaluation lifecycle, which may include other research teams. Prepare reports and communicate research findings to internal and external partners. Maintain compliance with all legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements governing human subjects research.

Skills & Qualifications: Graduate degree or in final years of a graduate degree in fields related to public policy, education, economics, psychology, or a similar field, with a focus in evaluation methods preferred. Understanding and appreciation of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Strong understanding of the assumptions, strengths, limitations, and components of different evaluation designs. Prior experience designing and managing field research, with a preference for projects with a program evaluation focus. CITI Human Subjects Research certification or the ability to obtain promptly. Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Passion for supporting community and grassroots organizations, and MAP’s mission. Experience preparing or supporting IRB applications is strongly preferred. Experience working with schools, universities, or nonprofit organizations is preferred. Experience or interest in supervising field teams is also preferred.

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