Vice President of Operations - Programs

Our Mission

The Bridge for Youth (BFY) centers youth voice, justice, and equity in all we do, and empowers youth experiencing homelessness through safe shelter, basic needs, and healthy relationships.

Our Values

Patience – We give space for youth to make decisions on their own timeline in their own way.

Love and Caring – We believe in acceptance, empathy, and non-judgement.

Communication – We engage in intentional dialogue to understand each other’s truths.

Integrity – We actively learn, grow, and change to align our actions in equity and justice.

Co-Creation – We seek connection to amplify the voice of youth and each other.

Community – We stand together for youth and for each other.

Position Information

Position: Vice President of Operations - Programs

Job Type: Full-Time, 1.0 FTE

Classification: Exempt

Reports to: President

Posting Date: 11/9/26

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Compensation: $125,000 - $140,000 annually

The Bridge for Youth utilizes an equitable & competitive compensation program and salary structure that includes regular Cost of Living Adjustments and raises. For this position, the salary range is $125k –$140k annually, depending on experience. This salary is non-negotiable beyond this range to counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity for salaries.

Location: 100% onsite

Working Hours: Flexible schedule to prioritize the needs of a 24/7/365 program. Hours are generally Monday through Friday, standard business hours; however, hours may vary based on organizational needs, including some nights and weekends. Participates in on-call rotation as scheduled, offering support and consultation to staff for all programs by phone and occasionally on-site.

Position Overview

For over 50 years, BFY has been at the forefront of addressing youth homelessness in Minnesota, positively impacting the lives of the most vulnerable youth in our community, through youth-centered and culturally-responsive programs that offer a pathway out of homelessness, including the most marginalized – minors, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, young families, and sexually exploited youth.

The Vice President of Operations - Programs (VPO) is a senior executive position at The Bridge for Youth (BFY), a nationally reputable and highly respected youth serving organization in Minneapolis. This senior leader will come with 8+ years in operational leadership and whose purpose is to position BFY for significant program growth and expansion per the strategic plan while assuring the continuity, effectiveness, and impact of current programs. The VPO is an inspirational and bold visionary who has demonstrated success in growing and building programs and teams; and is excited about the opportunity to make a signification contribution to a long-tenured but growing organization that serves the most vulnerable youth in community.

The VPO reports to the organization’s President, joining a talented executive team that is excited to co-create, collaborate, and expand its capacity through BFY's strategic plan to address the barriers to ending homelessness for youth. The VPO directly supervises four directors: Clinical Director, Monitoring & Evaluation Director, Emergency Services Director, and Housing & Youth Engagement Director who collectively manage the team of program employees and interns.

The VPO has senior executive oversite of the prevention, intervention, and aftercare programs and activities for youth ages prenatal – 24 related to emergency shelter, housing, outreach, mental health, and other supportive services. This senior leader inspires others around a vision and strategy for program improvement and development to assure a strong organizational culture and effectiveness in strengthening BFY's response to youth homelessness. The VPO is the organization’s principal liaison to government funders for contract management and partners with the development team in securing new and current government revenue.

Benefits Information

• Competitive health, dental, vision, and ancillary benefits
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• 403b (immediate contribution & vesting) with up to 4% match after one year of employment
• Up to 4 weeks of PTO first year of employment, in addition to 15 paid holidays
• Pet friendly

We ask all staff to:

• Lead within a framework of agency values, philosophies, and goals, including team commitment and cooperation across BFY services and programs.
• Emulate and enthusiastically promote the organizational culture as defined by the identified values statements and racial justice and equity opportunities of BFY.
• Lead in building upon and strengthening a culture of establishing and nurturing relationships.
• BFY believes in team, collaboration, and constantly developing a supportive and caring environment for each other. Sometimes we are asked to lean in above and beyond our position description and we enthusiastically do so.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Senior Leadership

• Serve as key partner to the President in the organization’s annual and strategic planning and implementation of the organization’s strategic initiatives, including advancing racial justice and equity commitments; developing a best practice model of youth voice and leadership; developing a holistic model of programming in housing and shelter programs; expanding programming and housing options for young families; and investing in the human resources and other organizational infrastructure.
• Partner with the Finance Director and President in annual program budgeting and planning in alignment with program strategic initiatives and annual priorities; provide oversite of program budget and expenditures.
• Monitor, update, and implement best practices, systems, policies, and procedures necessary for efficient and impactful programmatic operations and compliance with local, state, federal and funder financial requirements.
• Build and manage external relationships, collaborations, and partnerships to advance BFY’s mission and vision.
• Support fund development efforts through site visits, program presentations, events, and participation in grant writing where necessary.
• Serve as principal liaison to government funders for contract management and partners with the development team in securing new and current government revenue.

Team Leadership

• Promote the organization’s racial justice, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Develop and maintain a diverse work force.
• Provide oversite to, and compassionately lead, the Clinical Director, Monitoring & Evaluation Director, Emergency Services Director, and Housing & Youth Engagement Director who collectively manage a staff team of approximately 50 employees and interns.
• Foster a team and cross-organizational culture that is consistent with the organization’s guiding principles and values.
• Develop performance goals (both professional and program) and hold self and others accountable for timely, high-quality work and achievement of goals and outcomes.
• Provide staff with needed team and professional development: onboarding, guidance, supervision, support, training, professional growth, and performance assessment.
• Lead in ways that maximize the potential of all staff by assuring equitable, sensitive, and respectful treatment by and toward all employees.
• Ensure team follows agency policies and procedures, as well as all paperwork, records, and documentation are maintained satisfactorily and consistently by all staff.
• Manage – and support team in managing - personnel matters in a timely, thorough, and responsible manner, including employee concerns or complaints, that adhere to employment law and agency policies, procedures, and practices.

Program Impact & Effectiveness

• Ensure all programs are compliant in terms of county, state and federal regulatory requirements including but not limited to Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing, City of Minneapolis licensing, state and federal privacy laws, state and federal employment laws and Minnesota Department of Human Rights obligations.
• Ensure effective procedures are in place for monitoring the scope, quality and quantity of the services being delivered.
• Adhere to outputs, outcomes, goals, expected standards of care, and meet grant deliverables.
• Monitor contract timelines and program deliverables and outcomes. Lead team in preparing timely and accurate government contract reports.
• Analyze and modify program interventions as necessary to ensure achievement of desired impact on barrier reduction and long-term self-sufficiency goals.
• Assure systems and technology (i.e. CRM) meet the needs of the organization and pivot when change is necessary.

Commitments - as individuals and as a BFY commUNITY - to end racism:

• Center and prioritize youth voice and respect their journey and timeline.
• Identify, interrogate, dismantle racism in systems, institutions (including our own, community.)
• Stand up in commUNITY with - and for - our Black and Indigenous youth, peers, friends, and family.
• Hold ourselves and others accountable; call out wrongs and clap for “rights.”
• Emulate a Liberation is Love culture where when one thrives, we all thrive.
• Value and celebrate cultural differences with reverence and empathy.
• Experiences and identities of staff, board of directors, and partners represent those of youth in program.
• Recognize and acknowledge harm and trauma – current and historical – to Black and Indigenous peoples.
• Assure knowledge and resources are equitably available and distributed.
• Invest in our strategic plan which prioritizes voice, justice, and equity throughout.

Qualifications/ Required Skills

Required

• Minimum 8 – 10 years in progressive senior operational leadership positions.
• Innovative and bold thinker who has led organizational strategic and annual planning that led to the development and implementation of new initiatives and programs, and garnered support from donors and partners to assure success.
• Lead with a high level of confidentiality, boundaries, ethical standards, and conduct.
• Successful oversite of $5 million+ budgets and a portfolio of government contracts.
• Seasoned executive leader with the demonstrated ability to compassionately coach, mentor and develop the capacity in staff and success in culture (re)formation and emulation; builds strong and stable teams.
• An appreciation for the lived expertise of youth and staff and an understanding of how to support and navigate primary, historical, and secondary trauma.
• A collaborative spirit and willingness to lead and partner both internally and externally through the values of co-creation, integrity, love, support, patience, communication, and commUNITY.
• Ability to communicate (written and verbal) effectively and build, strong impactful and respectful working relationships with people across the organization and in the community.
• Strategic and forward-thinking, problem solving, communication, time management, decision making, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability for commitment to diversity
• Demonstrated ability to work individually and with a team
• Experience and ability to work with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint & Outlook) as well as Client Record Management (CRM)
• Must be 21 years of age or older
• Must not have been a resident of any BFY program within the last three years
• Must clear a background check
• Must have a valid driver’s license, satisfactory driving record, and valid auto insurance with bodily injury liability limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident

Preferred

• Lived experience similar to the youth served by BFY
• Experience in homelessness, housing, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and pregnant and parenting youth programs.
• Bi-lingual (English-Spanish) with high proficiency of verbal and written skills.
• Masters or bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, youth development, human services, social work, public relations, business, or related field.

To Apply

Submit cover letter, references, and resume to resume@bridgeforyouth.org

The Bridge for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to embracing diversity and individuality, and opposed to practices which discriminate on basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, handicap, disability, age, or nationality. We apply this policy of unbiased consideration not only to our hiring process, but also to recruitment, promotion, transfer, compensation, layoff, and termination. We are further committed to taking affirmative action to ensure our employment opportunities are accessible to individuals who meet the qualifications conducive to available positions, and we encourage all interested jobseekers to apply. EEO/AA.