Fatherhood Program Director

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the power and potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York-based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence.  We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty grow strong. We help individuals with developmental disabilities live their best lives, and we help our neighbors access quality health and mental health services—core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. Together, our interrelated programs provide a whole-person, whole-family, and whole-life approach that unlocks solutions for a lifetime.

The Fatherhood Program Director serves as a visionary leader and advocate dedicated to empowering fathers to build stronger families and thriving communities. This role leads a dynamic network of fathers navigating critical City Systems such as public assistance, child support, child welfare, education, and housing—ensuring that every father has the tools, confidence, and support to be actively engaged in their children’s lives. Through innovative program design, strategic partnerships, and hands-on coaching, the Fatherhood Program Director transforms barriers into opportunities—helping fathers achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and positive parenting outcomes. By fostering collaboration among staff, community partners, and families, the Director ensures that the Fatherhood Program remains a model of excellence, equity, and measurable community impact.

The Fatherhood Program Director serves as a visionary leader and advocate dedicated to empowering fathers to build stronger families and thriving communities. This role leads a dynamic network of fathers navigating critical City Systems such as public assistance, child support, child welfare, education, and housing—ensuring that every father has the tools, confidence, and support to be actively engaged in their children’s lives. Through innovative program design, strategic partnerships, and hands-on coaching, the Fatherhood Program Director transforms barriers into opportunities—helping fathers achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and positive parenting outcomes. By fostering collaboration among staff, community partners, and families, the Director ensures that the Fatherhood Program remains a model of excellence, equity, and measurable community impact.

Core Responsibilities: 

• Oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of all fatherhood program services to ensure alignment with program goals and best practices. Develop and implement new evidence-based initiatives annually that improve father engagement and family outcomes. Achieve a 90% completion rate of scheduled programs.
• Lead team in their work with fathers and families to identify challenges, set measurable goals, and connect them to appropriate community resources. Ensure a min of 20 one-on-one coaching sessions per month and 4 group sessions per quarter. Ensure 80% of enrolled fathers meet or exceed individual goal plans within 6 month of participation
• Cultivate and sustain strategic relationships with community organizations, agencies, and stakeholders to enhance program impact. Establish or renew at least 5 formal partnerships annually that expand resource access for fathers and families. Increase community referral engagement by 25% annually through outreach and collaborative initiatives
• Manage program progress using data-driven methods to evaluate effectiveness and inform continuous improvement. Maintain 100% compliance with data collection and grant reporting requirements Submit monthly performance reports with analysis on outcomes and recommendations for improvement.
• Develop and manage program budgets, resources, and timelines to ensure efficient and effective delivery. Ensure 100% adherence to all regulatory, policy, and grant compliance standards.
• Lead a team of Family Development Coaches, Training Specialists, and Peer Mentors through weekly supervision and coaching. Conduct weekly team meetings and individual supervision sessions with 100% compliance. Develop and implement quarterly professional development plans for all team members.
• Respond promptly to communication and represent the program in community meetings, conferences, and outreach efforts. Respond to all internal and external communications within 36 hours. Metric: Participate in at least 6 community or stakeholder events per year to promote fatherhood initiatives and secure funding opportunities.
• Participate in ongoing professional development to support ongoing leadership in overall support of Fathers, Families and program needs.

The New York Foundling is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse employee population, the Foundling will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Public Administration, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in program management, social services, or community engagement, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or leadership role.
• Demonstrated success managing programs serving fathers, families, or at-risk populations, with a proven ability to drive measurable outcomes.
• Experience working with or navigating systems such as child welfare, housing, employment, education, and public assistance.
• Strong leadership and team development skills; able to motivate, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain relationships with fathers, staff, and community partners
• Strategic thinker with a data-driven approach to program improvement and outcome measurement.
• Strong knowledge of Family development best practices and standards.