State Director - Youth Challenge Program

The Georgia Youth Challenge Program (GaYCP) recruits, enrolls, and trains Georgia’s 16–18-year-old educationally at-risk youth to complete work on their GED or HS Diploma and to receive life skills training to become productive citizens. The Program completes its mission by operating three quasi-military, residential academies located at Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon, Georgia. The two Youth Challenge Academies conduct two 22-week residential programs annually focused on academic and life-skills improvement. The third program, the Job Challenge Academy, provides vocational and job skills training and continued academic achievement support to Youth Challenge Academy graduates. The Program consists of approximately 200 employees located at three locations (Clay National Guard Center, Ft. Gordon, and Ft. Stewart, Georgia) and graduates 500 students annually.

This position provides overall leadership, supervision, and guidance to the academy directors and program-level staff. They will provide executive-level coordination and communication with Georgia Department of Defense, and supporting agencies, organizations, and stakeholders, to coordinate for the educational services and support required for the three academies.

The State Director operates under the direct supervision of the Deputy Adjutant General (DTAG), Georgia Department of Defense. Under the supervision of the DTAG, the director provides leadership, direction, general supervision of all programs and initiatives, and administrative guidance based on agency policies. This includes directly supervising the Academy Directors and admissions staff; facilitating consistency, standardization, and cooperation between the programs; ensuring a qualified diverse pool of drug-free participants who have dropped out of high school, in danger of not graduating, and are without a criminal record as program candidates for selection; directing and managing internal and external budgetary and fiscal management and compliance requirements, human resources and labor compliance requirements, and external communications for the academies.

The office will be headquartered at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, with frequent travel to campus locations an expected and regular part of the Director responsibilities.

Please note: Candidates who are currently part of the Georgia Teachers Retirement System may continue their membership in that system. Other candidates will be part of the Georgia Employees Retirement System.

Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to qualified applicants who have significant, honorable military leadership experience. Experience and interest in working with students, young adults and staff that are part of a multicultural community is strongly preferred. Veterans who have experience as a teacher or school administrator may be given further preference.

Additional Information:

Selected applicant must possess a valid driver's license and pass a pre-employment background investigation, which includes a Georgia criminal records search, a national fingerprint scan, a pre-employment drug test (post-hire will be placed in the pool for the State Random Drug Testing Program), AND a post-employment federal background investigation.

“AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER & DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE”

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered, but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification. This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.

GA Department of Defense Employment Benefits for Full-Time Employees