Upena Pili Navigator

3 FT Positions - 'Oahu

1 FT Position - Moloka'i

Primary Purpose:

Guide and support ʻōpio furthest from opportunity through individualized, relationship-based navigation grounded in ʻUpena Pili's ancestral wayfinding model. Partner with 'ōpio to identify their goals, recognize and build upon their strengths, navigate barriers, and access coordinated supports, resources, and opportunities across youth programs. Support ʻōpio in developing the mindsets, skillsets, relationships, confidence, and self-direction needed to navigate learning, work, and life.

Essential Duties:

Relationship-Based Navigation

• Build consistent, trusting, and authentic relationships with ʻōpio through individual mentorship, coaching, encouragement, and care;

• Meet ʻōpio where they are, listen actively, recognize and cultivate their strengths, and create physical and psychological safety;

• Serve as a guide and advisor as ʻōpio build agency, make informed decisions, solve problems, and become navigators of their own lives;

• Maintain positive, productive, and healthy relationships with ʻōpio through appropriate professional boundaries, reliability, and personal self-care;

• Share lived experience in developmentally appropriate and professional ways when it supports the growth and goals of ʻōpio.

Individualized Wayfinding

• Partner with each ʻōpio to develop and regularly update an individualized Navigator's Journey that reflects their identity, strengths, interests, needs, goals, destinations, and next steps;

• Help ʻōpio orient themselves, explore multiple possible futures, prepare for opportunities, recognize progress, respond to challenges, and course correct when needed;

• Cultivate the navigational mindsets of mālama, pono, lōkahi, kuleana, hoʻomau, and haʻahaʻa through reflection, practice, and real-life experiences;

• Strengthen navigational skillsets that help ʻōpio read their environment, anticipate change, make decisions amid uncertainty, stay focused, and move toward their destinations;

• Connect ʻōpio with education, employment, training, wellness, cultural, stabilization, and community supports aligned with their individualized journeys.

Crew Connections and Coordinated Support

• Facilitate or support crew connections, seminars, check-ins, and shared experiences that build belonging, positive peer relationships, and a healthy, healing-centered crew culture;

• Coordinate with Kīʻapu, Kupa ‘Aina, Ke Kama Pono, Kawailoa, and other ʻUpena Pili youth program staff to connect ʻōpio with appropriate land-preparation opportunities, resources, and supports;

• Participate in Navigator team meetings, coordinated planning, and youth conferencing to strengthen continuity and reduce gaps or duplication in support;

• Build respectful relationships with families, schools, employers, service providers, justice-system partners, and community organizations involved in the journeys of ʻōpio;

• Advocate with and for ʻōpio while helping them strengthen their own self-advocacy and system-navigation skills.

Documentation, Learning, and Improvement

• Document contacts, Navigator's Journey updates, referrals, services, progress, milestones, barriers, and follow-up actions accurately and on time in PIDF systems;

• Protect participant privacy and maintain confidentiality in accordance with PIDF policies, grant requirements, and applicable laws;

• Contribute participant feedback, outcomes, and stories to program learning, evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement;

• Participate in supervision, training, reflective practice, and professional development related to youth development, healing-centered practice, cultural grounding, education, workforce, and community resources.

Other Duties:

• Support ʻUpena Pili outreach, events, workshops, huakaʻi, trainings, and service-learning opportunities;

• Maintain regular communication and follow through on assigned responsibilities;

• Other duties as assigned.

Work Hours:

• Generally 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, or as otherwise determined by management;

• Flexibility to adjust schedules for ʻōpio, family, school, partner, training, evening, or occasional weekend needs is required;

• Position requires regular and predictable attendance.

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid work model with work conducted in office, remote, school, community, and program settings;

• Frequent travel to ʻōpio, school, partner, event, and program locations on Oʻahu and Molokaʻi;

• Travel to the continental U.S. may be required.

Equipment Use:

May include use of vehicles (company and personal), computers and other electronics, office equipment, site equipment, and facility equipment.

Mental, Physical, and Communication Demands:

Mental

• Consistent adherence to Partners In Development Foundation's five core values as a guiding force in the success of all programs;

• Ability to remain youth-centered, mission-focused, healing-centered, culturally nourishing, and composed when supporting ʻōpio through challenges or uncertainty;

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, manage multiple priorities, solve problems creatively, adapt, and follow through consistently;

• Ability to demonstrate integrity, self-awareness, coachability, a growth mindset, a strong work ethic, and the Navigator's Mindset;

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately;

• Take responsibility and ownership for successfully accomplishing work and the organization’s objectives and delivering results. Set high standards of shared performance for self and others;

• Foster a respectful environment while supporting fair treatment and opportunity for all colleagues, partners, and communities;

• Ensure work is thoughtfully completed, accurate, and error-free to the highest degree possible.

Physical

• Ability to frequently travel to various sites on Oʻahu and Molokaʻi;

• Must be able to sit and work on a computer, participate in meetings, or travel in a vehicle during the workday;

• Ability to lift and carry supplies up to 25 lbs;

• Outdoors: exposure to sun, wind, dust, animal dander, and other environmental conditions;

• Indoors: exposure to normal office, school, community, and program environments.

Communication

• Exhibit a courteous and professional demeanor toward ʻōpio, families, staff, administration, and partners through verbal, written, physical, and electronic correspondence;

• Strong interpersonal, active-listening, relationship-building, advocacy, conflict-management, and written communication skills;

• Ability to communicate effectively across cultures and collaborate as part of a diverse, cross-program team.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, human services, education, psychology, counseling, sociology, public health, criminal justice, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working directly with youth, preferably opportunity youth or youth involved in education, child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, housing, or workforce systems;

• Experience providing relationship-based mentorship, coaching, case management, navigation, or coordinated support;

• Knowledge of positive youth development and trauma-informed or healing-centered practice;

• Demonstrated ability to build trust, maintain professional boundaries, collaborate with partners, and advocate effectively with and for youth;

• Strong organizational, problem-solving, documentation, time-management, and follow-through skills;

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, email, internet research, participant data systems, and virtual meeting platforms.

Driving

• Must have access to a vehicle, a valid driver's license, a safe and responsible driving record, and current no-fault auto insurance with at least $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person and $25,000 in property damage liability.

Preferred:

• Understanding of Hawaiʻi community dynamics and the systems affecting ʻōpio furthest from opportunity;

• Knowledge of Native Hawaiian culture, values, language, and ancestral wayfinding;

• Experience facilitating youth groups, workshops, crew-based activities, or learning experiences;

• Experience using participant data systems and contributing to program evaluation or continuous improvement.