Friends of the Children·Billings, Montana
The Professional Mentor will develop and sustain long-term, one-on-one relationships with youth to foster internal resiliency and provide social-emotional support. They are responsible for teaching life and academic skills, documenting activities, and collaborating with families and community stakeholders.
Friends of the Children is a nonprofit that is impacting generational change by empowering youth through relationships with professional mentors. We do this by providing children facing the most obstacles with a long-term, salaried, professional mentor, who we call a “Friend,” from kindergarten through high school graduation, 12+ years – no matter what. We are currently seeking two extraordinary professionals to embark on a new career journey as a Friend at our Billings location.
At Friends of the Children, we put children first and use our values to change the way the world treats and views youth facing great barriers.
These values align with the Indigenous extended kinship model and worldview that children are sacred.
As a Friend, you will nurture long-term relationships from a foundation of love, acceptance, and culturally-informed practices.
Do you want to help urban, rural, and Indigenous youth discover their limitless potential by fostering their internal resiliency?
Are you ready to help build relationships within the communities of our youth and families to strengthen social networks and provide bridges to new opportunities?
If so, the impactful role of a Friend might be for you!
We are currently seeking a mentor for our Childhood program (kindergarten to 5th Grade) to serve as a positive adult role model to eight elementary children and develop loving, caring, and sustained relationships with each child.
For each child, a Friend will set positive expectations; nurture and promote each child’s strengths, talents, and abilities; help ensure physical and emotional well-being; teach life and academic skills; provide enrichment activities; and model responsible behavior.
A Friend will fully document activities and participate in the ongoing evaluation process.
Friends will work primarily one-on-one with the children they serve, while also building trusting supportive relationships with parents/caregivers.
A Friend must know, understand, honor, and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, and principles, and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.
3 weeks paid vacation; 3 floating holidays; 12 mental health days; comprehensive health, dental, vision (employee premiums paid at 100%); short-term disability; LIFE Insurance, SIMPLE IRA with 3% match.
Applications without cover letters will not be considered; please use this as an opportunity to convey why you want to be a Professional Mentor at Friends of the Children – Eastern Montana! Offices are located in Billings.
Friends of the Children is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to addressing discriminatory practices. The equal employment opportunity policy of Friends of the Children provides fair and equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants. Friends of the Children hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled.
Friends of the Children is growing rapidly as communities across the country are experiencing the power of how “One” changes a child's story: One Friend. One Child. 12+ years. No matter what. #ThePowerOfOne
https://friendseasternmt.org/ [https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.friendsofthechildren.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7C269d2f827d884c610e2c08da278fdabd%7Cd01815808bf245239cf2347fc1977af4%7C0%7C0%7C637865796049625213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=R%2FV97rpXlinhlO3gRMRCrP6V2wyKqfiw3GDEjl9GbMQ%3D&reserved=0]
Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree or at least seven years of progressive experience working with children and families. A commitment to a minimum of three years and the ability to maintain a 40-hour work schedule including evenings and weekends is required.
Market context
In Eastern Montana, professional mentor roles are often tied to community-based support for children and families, so employers look for candidates who can build trust and stay consistent over time. This role is competitive because it requires either a bachelor’s degree or substantial progressive experience, plus a three-year commitment and a 40-hour schedule that includes evenings and weekends. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly confirm fit before applying, then prepare examples showing your experience with family engagement and flexible scheduling.