Director of Youth and Community Programs

Director of Youth and Community Programs
Reports To: Chief Program Officer
Pay, Perks, and Benefits: Full-time | $50,000-$70,000/year | PTO, Insurance Reimbursement of $6k a year, paid sick time

Position Summary

The Director of Youth & Community Programs provides strategic leadership for Cincinnati Urban Promise's out-of-school-time programs, including afterschool, summer programming, youth enrichment initiatives, and community engagement opportunities. This leader is responsible for developing high-quality, engaging programs that inspire children, strengthen families, and advance Cincinnati Urban Promise's mission of transforming lives through education, mentorship, and community.

This position is more than program administration-it is a leadership role focused on innovation, program development, staff leadership, community partnerships, and organizational growth. Working closely with the Chief Program Officer, the Director of Youth & Community Programs is responsible for bringing Cincinnati Urban Promise's educational vision to life through exceptional programming that extends learning beyond the classroom while complementing the Academy, Early Childhood, WestRoots, and other organizational initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for all out-of-school-time programming, including afterschool, summer programs, school break camps, and future youth initiatives.
• Ensure all programming reflects Cincinnati Urban Promise's mission, values, and commitment to educational excellence.
• Develop systems that promote consistency, safety, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Evaluate program effectiveness and implement improvements based on student outcomes, family feedback, and organizational goals.'Foster a positive, welcoming culture where every child feels known, valued, and challenged.

Curriculum & Activity Development

• Design and oversee engaging, hands-on, project-based learning experiences that complement the school day while providing unique enrichment opportunities.
• Develop seasonal program calendars and enrichment schedules that intentionally connect with classroom learning whenever appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Chief Program Officer, Academy leadership, Early Childhood leadership, and WestRoots staff to ensure programming aligns with organizational priorities and creates a cohesive educational experience across Cincinnati Urban Promise.
• Develop signature programs, clubs, service projects, leadership opportunities, STEM experiences, arts programming, outdoor education, and community engagement activities.
• Continually research and implement innovative youth development practices that increase student engagement and program quality.
• Ensure programming meets the developmental needs of students while remaining fun, challenging, and memorable.

Staff Leadership

• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, coach, and evaluate youth development staff.
• Build a positive, mission-driven team culture rooted in excellence, accountability, and servant leadership.
• Provide regular coaching, observations, and professional development.• Develop leadership capacity among staff and identify future organizational leaders.
• Work collaboratively with Academy leadership to ensure smooth transitions between school-day and afterschool programming.

Student & Family Engagement

• Build strong relationships with students and families.
• Develop strategies to increase enrollment, attendance, and long-term retention.
• Respond to parent concerns with professionalism and care.
• Foster student leadership, responsibility, and positive character development.
• Create meaningful opportunities for family involvement and community participation.
  

• Build partnerships with schools, businesses, nonprofits, universities, churches, and community organizations.
• Identify and develop new enrichment opportunities for students.
• Assist with grant implementation and provide program data for grant reporting.
• Collaborate with the Chief Program Officer on new program development and organizational growth initiatives.
• Expand volunteer opportunities and community engagement efforts.

Operations & Compliance

• Oversee the daily operation of all youth development programming.
• Ensure compliance with all licensing, grant, funding, and organizational requirements.
• Collaborate with Program Coordinators regarding enrollment, attendance, transportation, student records, and compliance documentation.
• Coordinate with the Nutrition Department regarding meal service.
• Collaborate with Academy leadership on staffing needs and scheduling for employees who work in both school-day and afterschool roles.
• Maintain organized systems that support efficient program operations.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of Cincinnati Urban Promise's Leadership Team.
• Participate in strategic planning and organizational decision-making.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement across youth programming.
• Model professionalism, integrity, servant leadership, and a commitment to the organization's mission.
• Support organization-wide events and initiatives.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be measured by:

Program Excellence

• High-quality, engaging programming.
• Innovative project-based learning opportunities.
• Strong student participation and enthusiasm.
• Alignment with Cincinnati Urban Promise's educational philosophy.

Student & Family Outcomes

• Increased enrollment.
• Improved attendance.
• High family satisfaction.
• Strong student retention.

Staff Development

• Positive staff culture.
• Effective coaching and supervision.
• Professional growth of team members.
• High staff retention.

Organizational Growth

• New community partnerships.
• Increased volunteer engagement.
• Successful implementation of grant-funded initiatives.
• Expansion of youth programming opportunities.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Youth Development, Recreation, Social Work, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
• Minimum three years of leadership experience in youth programming, education, or nonprofit management.
• Experience supervising and developing staff.
• Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving children and families.
• Ability to lead with both compassion and accountability.

Preferred

• Experience managing licensed school-age programs.
• Grant writing or grant implementation experience.
• Experience developing curriculum or enrichment programming.
• Experience building community partnerships.
• Experience increasing program enrollment or participation.
• Experience planning and leading summer programming.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Visionary leadership
• Strategic thinking
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Initiative and creativity
• Excellent organizational abilities
• Emotional intelligence
• Coaching and mentoring skills
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving ability
• Commitment to continuous improvement

What Success Looks Like After One Year

Within the first year, the Director of Youth & Community Programs will have:

• Increased enrollment and attendance in afterschool and summer programming.
• Developed a cohesive, engaging, project-based youth development program.
• Built meaningful partnerships that expand opportunities for students.
• Strengthened family engagement and communication.
• Developed systems that improve efficiency and consistency.
• Established a positive culture for students and staff.
• Reduced the amount of day-to-day operational oversight required from the Chief Program Officer, allowing greater organizational focus on strategic growth and educational quality.

Why This Role Matters

At Cincinnati Urban Promise, we believe every child deserves more than a safe place to go after school-they deserve opportunities to discover their gifts, build meaningful relationships, explore new interests, and develop the confidence to shape their future.

We are not looking for someone to simply manage an afterschool program. We are seeking a visionary leader who will build experiences that children remember, families value, and our community celebrates.

This role is an opportunity to shape the future of youth development in Cincinnati. The Director of Youth & Community Programs will have the freedom to innovate, create, collaborate, and lead alongside a passionate team committed to transforming lives through education and community.

The successful candidate will join an organization that believes every program should work together toward a common purpose. Afterschool should reinforce classroom learning. Summer should extend curiosity and exploration. Community partnerships should create opportunities that children would not otherwise experience. Every program should contribute to one unified mission of helping young people flourish.

If you are a servant leader who believes children deserve excellence, who enjoys building programs from the ground up, and who wants to leave a lasting impact on an organization and the community it serves, we invite you to help write the next chapter of Cincinnati Urban Promise.