Senior Director, Youth Development

About Us:  

 

The Greater Austin YMCA is a nonprofit community enterprise with a vision to cultivate thriving communities across Central Texas where every person benefits from an empowered and well-educated childhood, equitable access to opportunities, resulting in an elevated quality of life and the promise of a sustainable future. Founded in 1953 and anchored in three Central Texas counties, the Y has served close to 500,000 people and provided more than $30M in financial assistance and program subsidies over the past 10 years. We operate 8 community centers and Camp Moody along with 6 early childhood education centers, 60 afterschool programs on school campuses in four districts, and 20 summer camps, with 1500 staff team members, 1000 volunteers, and a $47M annual operating budget.  

 

 

How you Will Power our Purpose (Job Summary) 

 

As the Senior Director, Youth Development you are responsible for the organization, delivery, and quality of YMCA programs (afterschool & camp) to Y members, program participants, and the community. You will cultivate relationships with principals, parents, part-time staff, and program participants; ensure the proper delivery of the daily curriculum; monitor, evaluate, and improve program delivery; hiring and training; establish collaborative partners; marketing and promote Y programs, and working collaboratively with colleagues to accomplish collective goals. 

 

You will also support the enterprise’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and the core character values of the YMCA. Reporting directly to the Associate Executive Director, you will partner closely with other senior leaders throughout the enterprise to achieve outcomes.  

 

How You Will Make an Impact (Essential Functions)  

 

• Supervisory Responsibilities: Directly supervises a team of full-time Program Directors. Responsible for overseeing staff development to ensure that each Program Director is able to effectively manage assigned staff and programs, ensuring delivery of high-quality programming. Address elevated staff performance issues, ensure that each Youth Development Director is upholding program expectations consistently and in compliance with Y policies and licensing standards, and create systems for quality control.   

• Program Operations: Oversees daily program operations at multiple childcare sites, ensuring that staff adhere to and exceed all state, local, and Y health and safety regulations through daily monitoring of programs.  

• Continuous focus on evaluating the quality of each assigned program; ensuring proper delivery of the curriculum; identifying opportunities for program improvement and staff development   

• Organize programs and supervise staff for maximum effectiveness. Analyze and resolve problems that arise at centers relating to staff, children, schools, or parents.  

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to accomplish collective goals; addresses and resolves concerns, providing follow up, documentation and training as needed.  

• Ensure that all staff understand the Texas Department of Health and Human Services minimum standards and other standards of quality and ensure that the centers are in compliance.   

• Responsible for ensuring that all program-related paperwork is current, accurate, and submitted in a timely fashion.  

• Adhere to policies and procedures in a proactive manner, making the safety and care of children your primary focus.   

• Lead field trip planning for summer camp; research, schedule, and communicate camp field trips, as assigned.   

• Lead Winter Holiday Camp, Spring Break Camp, and Summer Camp strategic planning.  

• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training new employees; ensure new staff have the necessary support, guidance, and mentoring to fulfill their job responsibilities.  

• Supervise, mentor, and develop staff; proactively identify opportunities to enhance employee development and staff retention.  

• Actively participate in all aspects of staff development, including team meetings, pre-service training, and at least an additional 15 hours of training during the school year.  

• Financial Management: In collaboration with other leadership staff; manage programmatic budgets that meet financial objectives, which includes evaluating program enrollment, program expenses, and involvement in the yearly budget entry and process.   

• Community Relationships: Serves as a professional and engaging representative of the Y; establishes, develops, and maintains positive relationships with principals, parents, staff, program participants, and licensing representatives.  

Complete other duties as assigned.  

 

Performance Achievement & Results 

 

• Fosters a culture that builds trust and treats all team members and colleagues with respect; constructively and immediately deals with conflict; gains commitment and provides clarity; holds team members accountable and cultivates peer accountability; and achieves results to meet strategic and operational goals.    

• Models inclusive leadership behaviors and embraces all dimensions of diversity – building strong teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to our mission.  

• Responsible for hiring, coaching, and managing all direct reports and ensuring alignment with association people practices for all positions within their organizational structure.  

• Responsible for successful Strategic Plan metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to meet strategic goals and objectives.  

• Implements a goal-based leadership approach (OKR methodology) and ensures the development department is actively working towards supporting organizational level objectives and key results. Conducts Cycle Check-ins and the Annual Check-In with direct reports to ensure progress with OKRs, providing ongoing coaching and feedback, and discuss development opportunities. 

 

What You Bring to the Community Enterprise  

 

Education & Experience  

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university is required. A focus on recreation management, education, child development, or related field is preferred.  

• Experience: 2+ years of Youth Development professional experience including staff management required. YMCA experience preferred.  

• Language Skills: Bilingual (Spanish/English) strongly preferred  

• Technical Skills:  

• Demonstrated maturity and leadership skills  

• Experience or aptitude in supervising employees  

• Goal-oriented  

• Strong communication and computer skills  

• Must assume responsibility for accuracy and timeliness of work product  

• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed to meet deadlines  

• Able to multi-task  

• Computer aptitude and/or experience and have the ability to write routine reports and correspondence  

• Ability to speak effectively before groups of members, participants, or employees of the Association  

• Ability to manage conflict and resolve issues in a respectful and calm manner.  

• Certifications:   

• The position requires Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) (formerly overseen by TDFPS) Program Director certification. Must be or have the ability to become certified according to HHSC standards.  

• Current CPR and First Aid certification or become certified upon hire  

• Required to complete the following online training upon hire: Before & After School Program, Child Abuse Prevention, Appropriate Touch, Bloodborne Pathogens, Foundations of Listen First, and Intro to Cause and Culture 

• You’re a Cause-Driven Leader – You are effective at:  

• Advancing our mission and cause – providing visionary leadership to ensure resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community   

• Building relationships – connecting people to the Y’s cause by developing inclusive relationships, partnerships, and collaborations to co-create solutions to pressing social needs  

• Leading operations – ensuring relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization so we can continue to fulfill our promise to the community   

• Developing and inspiring people – supporting the holistic development of self and others so everyone can embrace the Y’s cause, sustain our culture, and inspire others to action   

 

 

Physical Requirements:  

  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, bend, talk, and occasionally lift and/or move items, including equipment, furniture, and/or children. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.