Youth Development Director

YMCA
Salary
$38,000.00
$42,000.00
Resumes Accepted Until
Resume Contact
[email protected]
Join us in shaping the future—one child, one program, one community at a time.
Job Description

Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Youth Development Director supports the development, organization, and implementation of high-quality YMCA programs at the branch and works in collaboration with youth development staff across the association to offer consistent, coordinated, and complementary programs and services to members, families, and the community.  The incumbent understands character development to be the guiding principle of the YMCA and personally exhibits a commitment to that goal in all YMCA operations.

The Bob Freesen YMCA in Jacksonville, Illinois, is a trusted community leader in youth development, committed to nurturing the potential of every child and teen. As part of the national YMCA movement, we provide a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment where young people can grow into confident, capable, and caring adults.

Our youth programs span early childhood education, after-school care, summer day camps, and youth sports. These programs are designed to foster academic success, social-emotional learning, physical wellness, and civic responsibility.

As Youth Development Director, you’ll be at the forefront of this mission—leading a passionate team, designing impactful programs, and building strong partnerships with families, schools, and community organizations. This role is ideal for a visionary leader who thrives on mentoring staff, innovating youth services, and making a lasting difference in the lives of young people.

Jacksonville is a city and the county seat of Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population is approximately 17,616. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired. Jacksonville is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Morgan and Scott counties.

 

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum two years of experience working with youth.
Experience supervising multiple staff.
Previous program development. 
Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.
Previous camp experience preferred.
Experience developing and managing financials in a business or organizational setting preferred.

  • Have leadership competencies in the identified key areas.
  • Ability to learn quickly.
  • Ability to work with integrity, discretion, and a professional approach.
  • Prefer knowledge of, and previous experience with, diverse populations (language, culture, race, physical ability, sexual orientation, social, economics, etc.).
  • Ability to complete all required trainings within 60 days of employment, including but not limited to CPR, first aid, Living Our Cause, DCFS Mandated Report, IL Gateway Registry Modules and to maintain these certifications as current as outlined by regulations or requirements.
Essential Functions

Overarching Goal:  Through their planning, actions, and daily work, creates and fosters a welcoming environment for all persons of all backgrounds and abilities and has a positive, nurturing relationships with staff and children, while building cooperative relationships with parents/caregivers and program partners. Promotes and supports the potential of all youth in programs and facilitates peer-to-peer connections as part of the overall YMCA experience.

 

1.    Direct and supervise program activities to meet the needs of the community and fulfill YMCA objectives.

2.    Recruits, hires, trains, develops, schedules, and directs personnel and volunteers as needed. Reviews and evaluates staff performance. Develop strategies to motivate staff and achieve goals.

3.    Establish new program activities and expand program within the community in accordance with strategic and operating plans.

4.    Develops and monitors program budget to meet fiscal objectives.

5.    Coordinates use of facilities for program activities and events.

6.    Assists in YMCA fundraising activities and special events.

7.    Models relationship-building skills in all interactions. Responds to all member and community inquiries and complaints in timely manner.

8.    Works to always ensure the safety of the children in the program.

9.    Plans and implement program activities that are culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, and consistent with YMCA values.

10. Follows policies and procedures.

11. Reports any maintenance issues or program needs.

12. Maintains a clean, welcoming program area. 

13. Completes necessary training.

14.  Report any problems or concerns to Program Director.

15. Complete Incident Reports and other documentation as needed.

16. Monitors payroll for all direct reports.

17. Compiles program statistics. Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of and participation in program.

 

PROGRAM SPECIFIC DUTIES

School Age Care

  • Develop an annual calendar for advertising, enrollment, open house events, recruiting and training staff, promoting the program overall and evaluation of the school year when complete.
  • Develop, implement, evaluate, and overall manage day-to-day operations ensuring the safety and well-being of all children in the program.
  • Supervise site coordinators and staff, maintain staff schedule, and serve as site coordinator as needed.
  • Assist coordinators in program development, staffing issues, revenue collection and expenditures and other administrative tasks.
  • Ensure CCAP and DCFS processes and procedures are followed according to established guidelines and that staff are up to date on all necessary training.
  • Report maintenance issues at sites and ensure facility readiness. 
  • Supply weekly reports of parent or third-party payment received.
  • Oversee reconciliation of site payment logs and billing software.
  • Coordinate weekly billings and monthly bank draft for any outstanding or scheduled payments. 
  • Maintain and supply attendance records as applicable for reimbursement from 3rd party payors. 

Camps

  • Develop an annual calendar for advertising, enrollment, open house events, recruiting and training staff, promoting the program overall, and evaluation of the camp when complete.
  • Oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring the safety and well-being of all children in the program.
  • Ensure quality programming.
  • Assist with the purchasing of supplies.
  • Monitors operations to adhere to YMCA and DCFS health and safety regulations.

Child Watch

  • Provide a high level of customer service while dealing with YMCA members, guests, and staff.
  • Maintain open communication with all parents. 
  • Maintain daily toy cleaning schedule.
  • Maintain attendance records.
  • Build relationships with members, guests, and staff.

 

Cause-Driven Leadership Competencies

CAUSE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP DESIGNATION: TEAM LEADER

Description:  Someone who leads a team, project, or process with or without supervisory responsibility.

Disciplines: a broad grouping of competencies focused on a critical area that defines a cause-driven leader’s ability to advance the work of the Y.

Competency: Clusters of observable skills and behaviors needed to be successful within an organization or role. 

 

Key Leadership competencies a person should bring to this position:

  • Functional Expertise
  • Emotional Maturity
  • Engaging Community

Team Leader Discipline, Competencies and Behavioral Indicators

Discipline 

Advancing Our Mission & Cause:  Provide visionary leadership to the organization and ensure that all resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community.

Competencies

Change Leadership: Facilitates, co-creates, and implements equitable change for the good of the organization and/or community.

Engaging Community: Builds bridges with others in the community to ensure the Y’s work is community-focused and welcoming of all, providing community benefit.

Philanthropy: Secures resources and support to advance the Y’s work.

Volunteerism: Engages volunteers and promotes social responsibility at all levels of the organization.

 

Discipline

Building Relationships:  Connect people to the Y’s cause by developing inclusive relationships, partnerships, and collaborations so that Ys can co-create solutions to pressing social needs.

Competencies

Collaboration: Creates sustainable relationships within the Y and with other organizations in service to the community.

Communication & Influence Listens and expresses self effectively and, in a way, that engages, inspires, and builds commitment to Y’s cause.

Inclusion: Values all people for their unique talents and takes an active role in promoting practices that support diversity, inclusion, and global work, as well as cultural competence.

 


Discipline

Leading Operations:  Ensure relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization so that we can continue to fulfill our promise to the community.

Competencies

Critical Thinking & Decision Making: Makes informed decisions based on logic, data, and sound judgment.

Fiscal Management: Manages the Y’s resources responsibly and sustains the Y’s nonprofit business model.

Functional Expertise: Executes superior technical skills for the role.

Innovation: Creates and implements new and relevant approaches and activities that improve and expand Y’s work and impact on the community.

Program/Project Management: Ensures program or project goals are met and intended impact occurs.

 

Discipline

Developing & Inspiring People:  Support the holistic development of self and others so that everyone can embrace the Y’s cause, sustain the Y’s culture, and inspire others to take individual and collective action to further our impact.

Competencies

Developing Self & Others: Develops self and supports others (e.g., staff, volunteers, members, program participants), both formally and informally, to achieve their highest potential.

Emotional Maturity: Demonstrates ability to understand and manage emotions effectively in all. 

 

Required Certifications

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Sufficient strength, agility, and mobility to perform essential functions and to supervise program activities. 

  • Visual and auditory ability to respond to critical situations ability to act swiftly in an emergency. 
  • Ability to speak concisely and effectively communicate. 

May require physical effort and cardiac endurance while reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching, standing, walking, balancing, bending, leaning, kneeling, walking, and climbing. 

  • Specifically,

o   Walking up and down stairs multiple times a day.

o   Carrying supplies to and from work locations, normally lifting less than 25lbs.

  • The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 

 

SAFETY & COMPLIANCE

Child Abuse Policies & Prevention

The YMCA enforces its policies and practices to prevent child abuse.

Allegations or suspicions of child abuse are taken very seriously at the YMCA and will be reported to the proper authorities for investigation. We have abuse reporting procedures, there are unscheduled visits from supervisors, we have an open door for parents, and we have a code of conduct for staff. We minimize opportunities for abuse to occur, and we talk with children about personal safety and touching limits. We screen carefully to prevent abusers from being hired. We provide child abuse prevention training to staff including how to conduct yourself for safe practices and termination of employment for employees who fail to report suspicion or failure to follow policies.

Employees who fail to support, actively engage in prevention, and be forthcoming about concerns or violations of this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including immediate termination of employment.

 

Background Check:  A background check, criminal, work, and reference checks will be required of any employee at hire and may be repeated during their employment. A barred report, negative report, or discovery of false information will result in immediate termination.

 

Alert & Focused: Use of illegal drugs, alcohol, prescribed or over-the-counter medications and lack of sleep can impact a person’s ability to be alert and focused while on duty. Used illegally or inappropriately while off duty may affect employment status. Responsibility, respect, caring, and honesty are core values of the YMCA. Employees involved in any injury found to be work-related may be required to submit for a screening for drug and alcohol use. Suspicious behaviors observed while working or in the YMCA or at a YMCA program where the employee would be perceived by others as an employee may also be subject to alcohol and drug screening. Positive results of a drug or alcohol screening will result in termination of employment. Behaviors which are perceived to be unbecoming a YMCA employee may be subject to discipline up to and including immediate termination of employment.