Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs (4137U), Recreation & Wellbeing #88223

Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs (4137U), Recreation & Wellbeing #88223

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Department of Recreation & Wellbeing provides competitive and recreational opportunities for students, faculty, staff and campus affiliated community members. In addition to the 30 sports clubs, the department offers a wide range of recreational activities and state of the art equipment.

The Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs is involved with instructional activities related to recreation, leisure, and fitness in an accredited environment; provides first aid and emergency care as necessary, and responds to user/customer needs. The position oversees all non-business operational aspects for youth programs (summer, seasonal and year-round as assigned). The Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of youth programming and initiatives, supporting the development and implementation of staff training and education, and managing the annual summer staff recruitment and on-boarding process.

Berkeley Youth Recreation Programs enrolls approximately 9,000 youth annually between the ages of 5-17 and employs 200 - 300 seasonal Rec. Program Instructors, and Program Leads.

The First Review Date for this job is August 27, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Programs - 30%

• Leads program quality, development, and continuous improvement across all assigned youth programs in collaboration with program coordinators.
• Guides coordinators through program assessment cycles, quality improvement planning, and execution.
• Develops and maintains curriculum standards across all youth camp and year-round recreation programs, ensuring program design reflects best practices in the youth industry.
• Leads the development of program-specific staff training content, informed by assessment findings and program quality outcomes.
• Plans and leads summer kick off all-staff training.
• Supports American Camp Association accreditation, ensuring accredited programs meet and maintain standards on an annual basis.
• Plans and implements recreational programming in coordination with program coordinators.

Supervision - 25%

• Selects, trains, and supervises program coordinators.
• Manages employee performance, career development, and adherence to job standards across all direct reports.
• Develops annual staff evaluations and initiates disciplinary action as needed.
• Leads the ongoing development of coordinator professional growth and leadership skills.
• Develops immediate and long-range staffing plans, recruitment programs, and outreach to ensure a diverse and qualified applicant pool.
• Develops staff screening, interviewing, and selection processes in compliance with University policy.
• Ensures all staff position descriptions are current and accurately reflect program needs.
• Ensures onboarding processes are compliant and consistently implemented across all programs.
• Ensures all program staff meet training and certification requirements.
• Maintains sufficient working knowledge of all assigned program areas to step into any coordinator role as needed.
• Serves as primary backup to the Associate Director.

Policy and Compliance - 15%

• Implements and upholds all program policies and procedures across assigned youth programs.
• Ensures all staff receive required training in the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, mandated reporting obligations, youth interaction best practices, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in accordance with state, local, and University requirements.
• Is responsible to ensure direct reports' teams meet department training compliance at 100% and follow department requirements for CPR/AED/First Aid training.
• Ensures all programs operate in full compliance with applicable University policies, accreditation standards, licensing requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Supports program authority across all youth camp programs operating within partner service level agreements.
  
  Ensures compliance with University policies…