Youth Development Manager

Youth Development Manager

Reports To:

Associate Director of Learning & Development

Status:
Full-time;
Exempt

Location:

Los Angeles (Little Tokyo Office)

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday;
Occasional weekends

Hourly or Salary Range: $75,000 - $88,000 annually (based on experience and qualifications)

Are you passionate about giving back to your community and making a lasting difference in the lives of young people?

Woodcraft Rangers provides TK-12 expanded learning programs, including before and after school, specialty enrichment, and summer learning. In the past few years, Woodcraft has expanded its menu of services beyond traditional after school programs and summer camps to include early learning, environmental and social justice, college access, and inclusion services for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, we offer Life Craft, a college and career advancement program to support the development of approximately 2,000 staff.

Today, Woodcraft Rangers serves more than 30,000 youth ages 4 to 18 each year across 150 plus Title I schools in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, and continues to expand its reach.

The Youth Development Manager is a mission-driven leader with a strong background in youth development, program design, and staff training. They are passionate about creating equitable, engaging, and culturally responsive learning environments that empower youth through meaningful experiences focused on Life Skills, Leadership & Advocacy, and Sports & Fitness.

They bring a proven track record of developing and managing youth-centered programs, supporting frontline staff, and implementing strategies that promote youth voice, confidence, personal growth, and leadership development. This individual has demonstrated success in coaching teams, facilitating professional development, and driving continuous improvement through reflection, data-informed practices, and quality program systems.

The Youth Development Manager is skilled at translating youth development research and best practices into engaging programming that supports the whole child. They excel at building strong relationships with youth, staff, community partners, and stakeholders while fostering inclusive environments where youth feel empowered to participate, lead, and advocate for themselves and their communities.

They are organized, collaborative, and strategic—able to balance program development, staff support, curriculum implementation, and cross-site collaboration. They are confident facilitating meetings, providing technical assistance, and leading initiatives that strengthen youth programming across multiple sites. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic environment, adapts to evolving program needs, and is committed to youth empowerment, leadership development, and delivering high-quality experiences for all youth.

Role Overview:
The Youth Development Manager is a dynamic leadership role focused on advancing high-quality, developmentally responsive programming for older youth across middle and high school programs, with a focus on youth development and sports & fitness. This position supports program design, curriculum development, professional development, and performance systems to ensure strong staff implementation and meaningful youth engagement.

Responsibilities:

• Curriculum and Program Development:
  Design, adapt, and refine engaging curriculum, activity plans, and enrichment experiences that align with the interests, developmental stages, and needs of older youth. Support the development of sports & fitness programming that promotes physical wellness, teamwork, leadership, skill development, and positive youth engagement. Oversee the creation of lesson plans, training materials, and specialty enrichment resources while collaborating with program staff to meet program needs.
• Training & Professional Development:
  Lead and support training sessions for site staff, including new hire onboarding, ongoing in-person and virtual workshops, and content-specific trainings focused on older youth engagement, sports & fitness programming, and effective youth development practices.
• Team Management and Training:
  Manage a team of curriculum developers and trainers, setting clear goals and expectations. Ensure staff are adequately trained and equipped to deliver high-quality older youth content.
• Task Unit Leadership &
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Plan, host, and facilitate regular Middle School and High School Task Unit meetings to promote…