Vice President of Youth Development

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President of Youth Development reports directly to the CEO and serves as a key member of the senior leadership team, providing strategic vision and executive leadership for one of the YMCA's largest and most impactful areas of service. As a mission-driven leader, the Vice President advances the YMCA's commitment to youth development—one of the organization's three core pillars—by ensuring every child and teen has the opportunity to reach their full potential while responding to critical and evolving community needs. This newly created executive position reflects the YMCA's commitment to expanding its impact and represents a significant opportunity to shape the future of one of the organization's largest and fastest-growing areas of service.

The Vice President oversees the YMCA's current $4.5 million youth development portfolio, including all childcare programs (preschool, afterschool, and summer camp), competitive aquatics, swim school, youth sports, and a broad range of extracurricular and enrichment programs. This leader is responsible for driving operational excellence, program quality, financial performance, and strategic growth across the department while creating innovative opportunities to significantly expand the YMCA's revenue, community reach, and mission impact.

OUR CULTURE:

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. In the Y, we strive to live our cause of strengthening communities with purpose and intentionality every day. We are welcoming: we are open to all. We are a place where you can belong and become. We are genuine: we value you and embrace your individuality. We are hopeful: we believe in you and your potential to become a catalyst in the world. We are nurturing: we support you in your journey to develop your full potential. We are determined: above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger beginning with you.

REPORTS TO:

Chief Excecutive Officer (CEO)

PAY:

$120,000/annual

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Youth Development Strategy & Program Quality

• Own the strategic vision for the YMCA's full youth development portfolio from early learning and child care and camp through competitive aquatics and teen leadership and lead the organization in translating that vision into measurable results at every level.
• Establish the unified framework by which all youth programs are designed, evaluated, and improved while setting the standard for access, inclusion, quality, and age-appropriate progression, and charging directors with consistent execution.
• Define what programmatic excellence looks like at the YMCA of Greenwich, ensuring all program models reflect national best practice standards and local mission values while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of the community.
• Set the strategic direction for participant pathways across the full youth development continuum from first program experience to long-term engagement.
• Build the organizational systems and accountability infrastructure that drive positive youth development outcomes, ensuring directors operate with clear metrics, decision-making frameworks, and continuous improvement mindset embedded into daily operations.

Leadership, Alignment & Team Development

• Invest deeply in the growth and effectiveness of direct reports, coaching them to become strong, autonomous leaders who inspire their own teams and drive results.
• Foster alignment across youth development, competitive athletics, operations, and finance while creating the conditions for directors to lead cohesively and deliver seamless program experiences across all areas.
• Build a culture of leadership development across the program areas that establish clear expectations, creating growth pathways for emerging leaders, and modeling the management practices and values that define a high-performing YMCA team.
• Own the financial performance of the full youth development portfolio, including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and direct accountability for program revenue and expense targets.
• Serve as a key advisor to the CEO on youth development strategy.

Safety, Compliance and Risk Management

• Establish and uphold the highest standards of safety and regulatory compliance across all youth development programs including child care licensing, day camp operations, and child abuse prevention.
• Ensure all programs meet or exceed applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including CT DCFL licensing requirements, OSHA standards, and YMCA of the USA risk management guidelines.
• Champion child abuse prevention across the portfolio ensuring all staff are trained, policies are enforced, and a culture of vigilance and reporting is embedded at every level of the organization.

Partnership and Community Presence

• Serve as a visible and credible external representative of the YMCA's youth development mission — engaging with local school district, private schools, community organizations, and public agencies to build relationships that expand reach and deepen impact.
• Represent the YMCA at relevant community events, coalitions, panels, and public forums, elevating the organization's profile as a leader in youth development across Greenwich and the surrounding region.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships that strengthen program quality, expand access, and create pathways for under resourced populations to engage with YMCA programming.
• Collaborate with the development team by providing programmatic insight and data to support funding, grant applications, and long-term sustainability efforts.
• Partner with marketing department to articulate the YMCA's youth development philosophy and impact through compelling storytelling about student and athlete success.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in education, nonprofit management, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in youth development, education, program development or a related field.
• Demonstrated success coaching and developing director level staff.
• Deep knowledge of youth development best practices, positive youth development frameworks, and YMCA national standards.
• Experience with child care licensing, and/or day camp operations strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to represent the organization externally at a senior level.
• Strong financial acumen including experience managing budgets, driving revenue, and tracking and analyzing program performance data.
• Working knowledge of Connecticut DCFL licensing requirements and relevant state and federal regulations.
• CPR/AED certified or ability to obtain certification within 30 days of hire.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer and phone/smart device.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and reach, and must be able to move around the work environment.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• Ability to work in excess of a 40-hour week with irregular hours.

SALARY/BENEFITS:

• Salary is competitive and based on experience.
• The YMCA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental insurance, retirement plan, generous vacation, and paid holidays.

I understand and agree to perform all duties listed above. In order to enhance the overall operation of the YMCA of Greenwich and to support teamwork, I will accept additional responsibilities as assigned.