Director of Children’s and Family Programming

Dartmouth; Hanover (NH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Dartmouth College seeks a Director of Children’s & Family Programming to oversee a year‑round portfolio for children ages 5–13. The role leads development, launches new programs, and partners with Athletics & Recreation to serve Upper Valley families.

The Director reports to the Associate AD for PE & Recreation, builds a multi-year roadmap, and expands offerings such as swim instruction and winter recreation. A Bachelor’s degree and 1–2 years of relevant experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in recreation, youth programming, or related field.
• 1+ years in recreation, youth programming, camps, or related area.
• Experience with youth ages 5–13 and families.
• Experience recruiting, training, and supervising staff.
• Ability to use data to guide programming, pricing, staffing, and resources.

Responsibilities

• Create, launch, and grow a year-round slate of lessons, clinics, camps, and events for children and families.
• Develop growth opportunities, partnerships, and revenue opportunities.
• Monitor program metrics and adjust enrollment, pricing, and staffing accordingly.
• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise program staff and ensure safety and compliance.
• Coordinate contracts, registration, facility use, and financial reconciliation.

Skills

Youth programming

Event management

Budget management

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Staff supervision

Project management

Program development

Education

Bachelor's degree in recreation management, physical education, marketing, or related field

Tools

Office software

Job description

Director of Children’s and Family Programming

Dartmouth College has a Tobacco-Free Policy. Smoking and the use of tobacco-based products (including smokeless tobacco) are prohibited in all facilities, grounds, vehicles or other areas owned, operated or occupied by Dartmouth College with no exceptions. For details, please see our policy: https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/tobacco-free-policy.

Position Information

Posting date 11/10/2026

Open Until Filled Yes

Position Number 1129760

Position Title Director of Children’s and Family Programming

Hiring Range Minimum Please inquire.

Hiring Range Maximum Please inquire.

Union Type Not a Union Position

SEIU Level Not an SEIU Position

FLSA Status Exempt

Employment Category Regular Full Time

Scheduled Months per Year 12

Scheduled Hours per Week 40

Schedule Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, school breaks, special events, and summer programming periods.

Location of Position Hanover, NH

Remote Work Eligibility? Onsite only

Is this a term position? No

If yes, length of term in months. N/A

Is this a grant funded position? No

Position Purpose

The Director of Children’s & Family Programming is responsible for creating, launching, and growing a robust suite of year-round recreation programs and experiences for children and families, with a primary focus on youth ages 5–13. Program offerings range from lessons, clinics, camps, competitions, birthday parties, and special events designed to meet community needs, generate revenue, and strengthen connections between Dartmouth College Athletics & Recreation Department and Upper Valley families.

Description

Reporting to the Associate AD for PE & Recreation, the Director leads the development and day-to-day operation of Children’s & Family Programming in alignment with departmental priorities. The Director identifies opportunities, develops recommendations for growth, builds and launches programs, and oversees their successful delivery. The initial portfolio will prioritize establishing a children’s swim instruction program and additional indoor winter recreation programming, followed by developing and launching DCARD children’s summer camps. From this foundation, the Director will continue to expand Children’s & Family Programming in response to community interests, program performance, and departmental priorities.

Required Qualifications - Education and Yrs Exp

Bachelors plus 1-2 year(s) of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in recreation management, physical education, marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1+ years of progressively responsible experience in recreation, youth programming, camps, physical education, aquatics, sports programming, event management, or a related field.
• Experience working with children and families, preferably including youth ages 5–13.
• Experience recruiting, training, scheduling, and supervising student, part-time, seasonal, instructional, or recreation employees.
• Ability to use participation and financial data to make day-to-day decisions and recommendations related to programming, pricing, staffing, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Ability to manage program resource needs, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and staffing, and identify and recommend future investments needed to support program growth.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, events, operational priorities, facilities, and stakeholders.
• Ability to develop, implement, evaluate, and grow recreation programs.
• Knowledge of youth programming, instruction, safety, supervision, and risk management.
• Proven project-management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with diverse participants, families, colleagues, and community partners.
• Ability to manage budgets and resources and use data to inform decisions.
• Proficiency with standard office, digital communication, and program-management technologies.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, school breaks, special events, and summer programming periods.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and managing youth recreation, camps, instructional programs, or special events.
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience in recreation, youth programming, camps, physical education, aquatics, sports programming, event management, or a related field.
• Experience with revenue-generating programs, including pricing, budgeting, marketing, sales, and partnerships.
• Knowledge of regulations and industry standards for youth recreation, camps, aquatics, and special events.
• Advanced aquatic certification, such as Lifeguard Instructor, Water Safety Instructor, or equivalent; CPR / AED and First Aid certifications preferred.
• Demonstrated experience developing and launching new programs, events, or initiatives from concept through implementation and evaluation.

Department Contact for Recruitment Inquiries

Mariruth Graham

Phone [phone]

Department Contact for Cover Letter and Title

Lauren Mackey Associate Athletics Director for PE and Recreation

Equal Opportunity Employer

Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all.

Employment in this position is contingent upon consent to and successful completion of a pre-employment background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, conduct review, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dartmouth College. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

Driving Required

Yes (Is driving a vehicle an essential function of this job?)

Additional Instructions

• Create, launch, evaluate, and grow a year-round portfolio of lessons, clinics, camps, competitions, free-play opportunities, birthday parties, and special events for children and families, initially focusing on youth ages 5–13.
• Research community needs, participation trends, market opportunities, and facility capacity to identify and develop new programs, events, partnerships, pricing models, and revenue opportunities.
• In alignment with college and departmental priorities, recommend a multi-year roadmap for Children’s & Family Programming that identifies priorities for program expansion, participation and revenue growth, staffing, facilities, equipment, partnerships, and resource needs.
• Monitor unit objective and key performance measures, including enrollment, retention, utilization, participant satisfaction, revenue, expenses, and program quality; use results to evaluate effectiveness and inform program and operational decisions.
• Be knowledgeable, maintain and meet regulatory requirements for child safety in all programming.

Program Operations, Staff Supervision, Youth Safety & Compliance (40%)

• Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and supervise professional, student, seasonal, instructional, and other program staff, as assigned, including establishing responsibilities, evaluating performance, and providing ongoing coaching and development.
• Prepare, manage and execute contracts for children’s programming
• Manage day-to-day operations, including registration, reservations, facility coordination, equipment and promotional inventory, participant and parent/guardian communication, and financial reconciliation.
• Exercise day-to-day decision-making authority within established policies, budgets, and program parameters; communicate regularly with the Associate AD and elevate significant personnel, financial, safety, compliance, or resource matters as appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with applicable youth protection, camp, aquatics, supervision, safety, emergency response, incident reporting, and other institutional or regulatory requirements.

Sales, Events & Community Engagement (20%)

• Develop and execute marketing, sales, and promotional efforts that build awareness, drive participation and event bookings, support retention, and generate revenue, including cross-marketing opportunities.
• Build relationships with schools, youth leagues, local businesses, families, and community organizations throughout the Upper Valley to expand participation, partnerships, and community engagement.
• Develop, promote, and manage revenue-generating and engagement experiences, including birthday parties, family and special events, and designated game-day programming, in coordination with appropriate DCARD and Dartmouth Athletics partners.

Program Delivery & Instruction (20%)

• Teach and provide direct program leadership as needed across Children’s & Family Programming, including swim instruction, physical education, recreation activities, clinics, camps, and other skill-development programs.
• Set expectations for program quality and safety, and train and support staff to deliver high‑quality programs, including aquatic staff training and certification.
• Foster welcoming, age-appropriate environments that promote belonging, skill development, confidence, teamwork, safety, and enjoyment.

Other Duties (15%)

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Associate AD for PE & Recreation and contributes to DCARD strategic priorities.
• Maintains relevant professional knowledge and certifications and demonstrates integrity, accountability, sound judgment, flexibility, and a team-first approach to support a welcoming environment for participants, families, and colleagues.

Professional Conduct

Demonstrates professionalism and collegiality through actions, interactions, and communications with others appropriate to an environment that is welcoming to all.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Supplemental Questions

• * How did you learn about this employment opportunity?
  • Current Dartmouth employee (Please specify full name below)
  • Word of mouth
  • Mentioned on social, digital, or print media (e.g. LinkedIn feed, VOX, Valley News, listserv)
  • [e-mail] email outreach (includes Job Alert notifications, marketing emails from Talent Acquisition)
  • Recruiter (Please specify full name or event below)
  • abilityJOBS
  • Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Glassdoor
  • Handshake
  • HigherEdJobs
  • HigherEdMilitary
  • Indeed
  • Inside Higher Ed
  • LinkedIn’s Job Board
  • RecruitMilitary
  • Dartmouth’s Job Board (searchjobs.dartmouth.edu)
  • Other (Please specify below)
• If you selected “other” above, please indicate where you first heard about the opportunity:
  • NCAA Marketplace
  • DI Ticker/CollegeSports.com
  • Collegiate Sports Connect/csconnect.live
  • NACDA
  • Women Leaders in Sports
  • College Sports Communications
  • Intercollegiate/WinAD
• If you would like to add more information to your answer, please specify here:

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Are you willing and able to work nights and weekends?
  • Yes
  • No

Dartmouth College Office of Human Resources | 7 Lebanon Street Suite 203 | Hanover, NH 03755 | Ph 603.646.3411 | [e-mail]