Health & Wellness Director

Mt Desert Island YMCA; Bar Harbor (ME); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Mt Desert Island YMCA in Bar Harbor, Maine, seeks a Health & Wellness Director to lead our health, wellness, fitness, and active-aging programs. You will spend substantial time on the wellness floor, teaching classes, coaching staff, and building member relationships to enhance the overall member experience.

You will balance program leadership with administration, ensuring safety, quality standards, and engaging programming for a wide age range.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• CPR/AED and First Aid certifications required; other YMCA/fitness certifications preferred.
• Ability to work with diverse groups of people from our community.
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to coach staff and lead programs.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a substantial schedule of direct service to members and participants, 50-60% of hours.
• Develop new programming and improve existing programming, including group exercise and personal training.
• Develop meaningful relationships with members and help them set and achieve wellness goals.
• Hire, train, and supervise a diverse wellness staff with strong communication and coordination.
• Ensure health/ wellness spaces are safe, clean, and well-maintained; coordinate repairs as needed.
• Schedule outreach to new members for orientations and proper use of equipment.
• Ensure programs meet YMCA standards and enforce policies for classes and gym operations.
• Monitor program budgets and resources with COO guidance; analyze participation and retention.

Skills

Member engagement

Instruction & coaching

Program development

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

CPR/AED

First Aid

Certified Personal Trainer

Certified Group Exercise Instructor

YMCA Leader Certification

Job description

Description

The Health & Wellness Director provides leadership, vision, and day-to-day oversight for the YMCA’s health, wellness, fitness, and active-aging programs. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership position with a commitment to direct service.

The Director is expected to spend substantial time working directly with members and participants, leading programs, providing fitness and wellness instruction, conducting orientations and assessments, coaching staff, and building relationships with the people the YMCA serves. The Director should be regularly present on the wellness floor and actively engaged in the member experience.

This position balances program leadership and administration with direct service, recognizing that the strongest health and wellness programs are built by leaders who are present, accessible, knowledgeable, and connected to members.

Requirements

Direct Service and Member Engagement

1. Maintain a substantial, consistent schedule of direct service to members and participants, with approximately 50-60% of working hours devoted to direct program delivery, member engagement, instruction, coaching, and wellness services.
2. Maintain current and attain new certifications to effectively instruct/ teach exercise classes and programs and train clientele.
3. Develop new programming and continue to improve existing programming, including group exercise, personal training, and programming for the whole life span, working with the COO to create/update/maintain and promote program schedules.
4. Develop meaningful relationships with members and participants and help them establish realistic, sustainable health and wellness goals, providing encouragement, accountability, and education that help members make healthy lifestyle changes.

Health and Wellness Leadership and Operations Expectations

1. Ensures that the health and wellness spaces are safe, clean, and well-maintained, including coordinating repairs in the fitness center to be completed promptly.
2. Ensures that all programs meet YMCA of the USA and other professional standards. Develops and enforces policies and procedures for the conduct of classes and the operations of the fitness center utilizing Y-USA and Praesidium best practices.
3. Schedules and coordinates outreach to new members for orientations and assistance for proper use of fitness center equipment and training support.
4. Hires, trains, and supervises a diverse group of wellness staff, ensuring high-quality service to our members and guests with effective communication and coordination with the Y staff team, leading by example, demonstrating what exceptional member services and professional conduct look like.

Manage and Control the Operating Budget

1. Responsible for developing and monitoring program and department budgets, supplies, equipment, and resources. Work with the COO on variations, deviations, and corrective measures to ensure forecasting and goal achievement.
2. Compile relevant program statistics to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of and participation in programs, working with the Y staff team to assist with member retention, program enrollment, fundraising, and other YMCA initiatives as appropriate.

The ideal candidate

• Enjoys being on the floor rather than behind a desk.
• Builds authentic relationships with members.
• Leads through personal example.
• Is comfortable teaching, coaching, demonstrating, and encouraging.
• Has strong knowledge of exercise, fitness, wellness, and healthy aging.
• Can move comfortably between direct service and administrative responsibilities.
• Is an excellent communicator and team builder.
• Understands that member relationships are at the heart of YMCA wellness work.
• Demonstrates enthusiasm, warmth, patience, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

Ability to effectively work with diverse groups of people from all social and economic parts of our community.

Required certifications: CPR/AED and First Aid. Nationally recognized Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Group Exercise Instructor, as well as certifications for specialty classes taught. Successful completion of all appropriate required Health and Safety training.

Models and teaches the YMCA's core values. Ensures a high level of customer service with a commitment to improving our participants' lives.

YMCA of the USA Leader Certification.

Direct-Service Philosophy

The Health & Wellness Director is expected to lead from the floor.

Administrative responsibilities are important, but they should not displace the Director's connection to members. The Director's regular presence in the wellness environment is an essential part of the position—not simply a staffing contingency.

A successful Director should be known by members, available to answer questions, willing to demonstrate an exercise, ready to lead a class, and attentive to the person who may be taking their first step toward a healthier life.

The YMCA's goal is not simply to operate a fitness facility. It is to change lives through relationships, encouragement, expertise, and community. The Health & Wellness Director plays a critical role in making that happen every day.

Physical Demands

Ability to effectively plan and lead classes and activities related to fitness.

Ability to communicate verbally, including projecting voice distance in normal and loud situations.

Occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs.

This position can come with available shared employee housing in a house the Y owns approximately 1 mile from the Y campus.

Compensation commensurate with experience.