OST Program Manager - Office of Children's Affairs

City and County of Denver; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 74,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

457B Retirement Plan

PTO + holidays + personal day + Well‑n

Volunteer day

Medical, dental, vision plans

Job summary

City and County of Denver’s Office of Children’s Affairs is seeking an OST Program Manager to lead out-of-school time initiatives across Denver. You’ll set quality standards, manage budgets, and coordinate contracted partners to deliver high-impact youth programs.

Your ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree in public administration or related field, 3 years of program experience, and strong stakeholder collaboration skills, including bilingual English/Spanish capabilities.

Qualifications

• Leadership roles within out-of-school time programs.
• Experience coordinating across multiple sites, partners, or funding streams.
• Experience managing contracted partners, vendors, or consultants.
• Knowledge of Denver’s youth-serving landscape and city agencies.
• Familiarity with OST quality frameworks (e.g., YPQA).
• Ability to design and deliver training for adult learners.
• Strong understanding of positive youth development, SEL, and equity.
• Experience managing program budgets and grants.
• Data-driven approach to measure results and drive improvement.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Set goals, policies, and quality standards for OCA’s OST program and revise processes as the program grows.
• Design new services or change existing ones to strengthen quality and reach.
• Coordinate the Denver Afterschool Alliance and manage partner relations.
• Lead training and coaching for OST staff and partner organizations on best practices.
• Manage program budgets, contracts, and program evaluation.

Skills

Leadership experience

OST program experience

Multistakeholder coalition facil

Vendor/contract management

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

Bachelor’s Degree (Public Admin/Management/Sociology/Psychology/Political Science or related)

Job description

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers competitive pay commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $74,276 and $98,415 based on experience and education. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service


• 457B Retirement Plan


• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year


• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

Location & Schedule

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off‑site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off‑site days. In this position you can expect to work on site at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80202 or in other community locations Mondays through Wednesdays. There may be other additional in‑person requirements on some Thursdays and Fridays. There may also be occasional evening or weekend hours to meet the needs of community partners as well as local travel to partner sites and youth programs across Denver as needed. This position will be fast paced with frequent interruptions and changing priorities

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

The Office of Children’s Affairs (OCA) is seeking an OST Program Manager to lead the City’s work to ensure high-quality out-of-school time experiences for young people across Denver. This position leads OCA’s OST program, including the Denver Afterschool Alliance (DAA). It sets program goals and quality standards, manages the program budget and contracted partners, and builds the skills of the adults and systems that support youth. The role helps create equitable, developmentally appropriate environments across Denver’s OST ecosystem.

Specifically, as the OST Program Manager of OCA you will:

Program Leadership and Strategy (approx. 25%)

• Set goals, policies, and quality standards for OCA’s OST program, and revise processes as the program grows


• Design new services or change existing ones to strengthen program quality and reach


• Gather input from youth, families, and partners to shape OCA’s OST strategy and policy direction


• Develop solutions to complex issues that cross agencies or systems and affect the program’s future

Denver Afterschool Alliance and Partner Management (approx. 25%)

• Serve as OCA’s primary point of contact for DAA member organizations


• Convene and support the DAA leadership team


• Plan and lead citywide OST convenings, communities of practice, and learning events


• Hold regular check‑ins with all contracted partners, and plan and oversee the work of partners, vendors, and consultants in the program

Quality, Training, and Coaching (approx. 25%)

• Lead site visits and observational assessments to make sure programs meet quality standards and best practices


• Coach partners with clear, actionable feedback, including youth‑serving organizations and employer partners


• Design and oversee evidence‑based training for OST staff and youth‑serving organizations on topics such as positive youth development, trauma‑informed practice, and social and emotional learning (SEL)

Budget, Contracts, and Evaluation (approx. 15%)

• Develop and manage the OST program budget, prepare budget reports, and make resource allocation recommendations


• Partner with OCA’s Contract Administrator to oversee grant and contract administration for the program area


• Manage program evaluation, using training data, site assessments, and partner feedback to measure results and guide citywide quality improvement


• Prepare reports, including an annual report on program results

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation (approx. 10%)

• Act as spokesperson for OCA’s OST program with internal and external groups


• In collaboration with the YDE Administrator, build strong relationships with community organizations, schools, and city agencies such as Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), Denver Public Schools (DPS), and Denver Parks & Recreation


• Represent OCA in coalitions focused on OST, youth development, and youth employment, and contribute to policy and program design that centers youth voice and equity


• Keep leadership informed of legislative and policy changes affecting OST

*Other related duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You’ll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Leadership experience in out-of-school time, including coordinating programs across multiple sites, partners, or funding streams in a nonprofit, school district, government, or intermediary setting


• Track record of facilitating multi‑stakeholder coalitions, advisory groups, or communities of practice, and planning convenings or learning events


• Experience managing contracted partners, vendors, or consultants toward shared outcomes


• Knowledge of Denver’s youth‑serving landscape and established relationships with community organizations, schools and city agencies


• Familiarity with recognized OST quality frameworks and tools, such as the Weikart Center Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA)


• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver training for adult learners and to coach staff using observation‑based, actionable feedback


• Strong understanding of positive youth development, adolescent development, trauma‑informed practice, SEL, and equity‑centered practice


• Experience managing program budgets and grants, including public or braided funding sources


• Experience using data and evaluation to measure program results and guide quality improvement


• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration, Management, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, or a related field


• Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of full performance professional level experience developing, implementing, and administering programs


• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post high school education for all classifications. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements


• Licensure: None

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until October 14th, 2026.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CA1714 Program Manager

Position Type

Limited (Fixed Term)

Position Salary Range

$74,276.00 - $122,555.00

Target Pay

$74,276 - $98,415 based on experience and education

Agency

Office of Children’s Affairs

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re‑deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real‑time captioning via CART, or disability‑related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [e-mail] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.