Summer Youth Programs Lead, 4-H Building & State Fair

University of Minnesota; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 68,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages and benefits

Generous time off

Tuition benefit program

Retirement plans

Job summary

The University of Minnesota Extension seeks a 4-H Building Program Lead to provide strategic leadership, instructional design, and operational authority for statewide 4-H Building and summer programming. This role designs, implements, and evaluates educational initiatives to meet youth and community needs, building scalable models and new operating systems for summer programming.

You will ensure high-quality, safe, engaging youth experiences, manage budgets, staffing, and risk, and collaborate

Qualifications

• BA/BS plus 5 years of related experience.
• Experience designing, launching, or facilitating experiential learning, non-formal youth development, or educational showcase/exhibit programs.
• Experience managing program budgets, monitoring expenditures/revenues, and establishing operational systems for complex programs.
• Demonstrated experience developing multi-channel marketing, promotional, or communication strategies across diverse youth and adult audiences.
• Experience establishing, enforcing, and monitoring safety protocols, youth protection standards, and risk mitigation procedures for large public events or overnight/day camps.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict management skills.
• Ability to lead teams and exhibit strong collaboration skills to meet team objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for statewide 4-H Building summer programming, including Quest and Immersion programs.
• Oversee instructional design and educational leadership in partnership with State Program Directors.
• Develop innovative project formats, digital platforms, and cross-disciplinary themes to reduce barriers for youth.
• Ensure programming is scalable and grounded in high-quality experiential learning with youth input.
• Formulate evaluation metrics to assess and improve programming.
• Collaborate with Minnesota State Fair staff and Extension leads to align systems and execution.
• Coordinate with UMN departments to strengthen program delivery and integration.

Skills

Experiential learning design

Program budgeting

Staff recruitment & supervision

Safety & risk management

Marketing & communications

Conflict management

Team leadership

Education

BA/BS + 5 years related experience

Master's degree + 3 years experience

Job description

The University of Minnesota Extension seeks a 4-H Building Program Lead to provide strategic leadership, instructional design, and operational authority for statewide 4-H Building and summer programming. This role designs, implements, and evaluates educational initiatives to meet youth and community needs, building scalable models and new operating systems for summer programming.

You will ensure high-quality, safe, engaging youth experiences, manage budgets, staffing, and risk, and collaborate