Youth Program Manager

Neighborhood House; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Neighborhood House in St. Paul, MN, is seeking a full-time Youth Manager to oversee all youth programming, focusing on developing high-performing staff, sustainable year-round activities, and safe, engaging experiences for children, youth and families.

The role includes direct service, coordinating with Education & Enrichment, building partnerships, and ensuring compliance with licensing, safety and grant requirements. This in-person position is based in St. Paul, MN.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education, youth development, social work, public administration, or related field.
• Three or more years of experience leading youth programming, after-school programs, camps, or youth development initiatives.
• Minimum of two years of supervisory or management experience.
• Experience supervising seasonal staff, interns, volunteers, or multi-level teams.
• Strong knowledge of positive youth development, trauma-informed practices, restorative approaches, and culturally responsive programming.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of youth program staff, supervising two youth program supervisors and two part-time instructors.
• Translate program goals into clear workplans for staff and interns.
• Provide regular supervision, coaching, and performance feedback.
• Maintain regular meetings and planning retreats.
• Develop staff capacity in trauma-informed youth development and family engagement.
• Ensure staffing plans and safety ratios are maintained.
• Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, and training of temporary staff and interns.

Skills

Youth program management

Supervisory experience

Staff development & training

Diversity & inclusion

Project management

Communication

Valid driver’s license

Budget management

MS Office & Teams

Education

Bachelor’s degree in education, youth development, social work, public administration, or related field

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, youth development, social work, public administration, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Resume review will begin on Aug. 10, 2026

Position: Youth Program Manager

Salary: $55,000-$65,000

Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Summer months) or 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Academic School Year months). Schedule will change depending on the time of year and program needs. Schedule includes evenings and occasional weekends.

Location: In person, St. Paul

WHO WE ARE

For more than 129 years, Neighborhood House has partnered with families in St. Paul to ensure access to essential services, including food, housing, education, and opportunities. Today, we serve more than 30,000 individuals annually across six neighborhoods, striving for a community where everyone can thrive.

ABOUT YOUTH PROGRAMS

Neighborhood House is committed to creating equitable learning environments where every child and youth feels safe, valued, and empowered to succeed. Our Youth Programs provide enriching educational opportunities for children and youth from early childhood through high school.

Programming includes:

• The Youth program provides after-school programming during the academic year, serving youth ages 6-18. Through strong mentoring relationships, engaging enrichment activities, and exposure to new opportunities, Youth Programs help young people develop academically, socially, and emotionally while providing a trusted and supportive environment for families.
• During the Summer, the Youth program team plans and delivers Summer Sunrise, an annual day camp for children aged 6-18.
• The Youth Literacy program provides targeted literacy intervention to students in partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools, after-school tutoring, summer literacy programming, and maintains the Neighborhood House Youth Library to ensure children have access to high-quality books throughout the year.
• The Parent and Early Childhood Education (PECE) program is currently being evaluated. Preschool is paused due to declining enrollment; however, childcare during Adult Education classes (Small Steps program) will continue.

Instruction and programming are delivered by a dedicated team of coordinators, specialists, instructors, temporary summer staff, interns, and volunteers who are supported through strong leadership, collaboration, and professional development.

POSITION SUMMARY

Neighborhood House is seeking a full-time Youth Manager to oversee all youth programming. This role centers around three guiding priorities: developing and supporting high-performing staff teams; ensuring sustainable systems that strengthen year-round youth programming; and ensuring safe, engaging, and high-quality experiences for children, youth, and families. The Youth Manager provides day-to-day leadership for youth program staff, oversees operational systems, and partners to develop annual program plans and community partnerships. The Youth Manager works collaboratively across the Education & Enrichment Department to align youth programming with Adult Education and the Makerspace while strengthening referral pathways, family engagement, and organizational partnerships. The Youth Manager also provides direct service through youth programming, family engagement, and special events as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Management

• Lead a team of youth program staff by directly supervising two youth program supervisors and two part-time Early Childhood Instructors.
• Team includes a Youth Coordinator, Youth Literacy Instructors, temporary summer staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Translate program goals into clear workplans for staff and interns, ensuring each team member understands their role in advancing program objectives.
• Provide regular supervision, coaching, quarterly reflections, and performance feedback that support staff growth and accountability.
• Maintain consistent one-on-one meetings, team meetings, supervisor and coordinator meetings, and annual planning retreats.
• Develop staff capacity in trauma-informed youth development, restorative approaches, cultural responsiveness, radical hospitality, and family engagement.
• Develop and maintain staffing plans that support safe participant-to-staff ratios, appropriate coverage, emergency response, and sustainable workloads.
• Support the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, supervision, and evaluation of temporary Summer Sunrise staff, Right Track interns, and other interns and volunteers.
• Communicate program expectations, operational changes, schedules, seasonal transitions, and organizational priorities clearly and consistently.
• Ensure staff and program compliance with licensing requirements, mandated reporting, youth safety procedures, grant requirements, organizational policies, and risk management expectations.

Program Management

• Co-lead annual and seasonal planning to align programming, staffing, and resources with participant needs and program goals with Director of Education & Enrichment.
• Develop, document, and continuously improve program policies, procedures, workflows, and practices that promote safety, quality, consistency, accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability.
• Collaborate with Education and Enrichment leadership to align all youth programs with Adult Education, the Makerspace, and other organizational initiatives, creating coordinated participant pathways and shared programming opportunities.
• Identify program and operational challenges, recommend solutions, and implement improvements that strengthen participant outcomes, staff sustainability, and organizational effectiveness.
• Maintain knowledge of community resources available to children, youth, and families.

Collaboration

• Maintain annual program calendars, seasonal schedules, activity calendars, registration timelines, training materials, and other core program documentation.
• Effectively maintain partnerships with schools, public agencies, youth-serving organizations, and other community partners that strengthen programming and expand opportunities for participants.
• Co-lead a youth recruitment and retention plan with the Director of Education & Enrichment.
• Collaborate with Volunteer Engagement to develop meaningful volunteer and internship opportunities that support Youth Programs throughout the year.

Direct Service

• Support after-school programming, literacy activities, Summer Sunrise, orientations, family events, community outreach, and other program activities.
• Provide direct service when assigned.
• Monitor participant enrollment, registration, family communication, and connections to internal and external resources.
• Support youth experiencing behavioral, academic, or social-emotional challenges in ways that promote safety, belonging, accountability, and engagement.
• Build positive relationships with children, youth, caregivers, volunteers, and community partners.
• Respond to program inquiries through phone, email, in-person communication, and organizational communication platforms.
• Other duties assigned for the success of Youth Programs and Neighborhood House.

Data and Evaluation

• Oversee accurate and timely data entry and maintenance across required organizational data systems.
• Ensure participant records, attendance, permissions, incident reports, assessments, and required documentation are complete and accurate.
• Collaborate with the Director of Community-Based Evaluation and Impact to collect participant, parent, and youth feedback and incorporate findings into program planning and continuous improvement.
• Support staff in maintaining documentation standards and using data systems correctly.
• Review reports for leadership, funders, and community partners as required.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Required Experience and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in education, youth development, social work, public administration, or related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Three or more years of experience leading youth programming, after-school programs, camps, educational programming, or youth development initiatives.
• Minimum of two years of successful supervisory or management experience.
• Experience supervising seasonal staff, interns, volunteers, or multi-level teams.
• Strong knowledge of positive youth development, trauma-informed practices, restorative approaches, and culturally responsive programming.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Working knowledge of racial equity and social justice issues relevant to the communities Neighborhood House serves.
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills.
• Experience coordinating community partnerships and collaborative initiatives.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Teams.
• Experience managing program budgets and purchasing.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

Desired Experience/Education

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, youth development, social work, public administration, or related field.
• Experience working with immigrant and refugee communities.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills (Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Karen, or other community languages).
• Experience managing grant-funded youth programs.
• Experience developing curriculum, training staff, or creating operational systems.

WORK LOCATION

This in-person role is based in St. Paul, MN.

BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENT

Neighborhood House is required to conduct background checks on all final candidates because of our work with youth and families. We understand that past events may have occurred, and we don’t want this to deter you from applying. The outcome of background checks does not automatically disqualify a candidate, and we are open to a conversation to discuss the results.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Neighborhood House is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The Neighborhood House provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other status protected by law.