Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Leader

🎯 Role Definition

As a Youth Leader, you will design and deliver youth-centered programs that foster personal growth, leadership, and positive social connections. You will mentor young people, manage group dynamics, ensure safety and safeguarding, coordinate with families and community partners, and track program impact. This role requires a combination of program planning, hands-on facilitation, data-informed evaluation and relationship-building with stakeholders.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Youth Worker / Youth Support Worker
Camp Counsellor / Program Assistant
After-School Program Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Leader / Lead Facilitator
Youth Programs Manager / Program Director
Community Engagement Director / Youth Services Manager

Lateral Moves:

Outreach Coordinator
School-Based Counselor or Family Support Worker

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, plan and deliver engaging, age-appropriate weekly and seasonal youth programs (after-school clubs, weekend activities, camps, leadership workshops) that align with organizational objectives and measurable outcomes.
Build trusting one-to-one and small-group mentoring relationships with young people, providing guidance on education, employment pathways, emotional wellbeing and decision-making.
Lead group facilitation that promotes leadership skills, teamwork, conflict resolution and civic participation while adapting activities to diverse developmental and cultural needs.
Implement evidence-based behavior management and de-escalation approaches to maintain safe, productive environments for participants and staff.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments for activities, field trips and events; implement mitigation strategies and ensure staff and participant compliance with safety protocols.
Deliver trauma-informed support and referrals, recognizing signs of abuse, neglect, mental health crises or exploitation and initiating safeguarding procedures in line with policy.
Recruit, train, supervise and schedule volunteer mentors, interns and sessional youth workers; provide coaching, feedback and professional development.
Manage participant caseloads including intake, individual support planning, progress tracking and regular communication with families/caregivers.
Partner with schools, community agencies, local businesses and funders to expand program reach, secure in-kind resources and coordinate referral pathways.
Develop and maintain curriculum, session plans, activity guides and learning materials that reflect inclusion, equity and culturally responsive practice.
Monitor participant attendance, engagement metrics and incident reports; analyze data to inform continuous program improvement and targeted interventions.
Prepare high-quality written reports, grant applications and outcome summaries for funders, stakeholders and senior leadership.
Coordinate logistics for events and trips, including transportation, venue bookings, equipment, permits and volunteer assignments.
Facilitate employability and life skills workshops (resume writing, interview practice, budgeting, digital literacy) to support young people's transition to work or further education.
Lead restorative practices and mediation sessions to repair harm, rebuild relationships and teach accountability among youth participants.
Promote youth voice and leadership by creating opportunities for young people to co-design programming, lead initiatives and represent peers in advisory roles.
Enforce organizational policies related to consent, privacy, child protection and mandatory reporting; maintain accurate and confidential records.
Manage program budgets and petty cash, ensuring cost-effective procurement and adherence to financial controls.
Organize community outreach and recruitment campaigns to increase program visibility, diversity and sustained engagement across target neighborhoods.
Evaluate program outcomes using qualitative and quantitative methods (surveys, focus groups, progress metrics) and apply findings to scale successful practices.
Provide crisis response and after-hours support on an on-call rotation as needed, coordinating with emergency services and families.
Champion inclusion by adapting activities for participants with disabilities, language needs or neurodiverse profiles and securing necessary accommodations.
Maintain professional development (training in first aid, safeguarding, youth mental health, cultural competency) and implement learnings into daily practice.
Represent the organization at public events, schools and community meetings, delivering presentations and building strategic partnerships.

Secondary Functions

Support grant writing and fundraising efforts by contributing program descriptions, impact data and budget narratives.
Maintain accurate participant databases and CRM records; produce regular dashboards and KPI reports for program stakeholders.
Assist with recruitment campaigns, interview processes and onboarding for program staff and volunteers.
Coordinate procurement and inventory of program materials, ensuring supplies meet activity needs and safety standards.
Participate in strategic planning sessions to align youth programming with organizational priorities and community needs.
Contribute to marketing collateral (social media posts, newsletters, flyers) that highlight participant success stories and program impact.
Attend multi-agency case conferences and network meetings to strengthen referral pathways and collaborative responses.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and curriculum development for youth (ages 8–24) with measurable learning objectives and outcomes.
Safeguarding and child protection: mandatory reporting, risk assessment and policy implementation.
Group facilitation techniques, classroom management and behavior modification strategies.
Trauma-informed care, adolescent mental health awareness and basic counseling/referral practices.
Data collection, monitoring & evaluation: surveys, attendance tracking, KPI dashboarding and outcome reporting.
Budget management, grant reporting and basic financial administration for community programs.
First Aid / CPR certification and experience managing medical or safety incidents during activities.
Familiarity with case management and participant CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce Nonprofit, CaseWorthy, Excel/Sheets).
Workshop and employment readiness facilitation: CV writing, interview coaching, job placement support.
Event logistics and risk planning for off-site trips and public-facing activities.

Soft Skills

Strong interpersonal communication, active listening and culturally responsive engagement with youth and families.
Empathy, patience and resilience when working with traumatized or high-needs young people.
Leadership, team coordination and the ability to mentor staff and volunteers.
Conflict resolution, restorative practice facilitation and nonviolent de-escalation skills.
Adaptability and creativity in program delivery under limited resources or changing conditions.
Organizational and time-management skills to juggle programming, reporting and stakeholder meetings.
Motivational coaching and strengths-based mentoring to inspire positive behavior change.
Networking and stakeholder management to build partnerships across education, health and community sectors.
Ethical judgement, discretion and respect for confidentiality.
Problem-solving mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and results.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; combination of relevant experience and certifications accepted.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Education, Youth Development, Psychology, Community Development or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Youth & Community Development
Education / Teaching
Psychology
Public Health
Sociology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years working directly with children, adolescents or young adults in community, school, camp or residential settings.

Preferred: 3+ years leading youth programs, supervising volunteers/staff and demonstrating measurable impact on youth outcomes; experience with safeguarding, data-driven program evaluation and partnership development preferred.