Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Youth Manager is responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing youth-focused programs and services that promote social, educational, and emotional development for young people. This role leads program design, staff and volunteer supervision, relationship-building with schools and community partners, budget and grant oversight, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation to ensure programs meet outcomes and comply with safeguarding, diversity, and inclusion best practices.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Youth Worker / Youth Outreach Coordinator
Program Assistant / Program Coordinator
School-Based Counselor or Social Worker

Advancement To:

Senior Youth Programs Manager / Regional Youth Manager
Director of Youth Services or Head of Programs
Grants & Partnerships Director or Chief Program Officer

Lateral Moves:

Community Outreach Manager
Volunteer & Training Coordinator
School Partnership Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end program design and implementation, developing evidence-informed curricula and activity plans that align with organizational mission, youth development principles, and measurable outcomes for participants aged X–Y.
Manage program budgets and financial forecasting, track expenditures against grants and contracts, and ensure accurate financial reporting to funders and senior leadership.
Develop, monitor, and report on program KPIs and outcome metrics using quantitative and qualitative data to demonstrate impact, inform continuous improvement, and support donor reporting.
Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, coach, and evaluate staff and volunteers, creating professional development plans and ensuring high-quality delivery through ongoing training and performance management.
Build, nurture, and sustain partnerships with schools, community organizations, municipal agencies, and funders to expand program reach, secure resources, and integrate services across stakeholders.
Ensure full compliance with child protection and safeguarding policies, mandatory reporting requirements, background checks, and training for all staff and volunteers interacting with youth.
Design and manage participant recruitment and retention strategies, including outreach campaigns, referral pathways, incentive structures, and relationship-based engagement to maintain healthy program rosters.
Oversee individual case coordination and referrals, connecting youth and families with mental health, educational, employment, housing, and social services as needed in a trauma-informed manner.
Create inclusive program environments that center equity, cultural competency, and adapt programming to meet the needs of diverse youth populations, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and neurodiverse participants.
Lead grant writing, proposal development, and stewardship efforts; draft program narratives, budgets, and performance indicators to secure public and private funding.
Implement project management best practices for multi-site or multi-program initiatives, coordinating timelines, milestones, deliverables, and cross-functional teams to ensure on-time delivery.
Develop and execute evaluation plans, working with M&E specialists to design surveys, focus groups, and longitudinal tracking to measure short- and long-term participant outcomes.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of youth development research, local policy changes, and best practices to continuously refine program content and delivery methods.
Oversee logistical operations for program delivery, including site management, transportation coordination, supplies procurement, health and safety protocols, and scheduling.
Facilitate youth leadership and civic engagement opportunities, creating pathways for youth voice and decision-making in program governance, curriculum development, and outreach activities.
Lead community outreach and public relations efforts, representing the organization at stakeholder meetings, coalition tables, school events, and media opportunities to raise program visibility and support.
Develop and maintain comprehensive program documentation, standard operating procedures, lesson plans, safeguarding records, attendance systems, and case notes to ensure consistency and compliance.
Coordinate volunteer recruitment, training, scheduling, and recognition programs to build a reliable corps of adult mentors and activity facilitators.
Provide crisis response and de-escalation support when participants present safety concerns, ensuring timely intervention, documentation, and communication with guardians and partner agencies.
Integrate digital engagement strategies, including social media, virtual programming, and learning management systems, to expand accessibility and maintain youth engagement between in-person sessions.
Champion continuous improvement through regular staff supervision, program retrospectives, stakeholder feedback loops, and implementation of data-driven refinements to increase retention and outcomes.
Prepare and present concise, compelling reports and presentations for boards, funders, city officials, and community stakeholders that summarize impact, challenges, and strategic priorities.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and operational reporting to senior leadership and funders, translating program activity into actionable insights for decision-making.
Contribute to organizational strategy and the youth services roadmap by participating in cross-functional planning, annual retreats, and budget cycles.
Serve as the primary operational liaison with external auditors, funders, and community partners during site visits, compliance reviews, and program evaluations.
Assist with development and implementation of marketing and communications plans to promote program enrollment, fundraising events, and success stories across digital and print channels.
Mentor emerging youth leaders and interns, providing supervision, skills coaching, and structured feedback to build future staff pipelines.
Collaborate with HR to identify staffing needs, define job descriptions for program roles, and support equitable hiring and onboarding practices.
Support fundraising events and donor engagement activities, including stewardship calls, grant reports, and impact briefs to strengthen financial sustainability.
Coordinate transportation and field trip logistics, ensuring risk assessments, parental consent, and emergency procedures are in place and followed.
Maintain inventory systems for program supplies, technology, and equipment; recommend procurement priorities and manage vendor relationships.
Pilot new program models and partnerships, documenting lessons learned and scaling successful pilots across additional sites.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and curriculum development aligned with positive youth development frameworks and evidence-based practices.
Budget management, financial tracking, and grant budgeting with proficiency in financial reporting for nonprofit or public-sector funders.
Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): designing logic models, KPIs, outcome measurement, data collection instruments, and basic quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Grant writing and proposal development experience, including articulating program theory of change and measurable outcomes.
Case management and referral coordination with knowledge of social service systems, mental health, education, and juvenile justice resources.
Familiarity with safeguarding standards, background check systems, and mandatory reporting protocols.
Proficiency with program management and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Apricot, Altru), Excel or Google Sheets for reporting, and basic data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio).
Experience deploying virtual programming platforms and digital engagement tools (Zoom, LMS platforms, social media outreach).
Risk assessment, health & safety planning, and logistics coordination for multi-site program delivery.
Training and facilitation skills for staff, volunteers, parents, and youth leadership workshops.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and people-management skills with a coaching mindset, able to motivate staff and cultivate a culture of accountability and development.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for stakeholder engagement, reporting, and public representation.
Cultural humility and inclusivity, with demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse youth and community groups.
High emotional intelligence, empathy, and trauma-informed approach when supporting vulnerable youth populations.
Problem-solving and strategic thinking to adapt programs in response to changing community needs and funding landscapes.
Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills for handling behavioral incidents and staff or family disputes.
Relationship-building and networking skills to form partnerships with schools, funders, and community organizations.
Time management and prioritization to juggle competing deadlines and oversee multiple program sites or initiatives.
Coaching and mentoring abilities to develop staff, volunteers, and youth leaders toward measurable growth.
Resilience and flexibility in fast-paced or resource-constrained environments, maintaining focus on outcomes and continuous improvement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Education, Youth Development, Human Services, Public Administration, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), Education (M.Ed.), Public Administration (MPA), Organizational Leadership, or Youth Development-related graduate program.
Certifications in youth mental health first aid, trauma-informed care, safeguarding, or nonprofit management are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Education / Curriculum & Instruction
Youth Development / Human Services
Psychology / Counseling
Public Administration / Nonprofit Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive experience in youth programming, case management, or community-based services.

Preferred:

5+ years managing programs, supervising staff and volunteers, and overseeing multi-site operations.
Demonstrated experience with grant-funded program delivery, M&E frameworks, stakeholder partnership building, and safeguarding/compliance in youth-serving organizations.