Character & Leadership Youth Development Professional

Pay starting at $19.50!

Organization Information

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) is on a mission to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential. We provide a world-class Club Experience that ensures success is within reach for every member—putting them on track to graduate high school with a plan for the future, demonstrate good character and leadership, and live a healthy lifestyle.

Position Summary

Do you want to hand a young person the microphone? As the Character & Leadership Youth Development Professional, you are the face of leadership, service, and character programming across a cohort of four assigned Clubs—helping members find their voice and use it.

You deliver programs that help youth build confidence, leadership skills, civic responsibility, emotional intelligence, and positive character traits, empowering them to become active contributors in their communities. You are the subject matter expert for your program area, and you make sure a member gets the same outstanding experience no matter which of your Clubs they walk into.

You are part of the Program Excellence Team—the side of BGCM accountable for program quality, curriculum, coaching, outcomes, and continuous improvement. You report to your Program Lead, who coaches you, observes your programming, and helps you grow. You are a specialist, not a supervisor: your job is to be exceptional at delivering your pillar. And you work shoulder to shoulder with the Club Experience Team—Club Directors, Club Experience Professionals, and Program Specialists—who own safety, culture, and the daily Club Experience. Two tracks, one mission.

This role is the first step on a clear career pathway: Youth Development Professional ? Program Lead ? Director of Programs. We will invest in your development, and we expect you to take coaching, act on feedback, and grow.

Essential Functions

• Deliver High-Quality Programs: Facilitate engaging, age-appropriate, outcome-driven programming directly with Club members. Deliver curriculum with fidelity while adapting activities to meet the unique needs of the youth in front of you, and use BGCA’s Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development in everything you run.
• Bring the Energy: Be the reason members show up. Create excitement, momentum, and buzz around your program area so youth choose it, stick with it, and bring a friend. Be ready to jump in and lead any activity, any day.
• Build Meaningful Relationships: Establish positive, appropriate, and impactful relationships with youth across all assigned Club locations. Serve as a trusted mentor and role model, and foster an environment where every member feels connected, valued, and safe.
• Grow Participation & Retention: Develop strategies that increase participation, engagement, and retention; recruit members into your programming—especially the members who would not sign up on their own—and follow up with the ones who stop showing up.
• Deliver Consistency Across Your Cohort: Ensure consistent implementation of curriculum and best practices across all four assigned Clubs, so a member’s experience is just as strong at one Club as it is at another.
• Partner with the Club Experience Team: Integrate seamlessly into the culture and operations of every Club you serve. Communicate schedules, space, supply, and member needs in advance to Club Directors and Club Experience Professionals, and support Club-wide initiatives, celebrations, and special events.
• Celebrate Members: Recognize effort, growth, and achievement in your program area, and hand off the great moments to the Club Experience Team so members are celebrated in front of their peers and families.
• Track the Impact: Collect, maintain, and report accurate participation, attendance, scan, and outcome data. Monitor progress toward program goals and support organizational evaluation and grant compliance requirements.
• Take Coaching & Follow Through: Participate fully in observations, reflective coaching conversations, and weekly check-ins with your Program Lead. Act on feedback, close the loop on commitments, and keep sharpening your craft.
• Stay Current & Innovative: Remain knowledgeable about trends, research, and best practices in your program area; contribute ideas for curriculum enhancements; and participate in curriculum testing, feedback, and program development.
• Keep It Safe: Maintain a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment at all times, follow BGCM safety policies and supervision expectations, and report incidents and concerns immediately.

What You Own in Your Program Area

• Lead the Leadership Clubs: Facilitate leadership development and character-building programming, including BGCA leadership clubs such as Keystone Club and Torch Club, and service-learning opportunities.
• Build Skills That Transfer: Guide youth in developing communication, collaboration, ethical decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Amplify Youth Voice: Create real opportunities for youth voice, choice, and leadership—member councils, member-led projects, and peer leadership roles.
• Serve the Community: Promote civic engagement and community involvement, and organize service projects members are proud to put their name on.

Who You Are (Qualifications & Skills)

• Experience with Youth: You bring a minimum of 2 years of experience working directly with children or teens in a youth development, education, recreation, or community-based setting.
• Developmentally Grounded: You have a strong understanding of child and adolescent development and a demonstrated ability to engage and motivate youth from diverse backgrounds.
• Relationship Builder & Communicator: You have excellent relationship-building and communication skills and can connect quickly with members, families, and Club teams.
• Adaptable Across Clubs: You can work independently across multiple locations, adapt quickly to different Club cultures and environments, and still collaborate closely with every team you join.
• Organized & Accountable: You have strong organizational and time-management skills and experience with data collection, documentation, and reporting.
• Coachable & Growth-Minded: You welcome observation and feedback, act on it quickly, and want to build a career in youth development.
• Preferred Background: Degree or coursework in Youth Development, Education, Social Work, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Preferred Experience: Experience leading youth leadership, service-learning, or character development activities, and knowledge of positive youth development principles and leadership education.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Competencies

• Knowledge: Positive Youth Development, Program Facilitation & Curriculum Delivery, Behavior Guidance, Safety & Supervision, Data Collection & Reporting.
• Skills: Facilitation, Communication, Relationship Building, Engagement & Motivation, Organization, Problem Solving, Adaptability, Follow-Through.
• Abilities: Emotional Intelligence, Professional Judgment, Initiative, Creativity, Written and Verbal Communication.
• Competencies: Accountability, Communication, Relationship Building, Planning & Organizing, Problem Solving, Continuous Learning.

Requirements

• Ability to earn/maintain mandatory CPR & First Aid certification.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, maintain an acceptable motor vehicle record (MVR), and meet Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands’ vehicle insurance eligibility requirements to transport members and travel regularly between assigned Club locations.
• Must pass a drug test, criminal, and driving records investigation.
• Must have regular and reliable attendance and reliable transportation.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events, showcases, and family engagement.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to spend the majority of the workday on the Club floor, standing, walking, and actively facilitating and supervising members.
• Must be able to participate in active programming and recreation with members, indoors and outdoors, in varying weather conditions.
• Must be able to move quickly in response to a safety concern or emergency.
• Must be able to frequently talk or hear, including projecting the voice in a loud gym or program space.
• Must be able to regularly lift and/or move 15–25 lbs., and occasionally more with assistance, in a sound and safe manner.
• Must be able to regularly sit and use hands to complete computer-based planning, documentation, and reporting.
• Must be able to deal with normal levels of stress.
• Must be able to travel regularly between assigned Club locations.

Job Performance Expectations

• Accountability & Quality: Commitment to youth development, resource stewardship, and continuous program improvement.
• Integrity & Ethics: Operating with honesty, fairness, transparency, and professional consistency.
• Program Delivery: Programming runs on schedule, with fidelity, and at a quality standard you would be proud to have observed on any day, in any Club.
• Member Experience: Members are safe, engaged, known by name, and glad they came today.
• Teamwork: Building meaningful, considerate, and positive relationships across the organization, especially with the Club Experience Team at every assigned Club.

Salary : $20