Senior Director of Civic Engagement

YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES

The LA Y is the Center for Community Well-Being in Los Angeles, committed to building stronger communities by providing equitable programs and services to empower all. We are focused on fighting food insecurity, providing equity in education, making sure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of sports, ensuring kids and teens have a safe place to grow, learn and live a healthy lifestyle. The LA Y’s health and wellness initiatives offer medical and mental health resources to ensure everyone has access to basic health needs. Our mission is to provide services and resources that contribute to the well-being of our community. The LA Y operates 29 Centers and over 200 program sites across LA County.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Director of Civic Engagement is a mission-critical leadership role that advances the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ Center for Community Well-Being (CCWB) framework by driving civic engagement strategies that strengthen belonging, promote health equity, and activate community voice across LA County. Reporting to the VP of Social Impact, this role is responsible for designing and leading initiatives rooted in the CCWB’s five pillars — Belonging, Education Equity, Civic Engagement, Economic Stability, and Health Equity — ensuring that YMCA programs serve as anchors of social change and catalysts for collective impact.

This role leads the organization’s civic engagement portfolio, including community advocacy, volunteerism, government relations, social impact communications, and data-informed community outreach. The Senior Director will cultivate deep partnerships with public agencies, nonprofit allies, elected officials, and community stakeholders, while building the internal infrastructure needed to measure, report, and continuously improve the Y’s social impact outcomes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PROGRAM OPERATIONS / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead a comprehensive civic engagement strategy aligned with the YMCA’s mission and the Center for Community Well-Being’s five pillars: Belonging, Education Equity, Civic Engagement, Economic Stability, and Health Equity.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to embed civic engagement and community well-being outcomes across all YMCA programs, capital campaigns, and institutional partnerships.
• Represent the YMCA’s civic engagement work to funders, government partners, media, and community stakeholders as a thought leader and mission ambassador.

Community Partnership Development

• Identify, cultivate, and sustain strategic partnerships with local government agencies, school districts, community-based organizations, health systems, faith communities, and civic institutions to amplify the YMCA’s social impact.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the YMCA and external partners, designing collaborative relationships that drive measurable change across the CCWB pillars.
• Advance cross-sector coalitions that address community-identified needs, including food security, immigration support, health access, housing stability, and youth development.

Program Development and Implementation

• Design, implement, and evaluate civic engagement programs that empower community members of all ages to participate actively in civic life — from voter engagement and advocacy training to leadership development and community service.
• Integrate the CCWB framework into program design, ensuring that each initiative contributes to at least one of the five well-being pillars and is grounded in community voice and lived experience.
• Create accessible pathways for members, volunteers, and staff to engage in civic education, service learning, and community advocacy.

Volunteer Engagement

• Develop and lead strategies to recruit, train, steward, and retain volunteers for community-focused initiatives, including the Together in Service program and corporate volunteer partnerships.
• Provide meaningful engagement experiences for volunteers that align with their skills and the organization’s community well-being goals.
• Partner with corporate allies to structure volunteer investments that create measurable social impact and community connection.

Advocacy and Social Change

• Lead the YMCA’s advocacy efforts on issues affecting LA County communities, including health equity, immigration, food access, education, and housing — in alignment with the CCWB framework and in partnership with external stakeholders.
• Organize community events, awareness campaigns, and advocacy initiatives that address the root causes of inequity and amplify community voice.
• Monitor and respond to policy developments at the local, state, and federal levels that affect the communities the YMCA serves.

Program Marketing and Communication

• Develop and implement communications strategies to promote civic engagement programs, elevate community stories, and deepen community awareness of the YMCA’s social impact.
• Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to produce compelling digital and print materials, social media campaigns, press releases, and funder reports that reflect the CCWB narrative.
• Support executive communications related to civic engagement initiatives, including remarks, talking points, and public-facing updates for the President & CEO and senior leadership.

Data, Evaluation, and Learning

• Partner with the Director of Data & Evaluation and the Center for Community Well-Being team to design and apply a rigorous measurement framework for civic engagement outcomes across the CCWB’s five pillars.
• Track, analyze, and report program impact data to senior leadership, funders, and community stakeholders, demonstrating the YMCA’s role as a social impact anchor institution.
• Use data-driven insights, community feedback, and learning cycles to continuously improve program effectiveness, equity outcomes, and community reach.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, and inspire a team of civic engagement professionals, fostering a culture of equity, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Provide mentorship, professional development opportunities, and clear performance accountability to direct reports.
• Model the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility in all internal and external interactions.

STAFF ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

• Recruit and hire program staff using inclusive, equity-centered screening tools and panel interviews to ensure strong team composition and cultural alignment.
• Provide direct supervision to department staff, ensuring all team members are qualified, certified, and meeting performance standards for their respective roles.
• Support ongoing professional growth through training, technical assistance, and access to resources — both through hosted professional development opportunities and by supporting staff attendance at external trainings.
• Lead onboarding, performance management, and individual development planning for all direct reports.
• Provide training and coaching to program staff and interns to strengthen their ability to engage, inform, and involve community members across the CCWB pillars.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Recruits, trains, supervises, and evaluates all staff and volunteers in the civic engagement portfolio. Actively supports staff in identifying and meeting developmental goals.
• Ensures operational excellence across civic engagement programming, including staff and volunteer scheduling and coordination across program sites.
• Maintains high staff morale and low turnover. Models the YMCA’s Code of Conduct and Metropolitan guidelines and serves as a visible culture leader for the team.

VOLUNTEER, BOARD, & MEMBER INVOLVEMENT

• Works with frontline staff to model and embed best practices for member and volunteer engagement that deepen commitment to YMCA programs and community well-being outcomes.
• Follows established best practices for engagement with board members, advisory committees, and task forces related to civic engagement and social impact.

FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• Responsible for securing sufficient grant and contributed revenue to support civic engagement programming consistent with organizational goals and campaign targets.
• Assists with the annual support campaign by integrating civic engagement impact stories and community well-being data to inspire donor investment.
• Provides staff leadership to all assigned project funding, grant opportunities, special gifts solicitation, and fundraising events related to the civic engagement portfolio.

ADMINISTRATION

• Responsible for safe implementation of bylaws, policies, goals, priorities, standards, and procedures established by the Metropolitan Board of Directors and senior leadership.
• Oversees administrative systems and operational logistics for civic engagement programs conducted at YMCA centers and off-site program locations.
• Manages internal and external communications related to the civic engagement portfolio, including newsletters, program updates, news releases, and promotional materials aligned with the CCWB narrative.
• Represents the YMCA through active membership in selected community organizations and through attendance at key YMCA and civic events across LA County.

PLANNING AND SAFETY

• Makes recommendations to senior leadership on program development, facility planning, and staff and member safety policies and orientations related to civic engagement operations.
• Monitors demographic, political, economic, and governmental trends shaping LA County communities and incorporates this intelligence into civic engagement strategy and CCWB programming.

METROPOLITAN / FIELD / NATIONAL PARTICIPATION

• Attends staff meetings and required certification and training events.
• Participates in YMCA training events to support ongoing career and leadership development.
• Attends Metro events, staff meetings, and cluster meetings.
• Exhibits commitment to the total organization through active participation and leadership in Metropolitan, field, and national activities and through collaborative engagement with all operating units.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attend staff meetings and training as required.
• Uphold YMCA policies for safety, supervision, mandated reporting and risk management.
• Demonstrate the Six Pillars of Character (Trustworthiness, Citizenship, Respect, Responsibility, Caring and Fairness) as well as the YMCA Core Values of Caring, Respect, Honesty and Responsibility, in all dealings with members, guests, volunteers and fellow staff.
• Demonstrate competencies in and willingness to develop in the Cause Driven Leadership areas of mission advancement, collaboration, operational effectiveness and personal growth.
• All other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

YMCA LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

The Y’s Leadership Competency Model is comprised of multiple leadership competencies (leadership knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for success in the Y), organized by the four disciplines of cause driven leadership:

• Advancing Our Mission & Cause: Provide visionary leadership to the organization and ensure that all resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community.
  • Competencies Include: Change Leadership, Engaging Community, Philanthropy, & Volunteerism
• Building Relationships: Connect people to the Y’s cause by developing inclusive relationships, partnerships and collaborations so that Ys can co-create solutions to pressing social needs.
  • Competencies Include: Collaboration, Communication & Influence, Inclusion
• Leading Operations: ensure relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the organization so that we can continue to fulfill our promise to the community.
  • Competencies Include: Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Fiscal Management, Functional Expertise, Innovation, Program/Project Management
• Developing & Inspiring Others: support the holistic development of self and others so that everyone can embrace the Y’s cause, sustain the Y’s culture, and inspire others to take individual and collective action to further our impact.
  • Competencies Include: Developing Self & Others, Emotional Maturity

While all competencies are significant the following are critical to success in this position:

• Engaging Community
• Inclusion
• Critical Thinking & Decision Making
• Innovation
• Program/Project Management
• Emotional Maturity

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• AGE: 21 years or older
• EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Social Work, Community Development, Public Health, or a related field, preferred. Master’s degree a plus.
• RELATED EXPERIENCE:  
  • 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in civic engagement, community organizing, public policy, or social impact leadership; 3–5 years of supervisory experience.
• SPECIALIZED SKILLS:
  • Deep commitment to equity and belonging; strong communication, facilitation, and coalition-building skills; familiarity with social determinants of health frameworks and community well-being models.
• CERTIFICATIONS:
  • YMCA Team Leader Certification, preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/MINIMUM PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• This role requires regular travel across LA County to YMCA community centers, program sites, and partner locations.
• You must have the physical, visual, and auditory ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.

Salary : $73,190