Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Youth Program Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

A Youth Program Specialist plans, implements, evaluates and scales developmentally appropriate services and activities that promote positive youth development, academic success, and family engagement. This role combines program management, direct service delivery (case management, mentoring, counseling), community partnership and stakeholder engagement, data-informed evaluation, and compliance with safety and funding requirements. The ideal candidate is experienced in youth development theory, trauma-informed practice, grant-funded program administration, and collaborative community outreach.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Youth Counselor / Youth Worker
Case Manager or Family Support Specialist
School or After-School Program Coordinator
AmeriCorps / Service Corps alumni
Community Outreach or Recreation Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Program Specialist or Lead Youth Development Specialist
Program Manager / Youth Services Manager
Director of Youth Programs or Director of Community Engagement
Grants Manager / Development Officer (with strong fundraising experience)
Director of Social Services or Chief Program Officer (nonprofit sector)

Lateral Moves:

Family Services Coordinator
Community Outreach Manager
School Partnership Coordinator
Volunteer & Intern Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, implement, and continuously refine developmentally appropriate youth programs (after-school enrichment, summer camps, mentoring cohorts, leadership academies) that align with measurable outcomes for academic, social-emotional, and civic development.
Create detailed curricula and lesson plans that integrate evidence-based practices, differentiated instruction, and culturally responsive pedagogy to meet the needs of diverse youth age groups and ability levels.
Recruit, screen, onboard, train, supervise and evaluate program staff, volunteers, and interns; develop training materials, conduct performance reviews, and provide coaching to maintain high-quality service delivery.
Manage participant intake and eligibility processes, complete comprehensive assessments, develop individualized service or success plans, and deliver targeted case management to support academic or behavioral goals.
Build and sustain partnerships with schools, social service agencies, local government, faith-based organizations, employers, and community stakeholders to expand program reach and resources.
Monitor program participation, attendance, behavior incidents, and outcome indicators using case management systems and databases; prepare timely, accurate reports for internal leadership and external funders.
Lead grant writing, proposal development, budget preparation, and funder reporting; track grant deliverables and support sustainability planning and budget reconciliation.
Design and implement data collection tools (surveys, pre/post assessments, focus groups) and conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis to measure program impact and inform continuous quality improvement.
Ensure strict compliance with child protection policies, mandatory reporting requirements, background checks, health and safety standards, and local licensing regulations; maintain confidential youth records in accordance with HIPAA/FERPA as applicable.
Develop and enforce risk management, emergency response, and safety protocols; coordinate safety trainings, site inspections, and emergency drills for staff and participants.
Facilitate youth leadership development, peer mentoring, civic engagement opportunities, and youth advisory councils to center youth voice in program design and decision-making.
Deliver evidence-based prevention and intervention services (conflict mediation, bullying prevention, substance use awareness, mental health first aid referrals) and coordinate referrals to clinical or social services when needed.
Manage program budgets, procure supplies and materials, negotiate vendor contracts, and track expenditures to ensure fiscal responsibility and alignment with funding constraints.
Organize logistics for field trips, enrichment vendors, transportation arrangements, meal/snack programs, and community service projects while ensuring accessibility and inclusive participation.
Plan and execute family engagement strategies—parent workshops, family nights, home visits and communication plans—to strengthen family involvement in youth development and academic success.
Develop marketing materials, onboarding packets, and social media content to recruit participants, increase program visibility, and support community outreach campaigns.
Represent the organization at community coalitions, school meetings, interagency teams and advisory groups; act as a program ambassador and advocate for youth services and policy needs.
Provide direct crisis intervention and short-term counseling supports in alignment with agency protocols; escalate to clinical partners when necessary and document interventions thoroughly.
Establish quality assurance processes, collect stakeholder feedback, run program evaluations, and implement continuous improvement cycles using measurable KPIs and logic models.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of best practices in youth development, trauma-informed care, diversity/inclusion, and relevant local/state policy to inform program adaptation and staff training.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests, generate program dashboards and visualizations for leadership, and participate in regular data review meetings to translate findings into programmatic recommendations.
Contribute to the organization’s strategic planning for youth services by providing programmatic input, capacity assessments, and recommendations for scaling successful pilots.
Coordinate professional development opportunities for staff and community partners on topics such as trauma-informed care, cultural responsiveness, classroom management, and restorative practices.
Assist with volunteer recruitment campaigns, coordinate volunteer schedules, and maintain volunteer records, ensuring alignment between volunteer skills and program needs.
Collaborate with communications and fundraising teams to prepare success stories, case studies, annual reports, and collateral that highlight program outcomes and support donor stewardship.
Support technology adoption (case management systems, LMS, attendance tracking apps) by documenting workflows, training staff, and troubleshooting basic user issues.
Participate in grant audits and site visits, prepare documentary evidence, and implement corrective actions in response to funder feedback.
Coordinate evaluation partnerships with external researchers or university partners, manage data-sharing agreements, and ensure compliance with IRB or privacy requirements where applicable.
Facilitate cross-program coordination and referrals to ensure seamless service delivery for youth with complex needs and to prevent duplication across departments.
Lead targeted outreach and recruitment initiatives to enroll underserved or hard-to-reach youth populations, tracking outreach effectiveness and adjusting strategies as needed.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and curriculum development tailored to youth ages 6–24, with measurable learning objectives and outcomes.
Case management and client intake systems, including experience with referral networks and service planning.
Data collection, evaluation methods and outcome reporting (pre/post assessments, attendance metrics, KPI dashboards).
Grant writing, funder reporting, budget development and basic financial stewardship for program grants.
Trauma-informed care practices, risk assessment, and crisis intervention protocols.
Knowledge of relevant regulations and confidentiality laws (FERPA, HIPAA, child protection and mandated reporting).
Proficiency with common tools: Microsoft Office / Google Workspace; experience with case management databases (e.g., Efforts to Outcomes, Apricot, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud) and survey platforms (Google Forms, Qualtrics).
Community outreach and partnership development, including MOUs and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Staff training and supervision techniques, performance management and volunteer coordination.
Program marketing and recruitment, including social media outreach and community engagement tactics.
Basic fiscal management: expense tracking, purchase orders, invoice reconciliation and budget monitoring.
Fluency or strong proficiency in a second language (e.g., Spanish) is highly desirable for engaging diverse communities.

Soft Skills

Exceptional verbal and written communication for youth, families, funders and community partners.
Strong cultural competence and sensitivity to work effectively with diverse communities and marginalized populations.
Leadership and team-building skills to motivate staff, volunteers and youth leaders.
Empathy, patience and a strengths-based approach to youth development and family engagement.
Problem-solving and adaptability in dynamic program contexts and crisis situations.
Conflict resolution and restorative practices to manage behavioral incidents and mediate disputes.
Time management and organizational skills to balance competing priorities and deadlines.
Collaborative mindset for multi-disciplinary teamwork and cross-agency coordination.
Initiative and creativity in designing engaging programming and community outreach strategies.
Attention to detail for grant compliance, record-keeping and accurate reporting.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Education, Youth Development, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Nonprofit Management, or a related human services field (or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience).

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW), Counseling, Youth Development, Education Leadership, Public Administration, or related field.
Certifications such as CPR/First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Trauma-Informed Care, or Case Management certification are highly valued.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Education
Psychology
Public Health
Youth Development / Human Services
Nonprofit Management
Counseling

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of experience working directly with youth and families in after-school, school-based, community-based, or social service settings. Experience may include case management, program coordination, or frontline youth work.

Preferred:

3–5+ years of progressively responsible experience overseeing youth programs, supervising staff/volunteers, managing program budgets, and delivering measurable outcomes for grant-funded initiatives.
Demonstrated experience with data-driven program evaluation, successful grant writing and reporting, and building sustainable community partnerships.