Director of After School & Camp Programs in Portland, Oregon at Friendly House Inc

Director of After School & Camp Programs

About Friendly House

Friendly House is a nonprofit neighborhood center and social service organization dedicated to fostering interdependence among people from all walks of life. We meet educational, recreational, and human service needs across the Portland metropolitan area by creating opportunities for individuals of all ages and income levels to build social capital—the relationships and connections that strengthen communities through mutual support.

Founded in 1930, Friendly House remains rooted in the settlement house tradition, with a strong commitment to serving those facing systemic and structural barriers, including children, low-income families, older adults, and LGBTQ+ older adults. Our work centers on ensuring that all people are included, valued, and connected to affordable high quality services and supports that help to meet their basic needs.

We are located in Northwest Portland: Learn more at www.fhpdx.org.

Position Overview

Friendly House seeks a collaborative and mission-driven leader to serve as Director of Afterschool & Camp Programs. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for our out-of-school-time programming, including before and afterschool, in-service days, and full-day programming during winter, spring, and summer breaks for children ages 5–12.

Our afterschool program serves up to 100 children daily from Chapman Elementary School, offering enriching experiences in creative arts, physical activity, STEM, homework support, and social-emotional learning.

The Director is responsible for cultivating a strong program culture rooted in Friendly House’s mission and values, ensuring high-quality, inclusive programming, and supporting staff, children, and families—particularly those facing the greatest barriers to access and success.

This position is not union-eligible, but it may supervise union and nonunion employees.

Position Type

Full-time, exempt. Salary: $37 per hour

Work Environment

This position operates across multiple sites, including Friendly House (Crawford and Brentano buildings), Chapman Elementary School, Wallace Park, and field trip locations throughout the Portland metro area, and occasionally beyond.

Work takes place in offices, classrooms, and outdoor settings in a variety of weather conditions. Occasional local travel is required for meetings, errands, and organizational support.

Benefits

• Health and dental insurance (valued at approximately $5,000/year)
• Up to 4% employer match on 403(b) retirement contributions
• Generous paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Free afterschool care and day camps (winter, spring, and summer) for children ages 5–12, and free afterschool care for children attending Chapman Elementary
• Up to 50% discount on preschool tuition (ages 3–5), with additional scholarship opportunities available
• Complimentary Friendly House fitness center membership
• Discounts on select programs and activities

Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

Friendly House is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with lived experience in communities of color and other historically marginalized groups.

We prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, marital or familial status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, military or veteran status, housing status, source of income, political affiliation, union affiliation, disability, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Program Oversight

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all afterschool and camp programming
• Foster a mission-aligned, inclusive, and collaborative program culture
• Ensure program quality, safety, and compliance with all licensing and funding requirements
• Lead program planning, implementation, and continuous improvement efforts

Staff Supervision & Development

• Hire, train, supervise, and mentor program staff and volunteers
• Provide reflective supervision, coaching, and professional development opportunities
• Promote staff retention by developing and maintaining a positive team culture and clear expectations and communication
• Step into program roles as needed to maintain safe staffing ratios

Family & Community Engagement

• Build strong, trusting relationships with families and community partners
• Support effective communication between staff, children, and families
• Conduct program tours, build enrollment, and support enrollment processes
• Create new opportunities for parent education, involvement, and community building for caregivers of children enrolled in Afterschool and Camp programs

Operations & Administration

• Manage enrollment, waitlists, billing, and student records utilizing Brightwheel Enrollment Systems
• Oversee program budgets in partnership with the Finance Department
• Collaborate with Development on grants and reporting, and with Marketing on outreach and recruitment
• Partner with Operations and the Community Center to ensure facilities meet all regulatory and organizational standards, and are available for program and organizational use as needed

Program Quality & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to licensing standards and best practices in youth programming
• Implement developmentally appropriate, anti-bias curriculum for diverse and mixed-age groups
• Maintain accurate records and documentation
• Support staff in responding to complex or challenging behaviors

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Friendly House Leadership Team
• Collaborate with the Preschool Director on shared systems such as licensing, staffing, and training
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to build an afterschool program coalition to be responsive and influential on local, regional and national advocacy efforts as needed.
• Contribute to organization-wide initiatives and cross-departmental collaboration
• Support Friendly House’s community building mission

Required Knowledge & Skills

Knowledge of:

• Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
• Best practices in afterschool and recreational youth programming
• Anti-bias and inclusive curriculum design
• Nonprofit program management and operations

Skills:

• Strong leadership, supervision, and team-building skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Effective problem-solving and conflict resolution
• Budgeting and financial management
• Organization, planning, and attention to detail

Qualifications

A combination of professional, volunteer, and/or lived experience will be considered. Friendly House is committed to supporting employee growth, and training may be available for the right candidate.

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in childcare programs
• At least 1 year of staff supervision experience
• Enrollment in the Oregon Criminal History Registry

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to bend, stoop, twist, run, and sit on the floor with children
• Ability to walk, run, and stand for extended periods of time
• Willingness to actively participate in program activities as needed