Interim Manager of Playground Club-Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (Limited January 2027-June 2027) in Santa Monica, California at Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica

Summary of the Role

Imagine a place where every young person, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to explore, grow, and thrive. A place where potential isn’t just recognized, but nurtured, empowering young people to become the leaders of tomorrow. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (SMBGC), we’re dedicated to turning this vision into reality, providing transformative experiences that help youth discover their strengths and achieve their dreams.

Reporting to Reporting to the Director of Operations-Impact & Evaluation, the Manager of Playground Club (PGC) position will lead the continued growth and sustainability of the SMBGC Playground Club Model, serving elementary schools throughout SMMUSD. The PGC Manager will guide, coach, and mentor a well-established, robust, and dynamic team, supervising Regional Site Coordinators and one Site Director, who support site coordinators, spanning (7) elementary school sites in Santa Monica.

The Manager of PGC plays a key role engaging youth in grades 1st-5th grade in programming that is rooted in play equity, movement, inclusion, SEL, and building a safe environment for youth to thrive in after school programming. This position blends people leadership and program management, making data informed decisions, growing enrollment and program offerings. The qualified candidate will build relationships with school principals, have strong administrative and technological skills to update systems and processes, and excellent logistical skills for scheduling, and staff development.

Essential Functions of the Position:

People Leadership: Supervises, coaches, and evaluates the Playground Club leadership team through regular one-on-ones, goal setting, and performance reviews, and helps them build the skills to lead and grow their own teams of Site Coordinators. Establishes the training framework for staff at every level, covering play, safety, and youth development curriculum, and ensures it is carried out consistently across sites. Creates consistent practices for how sites hire, onboard, and schedule staff, and monitors adherence to HR policies at every location. Builds a cohesive leadership team and identifies emerging leaders within SMBGC school-based sites for growth opportunities.

Youth Development: Defines high-quality youth development practice across all school-based sites. Experience working directly with youth (grades 1-5) in a positive and engaging manner. This role teaches other staff how to facilitate Boys & Girls Club curriculum, how to leverage tech and online curriculum in unique settings like a playground, and critical components of leading trauma-informed programming rooted in principles of social/emotional learning. Models how to support age-appropriate communications, engagement, and skill building with elementary age youth. Conducts regular site visits to observe programming and gives feedback that strengthens practice across school-based teams.

Program Management: Leads the design and planning of youth-centered programming aligned with SMBGC’s mission and best practices and oversees its implementation through the leadership team. Sets consistent standards and procedures for all seven sites, including safety protocols, and holds the school-based leadership team accountable for meeting them. Partners with the Impact & Evaluation team to measure program effectiveness and impact and work with the senior leadership team to identify grant opportunities and program partnerships.

Strategy & Innovation: Leverage the SMBGC database, My Club Hub, to make data informed decisions on outreach, engagement, and enrollment. Strategize ideas to support daily participation with youth in the community. Strategy includes maintaining and updating safety practices, communications, and opportunities that support the schools, youth, and families we serve. Reviews behavior, attendance, engagement, and enrollment data from SMBGC’s database, MyClubHub, to identify trends and guide outreach decisions, and ensure site records are accurate and up to date.

Build Community & Connection: Foster relationships with school leadership and parents. Standardize site communications, and work to be a part of the unique school communities we serve. This role will collaborate with other senior leaders in the organization to support the increased engagement of elementary youth in sports and play.

Experiences You’ll Bring

• Experience overseeing or leading programming for elementary-age youth grounded in SEL and trauma-informed practice, including prior direct experience working with youth in a K–12 or out-of-school-time setting.
• Knowledge of local school districts in Santa Monica or LA.
• Knowledge and understanding of healthy play, activity, and movement for youth.
• Experience supervising and developing staff, including coaching supervisors or team leads to manage and grow their own teams.
• Strong organizational and project management skills to include managing deadlines, documenting practices, facilitating team meetings, and building a high performing team.
• Experience supporting or running after school programs, camps, sports programs for youth, outdoor experiences or excursions for youth.
• Strong writing and presentation skills with the ability to communicate your ideas clearly and for diverse audiences. Experience with digital platforms: Teams, Zoom, Excel, PowerPoint, and case management or databases are required.

Qualifications for the Ideal Candidate

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Social Work, Youth Development, Sociology, Public Administration, or related field is preferred but not required. Equivalent years of experience in these fields will be considered.
• Minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in youth development, out-of-school-time programming, or related nonprofit leadership roles.
• At least 2 years of staff supervision experience, including hiring, coaching, and performance management. Demonstrated supervision of volunteers and/or interns will be considered.
• Broad knowledge base and understanding of Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District, youth serving nonprofits, working with government and program partners.
• Training and understanding of trauma-informed practices, SEL curriculum, and motivational interviewing.
• Superior organizational skills, attention to detail, project management, including experience with Teams, Zoom, databases, and Microsoft 365 related applications.
• Familiarity with grants, supply orders, and program budgeting.

What we offer you

• Targeted onboarding in your first 90 days including access to national curriculum and training.
• New hire orientation that breaks down the organization and your important, fun, connected place within it. You get to understand how your work drives our mission and makes an impact in kids’ lives.
• An employer who invests in its team!
• Commitment to access, opportunity, and advancement for our diverse team.
• Plus: Making a difference by providing a fun and safe environment for youth!