Rec Manager Youth & Family Services

POSITION SUMMARY: The Youth & Family Services Manager is a leader, connector, and champion for creating meaningful experiences for children, teens, and families throughout our community. This position brings energy and vision, that will help shape the families experience through recreation. Leading programs and services from early childhood through the teen years, the Manager provides direction for preschool, youth, camps, enrichment, teen services, The Hive, and family experiences. More than managing programs, this position develops people, brings teams together, builds community partnerships, identifies new opportunities, and turns ideas into experiences that make a difference. We are looking for a leader who is curious about what is possible, willing to challenge the way things have always been done, and excited to build alongside a talented team. The Youth & Family Services Manager will balance creativity with accountability, empower staff to lead and grow, and ensure our programs remain welcoming, responsive, and connected to the changing needs of our community. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide leadership, coaching, support, and accountability to Youth & Family Services staff. Build a team culture where communication is open, ideas are welcomed, expectations are clear, and staff are encouraged to grow, collaborate, and take ownership of their work. Set the direction of a clear vision for Youth & Family Services that connects early childhood, youth, teen, and family experiences. Establish priorities and goals that align with HAPRA's strategic direction while responding to the changing needs of the community. Create intentional pathways that keep children and families connected to HAPRA as they grow from preschool and early childhood through school age programs, camps, middle school, teen services, and family recreation. Provide oversight and direction for preschool, youth recreation, camps, enrichment, teen services, The Hive, and family programming. Support program leaders in delivering experiences that are safe, engaging, welcoming, organized, and meaningful. Identify gaps, emerging interests, and new opportunities for children, teens, and families. Encourage staff to bring forward ideas, test new approaches, and rethink programs that are no longer meeting the needs of the community. Lead the development of a strong teen services strategy that creates meaningful opportunities for recreation, wellness, leadership, belonging, social connection, volunteerism, life skills, and community involvement. Expand opportunities for families to play, learn, explore, and connect through recreation, enrichment, seasonal experiences, parent/caregiver-child programs, and community partnerships. Champion accessible recreation by identifying barriers to participation, supporting staff development, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring inclusion is considered throughout program planning and delivery. Build community connections. Listen to the community, create opportunities to collaborate, and use partnerships to expand HAPRA's reach and impact. Regularly evaluate participation, participant experience, community need, program outcomes, financial performance, and staff feedback. Use what is learned to strengthen successful programs, improve areas that need attention, and make informed decisions about future offerings. Develop and manage assigned budgets, monitor revenues and expenses, evaluate cost recovery, and ensure staffing and resources are aligned with program priorities. Seek grants, sponsorships, partnerships, and other opportunities that support sustainable growth. Ensure programs operate with consistent expectations for safety, participant care, communication, staff preparation, emergency response, and overall program quality. Collaborate across HAPRA by supporting organization wide initiatives, events, planning, and strategic priorities. Serve as an active member of HAPRA's leadership team, bringing forward ideas, challenges, opportunities, and solutions. Balance the needs of today's operation with a responsibility to help shape what Youth & Family Services can become tomorrow. Perform other duties as directed. QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: Degree in Recreation, Administration, Education or related field with at least 2 years experience in the youth programming. Youth services, family support or k-12 educational experience is preferred. HAPRA, at its discretion, may consider an alternative combination of formal education and work experience. Ability to articulate a vision about preparing youth for the future—from social, economic, cultural and personal perspectives—to partners, funders and the community Highly positive and enthusiastic style capable of motivating others Relationship management skills and experience in fostering a team approach with energy to build a team and lead effective staff development and training Excellent project management and planning skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills Experience managing budgets Ability to assess situations, problem-solve and work effectively under stress within deadlines and changes in work priorities. Ability to work scheduled at times other than normal business hours, travel to other locations, and respond to emergencies on a 24 hour basis. Skills in the use of office equipment and technology, including computers, Microsoft Suite applications, and related software. PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate in person and by telephone and electronically, read regular and small print, view and produce written and electronic documents, and enter data on a computer keyboard with repetitive keystrokes. The employee must be mobile in a variety of settings. The employee is required to walk, climb, stand, sit, stoop and kneel, use hands to handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must lift or push/pull objects of up to 50 lbs. without assistance. Accommodations will be made, as needed, for employees required to lift or move objects that exceed this weight. While performing the duties of this job, the employee might work in outside weather conditions. #J-18808-Ljbffr mParks - Michigan Recreation and Park Association