Area Director - North County Inland - Escondido, California

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Young Life requires all​ employees to sign a Statement of Faith. We recommend you read this statement before applying​ for any position.

Because of Young Life’s exclusive Christian purposes of evangelism and discipleship as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation and in these Bylaws, and to reflect what has always been and will continue to be the position of Young Life, specifically the Christian belief that each and every employee and volunteer of the corporation should minister as a servant of God with the primary responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and, as such, is an integral part of the Christian mission and ministry of the corporation ,
Young Life shall only employ individuals or enlist volunteer leaders who: (a) profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord; and (b) subscribe to the statements and policies required of all Young Life staff, including the Young Life Statement of Faith. Therefore, employees and volunteers of Young Life, during working and nonworking hours, shall: (i) be ready, willing and able to fulfill such ministry functions as may be required by the organization; (ii) refrain from conduct and statements that detract from the biblical standards taught and supported by Young Life, and (iii) abide by all policies and practices of Young Life including, without limitation, those related to religious belief or ministry activities.

Spiritual Development: Spiritual Development — “Following Jesus” includes prayer and spiritual disciplines, fellowship, growth and health and church relationships.

• Develop a yearly personal growth plan that fosters a vibrant spiritual life including time for solitude, retreat, reflection, prayer and a sincere commitment to understanding God’s Word.

• Seek and maintain relationships and disciplines, in the context of active participation in a church community.

• Actively participate in the spiritual life of the Young Life community.

• Lead teams and individuals in spiritual development.

• Ensure that all Young Life ministry in the area, is designed and carried out with a dependence on prayer that takes place out of the overflow of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Leadership Development — “Equipping leaders, committee and staff” includes key volunteer care, recruiting, team building and training, supervision and vision casting.

• Partner with Regional director and Committee to cast vision for reaching “every kid” within the defined area.

• Develop consistent gatherings with committee, leaders and staff to build unity and provide vision and direction.

• Create a spiritual leadership plan for volunteer leaders, staff and committee members in the area.

• Recruit and train new staff and leaders to build leadership teams that reflect the community.

• Supervise, develop and evaluate area staff, providing resources and experiences needed to implement the vision.

• Provide quality summer staff, work crew and adult guests for summer camps.

• Model excellence in contact work, club, Campaigners and camping to other leaders.

• Train leaders, team leaders and committee how to work effectively in teams and develop a yearly ministry strategy.

Resource Development : “Fueling the ministry” includes events, major donor care, public relations (branding) and TDS team.

• Provide leadership to the TDS team and committee in finding partners to own the area vision and budget.

• Develop and lead the area’s fundraising strategy and ensure excellence in communication to donors.

• Raise the necessary funds to carry out the ministry vision for the local area, keeping the area consistently in surplus (goal is a one month cash reserve minimum).

• Build the Young Life brand via public relations as an excellent tool for working with youth in the area.

• Coordinate and conduct quality events which reflect Young Life’s capacity to impact kids and warrant the investment of a participant’s personal and corporate resources.

Direct Ministry : “Proclaiming and modeling” includes contact work, club, Campaigners and camp.

• Actively engage in all three levels of contact work.

• Lead or co-lead a model Young Life club; lead/supervise an effective Campaigner ministry with excellence.

• Observe and evaluate each of the schools/ministries in the local area on a yearly basis.

• Develop and implement ongoing plans to maximize Gospel proclamation through camping opportunities.

• Serve on a summer assignment at a Young Life property, other Young Life camp or in another position each summer.

Ministry Support : “Taking care of business” includes accounting, administration, communication (internal), data management and strategic plan.

• Adhere to all Young Life policies and procedures and maintain professionalism concerning office hours, dress, conduct and time management.

• Manage finances with stewardship, accountability and transparency using the mission-wide applications.

• Maintain accurate information on kids, leaders and donors for area records.

• Provide clear, prompt, appropriate and professional communication to everyone involved in ministry.

• Set yearly strategic ministry plan and initiatives to reach every kid; review them on a regular basis.

• Perform other duties as assigned and congruent with gifts, experience and area needs.

• Accept both short and long-term assignments of projects.

Training :

• Participation in missionwide staff conference every four years.

• Participation in additional training or experiences if deemed necessary (e.g., more urban exposure; Taking Donors Seriously (TDS)) training).

• Attend regional training as directed by the regional director.

• Pursue continuing educational opportunities including graduate degrees.

• Participate in programs designed for personal spiritual maturity or personal enrichment.

• Pursue seminars designed to enhance professional skills.

Supervision :

• Supervises 1 to 3 clubs and/or ministries.
• Supervises 0 to 25 volunteers.

Working Conditions :

• Will include the extremes of a camp assignment, e.g., heat/cold, dirt, long hours and the physical demands of hiking, horseback riding, boating, etc. Staff person must be able to handle these conditions.

Qualifications Required for the Job :

• Requires 1+ year of related ministry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead teams.
• Proven leadership skills.
• Proven relational skills with both kids and adults.
• A call to reach kids with the Gospel.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Addition to Training Requirements:

• Must complete Core Training - Phase One within 36 months of hire date.

Education:

College degree preferred.

Escondido has a long and rich history with Young Life. It's a community where this ministry has simply worked well for many years, and it's ready for its next chapter.

Escondido is one of the most beautiful and livable areas in our region, offering quick access to the coast for time at the beach along with a more affordable and flexible cost of living than much of San Diego County.

The area has a committed core of volunteers and committee members, and has seen strong traction with club and camp in recent years. We're looking for someone to take this core group and momentum and build it into the future. You'll benefit from a smooth transition with a very well networked area director retiring in early 2027, and you'll inherit 25 years of relationships with donors, churches, parents, and community partners.

Escondido is a richly diverse community, in many ways representative of San Diego and the Southcoast region as a whole. Ministry here means real opportunity to reach kids from a wide range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Opportunities include:

• A school for teen moms, a natural fit for Young Lives
• Several large public high schools and middle schools, plus a few smaller private schools
• A growing college ministry nearby, a great potential pipeline for volunteer leaders
• Strong Young Life areas in the surrounding towns

Best of all, you'll be part of the Southcoast region, with a great group of people behind you, supporting you every step of the way.

What We're Looking For

The next area director should bring gifts, skills, and passion in three key areas:

1. An ability to gather and galvanize people toward a mission. Someone who is strong at networking, connecting, and inviting people to the table. While a wide network is already available, we need this person to excel at getting people engaged as volunteer leaders, committee members, and donors.

2. A heart for the community's diversity. Someone who will pay close attention to the incredible diversity of Escondido and intentionally recruit and build a volunteer team that reflects and can reach the full breadth of the community.

3. A passion for working directly with students. This is a grounded, hands-on role, not a role led from a distance. We need someone genuinely excited to do significant ministry with students and to be the exemplary volunteer for the area, giving their time, heart, and energy to raise up others for the great work God is doing with Young Life in this community.

Job Specific Working Conditions: