Director of Programs, Marin County

Job Description

Job Description

Marin County Director of Programs

Youth Leadership Institute (yli) is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and community-rooted leader to serve as our Marin County Director of Programs. For more than 35 years, yli has partnered with young people and adult allies to advance social justice and racial equity through youth leadership, research, organizing, storytelling, and policy and systems change.

Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, the Marin County Director of Programs will provide overall leadership and strategic direction for yli’s Marin County work. This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to help shape the next chapter of yli Marin strengthening high-quality youth-led programs while expanding our partnerships, community influence, funding, and long-term sustainability.

The Director will lead a talented team of program staff and work closely with youth, community partners, County agencies, schools, funders, elected and civic leaders, and nonprofit organizations. They will help position young people as meaningful partners and decision-makers within the systems and institutions that shape their lives.

What You'll Lead

• Regional Strategy & Programs: Shape and implement yli’s Marin County strategy while ensuring strong execution of youth-led programs, campaigns, contracts, and initiatives.
• Youth Power & Systems Change: Expand opportunities for young people to influence decisions related to behavioral health, substance-use prevention, housing, education, climate resilience, civic engagement, and community wellbeing.
• Partnerships & Community Leadership: Build strong relationships across Marin and represent yli in influential coalitions, public agencies, community spaces, and decision-making tables.
• Team Leadership: Recruit, supervise, coach, and develop Program Managers while cultivating an equitable, accountable, collaborative, and youth-centered workplace culture.
• Fund Development & Sustainability: Strengthen yli Marin’s funding pipeline and cultivate relationships that support the long-term sustainability and growth of our work.
• Fiscal & Contract Leadership: Oversee budgets, contracts, revenue projections, compliance, and resource allocation across the Marin portfolio.
• Organizational Leadership: Serve as a key yli leader, bringing Marin’s experiences and opportunities into organization-wide strategy while elevating youth-led work through communications, training, learning, and external representation.

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for a leader who can think strategically while building authentic relationships and turning ideas into action. The ideal candidate understands youth development, racial and social equity, community organizing, and systems change and has  experience leading teams, managing complex programs and partnerships, and navigating relationships with community and institutional stakeholders.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who believes deeply in the power of young people and can help build the relationships, resources, programs, and opportunities necessary for youth to shape the future of Marin County.

This is more than a program management role. It is an opportunity to lead a countywide strategy that connects strong programs, strong people, sustainable funding, community partnerships, and youth power.