Youth Engagement & Development Lead

BGC East Scarborough (BGCES) is seeking a dedicated, experienced, and youth-focused Youth Engagement & Development Lead to provide day-to-day leadership, coordination, and support within our youth programming environment.

The Youth Engagement & Development Lead provides day-to-day leadership, coordination, and support within BGCES youth programming, ensuring a safe, welcoming, engaging, and high-quality environment for youth. The position provides guidance and coaching to youth staff, coordinates daily staffing and program coverage, supports program planning and delivery, monitors program quality, and maintains strong relationships with youth, families, and community partners.

The position plays a key role in advancing youth development through academic enrichment, STEM, youth leadership, personal development, mentorship, cultural programming, and other opportunities that support youth growth, identity, belonging, leadership, and engagement.

The Youth

Engagement & Development Lead will support the development and delivery of programming that reflects the diverse experiences, interests, cultures, and strengths of the youth served by BGCES, while creating meaningful opportunities for youth to explore culture, identity, creativity, leadership, and community connection.

The Youth

Engagement & Development Lead works closely with the Senior Manager, Youth Programs & Community Services, bringing forward operational concerns, emerging youth needs, recommendations, and opportunities for program improvement.

As a designated leadership resource within the youth department, the Youth Engagement & Development Lead supports leadership and operational continuity when the Senior Manager or other management staff are unavailable, including providing day-to-day leadership within the youth space during evening operations and ensuring BGCES policies, safety procedures, organizational values, and operational expectations are upheld.

Reports to: Senior Manager, Youth Programs & Community Services

Key Duties and Responsibilities of this position include:

· Provide day-to-day leadership, coordination, and guidance to youth staff to support effective and consistent delivery of youth programming.

· Coordinate daily staff assignments, schedules, responsibilities, and program coverage to ensure the youth environment is appropriately staffed and operational needs are addressed.

· Provide coaching, guidance, and problem-solving support to youth staff, helping staff navigate challenging situations, youth concerns, program issues, and emerging needs.

· Lead regular team meetings and facilitate effective communication among youth staff, ensuring priorities, responsibilities, operational updates, and program expectations are clearly communicated.

· Support the onboarding and ongoing development of youth staff, volunteers, placement students, and other individuals working within the youth environment as assigned.

· Serve as a key point of contact for day-to-day operational concerns within the youth space and bring significant issues, trends, and recommendations forward to the Senior Manager.

· Provide designated leadership support during periods when the Senior Manager or other management staff are unavailable, including providing day-to-day leadership within the youth space during evening operations, supporting staff with operational decisions and emerging concerns, ensuring appropriate escalation of issues, and maintaining BGCES policies, safety procedures, organizational values, and operational expectations.

· Maintain strong, positive, and consistent relationships with youth and actively engage with youth in the delivery of programs, activities, workshops, mentorship, and leadership opportunities.

· Lead the planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of youth development opportunities that respond to the interests, needs, strengths, and goals of youth.

· Facilitate and deliver engaging youth programming, including academic enrichment, STEM activities, youth leadership and development, mentorship, personal development, life skills, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities.

· Monitor program quality and participant engagement, identify gaps or emerging needs, and recommend improvements to strengthen the youth experience and program outcomes.

· Support the development and implementation of new youth initiatives, activities, partnerships,



and opportunities that contribute to the growth of BGCES and MAAT youth programming.

· Build and maintain positive relationships with youth, families, schools, community organizations, service providers, and other community partners to strengthen youth engagement and access to opportunities.

· Conduct community outreach and support youth recruitment, participation, retention, and referrals to appropriate programs, services, and community resources.

· Respond promptly and appropriately to incidents, emergencies, behavioural concerns, conflicts, and other safety-related matters in accordance with BGCES policies and procedures.

· Take a lead role in coordinating the immediate response to incidents within the youth environment, supporting staff, maintaining youth safety, completing required documentation, and escalating matters appropriately.

· Support the safe and effective operation of the youth space during evening programming and closing periods, ensuring staff coverage, youth safety, facility procedures, and closing protocols are followed.

· Ensure that BGCES policies, procedures, values, health and safety requirements, and standards of professional conduct are consistently upheld within the youth environment.

· Support staff in maintaining accurate attendance, participant information, incident documentation, program records, and other required documentation.

· Collect and maintain program information and participation data to support monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement.

· Contribute to program reports, funder reports, grant applications, presentations, and other departmental documentation as required.

· Identify emerging youth needs, program trends, operational concerns, and opportunities for improvement and communicate recommendations to the Senior Manager.

· Collaborate with the Senior Manager and other BGCES departments to support organizational priorities, cross-departmental initiatives, partnerships, and special events.

· Represent BGCES professionally when engaging with youth, families, schools, community partners, and other external stakeholders.

· Support leadership continuity within the youth department by assuming additional operational or acting leadership responsibilities as assigned.

· Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

· College diploma or university degree in Child and Youth Care, Social Work, Education, Recreation, Community Development, Youth Leadership, STEM Education, or a related field.

· Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience working with youth, preferably in a community-based, youth-serving, educational, recreational, or social service environment.

· Demonstrated experience developing, facilitating, and evaluating youth programming.

· Demonstrated experience providing day-to-day guidance, coordination, or leadership to staff, volunteers, placement students, or youth-serving teams.

· Demonstrated experience working with youth in academic enrichment, STEM, leadership development, personal development, mentorship, or related youth development activities.

· Strong understanding of positive youth development, strengths-based practice, relationship-building, and culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement.

· Experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, underserved, and/or marginalized communities.

· Demonstrated ability to build trusting relationships with youth and create environments where youth feel safe, respected, included, and supported.

· Strong conflict resolution, crisis response, problem-solving, and de-escalation skills.

· Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with youth, families, staff, community partners, and leadership.

· Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple priorities in a dynamic youth workplace.

· Current Standard First Aid and CPR-C/AED certification.

· Valid Vulnerable Sector Check in accordance with organizational requirements.

· HIGH FIVE training/certification,



or willingness to obtain applicable certification as required.

· Ability to work flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, special events, and occasional off-site activities, as required.

· Valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle where operationally required for the position.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

- Youth Leadership: Ability to provide day-to-day direction, guidance, coaching, and support to youth staff while maintaining positive working relationships and accountability.
- Youth Development: Strong understanding of youth development principles and the ability to translate youth interests and needs into meaningful academic, STEM, leadership, personal development, and experiential learning opportunities.
- Program Leadership: Ability to plan, coordinate, facilitate, monitor, and evaluate youth programming while maintaining high standards of quality and participant engagement.
- Communication and Relationship-Building: Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to build effective relationships with youth, staff, families, schools, and community partners.
- Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Ability to assess emerging situations, troubleshoot challenges, make sound day-to-day decisions, and determine when matters should be escalated to management.
- Incident and Crisis Response: Ability to respond calmly and appropriately to behavioural concerns, conflicts, emergencies, and other incidents while following organizational protocols.
- Team Coordination: Ability to coordinate schedules, staff coverage, responsibilities, meetings, and daily priorities in a dynamic environment.
- Community Engagement: Ability to establish and maintain partnerships and identify opportunities that increase youth access to educational, leadership, employment, recreational, and community resources.
- Organization and Administration: Ability to maintain accurate records, complete documentation, support reporting requirements, and manage competing priorities effectively.
- Leadership and Professionalism: Demonstrates initiative, sound judgment, accountability, professionalism, and the ability to serve as a positive leadership presence within the youth environment.
- Inclusion and Cultural Responsiveness: Ability to foster a welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and culturally responsive environment that reflects BGCES values and the communities it serves.

Assets should include: · Experience working in a community-based youth organization or youth-serving nonprofit.

· Experience working with Black youth, Indigenous youth, racialized youth, or youth experiencing barriers to participation and opportunity.

· Experience developing or facilitating STEM, academic enrichment, youth leadership, mentorship, or career exploration programming.

· Experience coordinating youth staff, volunteers, placement students, or program teams.

· Experience developing partnerships with schools, community organizations, post-secondary institutions, employers, or other youth-serving organizations.

· Experience with program evaluation, outcome measurement, funder reporting, or grant-funded programming.

· Knowledge of local Scarborough youth-serving resources and community networks.

Job Code: YEDL 2026 Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week

Please submit resume to: [email protected] Position Type: Full-Time

· Job Code: YEDL 2026

· Position Specifications:

· Job Code: YEDL 2026

· Job Type: On-site (100%)

· Employment Type: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

· Salary Range: $40,000– $50,000 per year

· Please submit your resume to: [email protected]

· Please include the job code in your email subject line when applying (for example YEDL-2026 _ Your Name).

Thank you for your interest in joining BGC East Scarborough. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive recruitment process and encourage applicants to share any accessibility needs in advance.

We do not use AI in our hiring process. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified of the outcome within 45 days. BGC East Scarborough is committed to the principles of employment equity and encourages applicants from all Human Rights protected groups.

We strive to meet the accommodation needs of persons with disabilities. Applicants are encouraged to make their needs for accommodation known in advance during the application pro

Pay: $40,000.00-$50,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

📌 Youth Engagement & Development Lead (Scarborough)
🏢 East Scarborugh Boys and Girls Club
📍 Scarborough