Position Title: Youth Program Manager

Employment Type: Full-Time

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week; Monday to Friday 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM (evenings and weekends as needed), with flexibility for changes to suit operational needs

Annual salary: $70,000

Location: In-person at74 Firvalley Court, Scarborough, ON or other sites as directed The Organization

Warden Woods Community Centre is a neighbourhood centre, empowering neighbours to work together to meet local challenges and create shared approaches to building community. We have been working collaboratively to support the needs and interests of local communities in Southwest Scarborough since 1970. As a multi-service charitable organization, we provide essential support like assisted living, daycare and meal programs, while also supporting caring, compassionate, just and interdependent community life for all.

Learn more wardenwoods.com.

Position Summary The Youth Program Manager will plan and implement year-round programming (activities, services, events, supports) for youth 12-24 years old in the Warden Woods (and Southwest Scarborough as applicable) neighbourhood. Programs will include on-going, low-barrier opportunities for youth 12-18 at 74 Firvalley and other periodic programming to meet the needs and interests of the local community.

The Youth Program

Manager will lead all aspects of program development and delivery including supervision, strategic planning and development, outreach and inclusion, goal setting, expectations for staff, volunteers and participants, procedures, policies, communications, space and equipment use, budgeting, evaluation, etc. in consultation with organizational leaders and with consideration for funder requirements. The Manager will work to build a strong, aligned and trusted program team who work together to maintain a safe, supportive and empowering environment that provides meaningful, exciting opportunities.

The Youth Program Manager will lead a team that is attentive and responsive to the goals, needs and interests of local youth, and facilitates activities that are youth-centered, youth-led, and that strengthen positive relationships between diverse local youth to build a better neighbourhood for all. The Manager will lead responses to situations of crisis and emergency impacting local youth within the program and the neighbourhood on behalf of the organization and will lead youth involvement in centre-wide events as part of a cross-departmental management team.

The Youth Program Manager will supervise the youth team (2-5+ FTE) and oversee volunteer/student placements. The Manager will schedule and direct frontline staff and volunteers who also support drop-in activities.

Key Areas of Responsibilities

- Lead the development and implementation of regular year-round programming that meets the needs, interests and goals of local youth 12-24 years, including drop-in programming for youth 12-18 at 74 Firvalley Court.
- Provide a consistent, knowledgeable, compassionate and grounded leadership presence for participants, staff and community.
- Develop and implement procedures, policies, tools and practices to provide a safe,



productive and meaningful program where risks are considered and thoughtfully mitigated.
- Lead youth staff team development and cohesion including hands-on supervision and modelling, hiring, timely feedback provision (including discipline and terminations when required), facilitation of collaborative meetings, planning and goal-setting, debriefing, incident reviews, etc.
- Identify areas for new development and training for staff, individually and in relation to team approach/knowledge and capacity building.
- Oversee program budgeting, spending and resource development, and complete related tasks.
- Schedule staff, volunteers/students and third-party supports to ensure adequate staffing levels for all program activities.
- Develop and implement participant feedback and program evaluation mechanisms.
- Communicate challenges and successes about the program to organizational leadership, make recommendations to improve operations and support responsive problem-solving by all involved.
- Communicate with parents/guardians/families as required, and nurture effective, youth-centered relationships with parents and other community adults.
- Integrate ways to usefully develop awareness and analysis of the systems of oppression that impact the lives of neighbourhood youth for all involved.
- Ensure daily opening and closing procedures of designated program spaces, and appropriate upkeep of facilities, equipment and resources (clean, tidy, attractive, reflective of organizational values, protected from misuse/theft, etc.).
- Ensure an appropriate code of conduct is communicated and upheld by the program team to support safety and full participation for all, program effectiveness, and an anti-oppressive, anti-racist workplace.
- Ensure inappropriate conduct is appropriately and sustainably addressed with short and longer term strategies.
- Stay abreast of best practices for youth engagement, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of our Youth Program offerings to our community.
- Contribute to youth-centered advocacy efforts within the organization, neighbourhood, City, etc.
- Oversee stats collection and documentation as relevant.
- Contribute to applications for new funding, and reports/applications to current funders, to articulate impact and goals, and support program financial stability.
- Lead and participate in planning and implementing youth-focused opportunities with other centre colleagues for centre-wide and intergenerational activities.
- Lead and participate in collaborations with program partners for the benefit of local youth.
- Support cross-departmental collaboration, contribute with enthusiasm to WWCC initiatives, and embody the values of Warden Woods as part of our unique communities.
- Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications





- At least 3 years’ experience in a hands-on program leadership role with youth 12-24 years involving direct supervision of paid staff members
- At least 2 years’ drop-In/unregistered youth program leadership experience
- At least 3 years in a program planning, development and implementation role
- At least 2 years of program-related procedure/policy development and implementation
- At least 3 years’ direct experience doing de-escalation and conflict resolution work with youth
- At least 2 years’ direct experience planning and implementing program evaluation activities
- At least 1 year writing grant applications/reports for community programming
- Education/Training related to youth work, social work, community development or another related field where a strong understanding has been acquired/practiced of youth empowerment principles, client-centered approach, strengths-based approach, trauma-informed approach, harm reduction, anti-oppression
- Demonstrated knowledge of resources and supports targeting youth in Scarborough/Toronto is a definite asset
- Demonstrated ability to connect meaningfully with youth, particularly Black and racialized youth living in neighbourhoods affected by poverty, and staff members who work with youth
- Demonstrated ability to identify and address what is working and what isn’t working in terms of the controllable factors in program design and implementation
- Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, other language capacities are a definite asset
- Capacity to facilitate music and arts programming is a definite asset
- Capacity to lead employment and skills development programming is a definite asset
- Familiarity with the Warden Woods neighbourhood is a definite asset
- Ability to use MS Office Suite and MS365 required
- Valid first aid certification required
- Food Handler Certification and experience in food service is an asset
- A Police reference check (vulnerable sector) is required for this role
- Must be legally entitled to work in Canada

Application Instructions WWCC is an equal opportunity employer committed to gender equality and social inclusion in our workplace. All qualified applications will receive consideration without regard to sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, nationality, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We encourage applications from Black and racialized people, Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, people with disabilities, and members of other equity-deserving groups.

Please notify us as soon as possible of any adaptive measures you might require at any stage of the recruitment process.

Warden Woods Community Centre is a unionized workplace, and applicable employees are represented by CUPE Local 5218. This is a management/exempt (non-union) position.

Our hiring process requires a direct email submission to ensure files are processed correctly in our internal systems. To apply, please send your resume and cover letter in one file via email to [email protected] with “Youth Program Manager” in the subject line, no later than November 1, 2026.

Pay: $70,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

📌 Youth Program Manager (Scarborough)
🏢 Warden Woods Community Centre
📍 Scarborough