K-12 Programs Director

ORGANIZATION KidWorks, a well-respected community development organization located in central Santa Ana, exists to unleash youth potential. KidWorks serves over 500 children, youth, and parents every week through preschool, after-school tutoring and enrichment, leadership development, community engagement and advocacy. To learn more visit http://www.kidworksoc.org . POSITION SUMMARY: Reporting to the Senior Director of Programs, the K–12 Program Director provides strategic leadership, supervision, and accountability for KidWorks’ Kinder–12th Grade programming, including after-school, summer, seasonal, youth leadership, and enrichment experiences. The Director is responsible for translating KidWorks’ mission and organizational priorities into an impactful, high-quality student experience that advances KidWorks Program Success Strategies: Personal Development, Leadership Development, and College & Career Readiness. The Director leads program design and evaluation, develops and coaches the K–12 leadership team, manages departmental resources, and uses student, family, and staff feedback to improve outcomes. The Director ensures consistent program expectations across sites while adapting to the strengths and needs of each community. The Director has decision-making authority and accountability for program priorities, quality, staffing, safety, and results. The role oversees the K–12 Program Coordinator, who manages core operational systems, calendars, substitute scheduling, curriculum distribution, and partnership and event logistics. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Program Strategy, Design and Quality Set the vision, annual priorities, and measurable goals for K–12 after-school, summer, and enrichment programming, aligned with KidWorks’ mission, Program Success Strategies, and program logic model. Lead curriculum strategy and quality standards across Personal Development, Leadership Development, and College & Career Readiness; guide selection, adaptation, and improvement of curriculum. Establish consistent expectations for academic support, social-emotional learning, youth leadership, student engagement, and positive learning environments across all K–12 sites. Use an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach and input from students, families, and staff to inform responsive, culturally grounded programming. Observe programming, review site-level implementation, identify gaps, and coach Site Supervisors to strengthen the quality of the student experience. Multi-Site Leadership and Accountability Provide overall leadership and accountability for K–12 programs across the main and satellite centers, including readiness for growth and additional sites. Lead and manage the K–12 leadership team through regular one-on-ones, leadership meetings, scorecards, quarterly priorities, and clear follow-through on commitments. Supervise, coach, evaluate, and develop direct reports, including Site Supervisors, the K–12 Program Coordinator, and other designated program leaders; clarify decision rights and performance expectations. Partner with the Coordinator and Site Supervisors to address cross-site barriers and staffing needs. Oversee adherence to safeguarding, health and safety, incident-response, program policies, and staff training expectations in collaboration with Operations and Facilities. Program Evaluation and Student Engagement Own the K–12 evaluation and continuous-improvement strategy, including indicators for attendance, retention, student engagement, leadership growth, developmental relationships, and program implementation. Oversee use of relevant assessment tools, including the Leader in Me MRA Survey and Search Institute Developmental Relationships Survey, in alignment with the program logic model. Set the direction for student attendance and engagement strategies. Ensure timely, accurate reporting of K–12 outcomes, including quarterly logic model reporting and appropriate program highlights. Staff Development and Organizational Collaboration Build a culture of accountability, learning, trust, and collaboration through coaching, performance conversations, professional development, and consistent communication. Identify staff development needs and guide training priorities in classroom management, curriculum delivery, youth development, and organizational policies. Collaborate with other departments: Family & Community Engagement, College & Career, Preschool, Volunteer Services, Philanthropy, and Operations to ensure students and families experience coordinated support. Participate in Program Leadership Team planning, organizational strategy and review meetings, and cross-departmental initiatives; translate decisions into actionable K–12 priorities. Budget, Partnerships, and External Engagement Develop and manage the K–12 department budget in partnership with Senior Director of Programs; monitor spending, allocate resources, assess program costs, and make recommendations grounded in program priorities. Identify programmatic needs and strategic partnership opportunities; evaluate prospective partners for student benefit, mission alignment, scope, capacity, safeguarding, and budget implications. Cultivate and steward high-value school, nonprofit, community, and corporate relationships. Collaborate with Philanthropy on funding priorities, grant reporting, donor engagement, and compelling, accurate student-impact stories. Represent KidWorks with families, schools, community partners, and relevant coalitions; ensure meaningful feedback informs program decisions. CANDIDATE PROFILE The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform the job successfully. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Education/Experience Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university required At least five years of responsible experience in youth development, education, after-school programming, or a related field, including program leadership and staff supervision. Demonstrated experience leading teams and ensuring program quality across multiple locations or complex program settings. Experience in curriculum strategy, youth leadership development, outcome measurement, budgeting, and continuous program improvement. Experience partnering with families, schools, community organizations, and cross-functional teams. Special Skills/Knowledge/Requirements Strong people leadership: ability to coach, delegate, set expectations, address performance concerns, and develop emerging leaders. Strong interpersonal skills, cultural humility, and cross-cultural communication skills across various demographic audiences. Strategic thinking with the ability to translate goals, program data, and community feedback into practical decisions. Excellent relationship-building, written communication, facilitation, and judgment; commitment to cultural humility and asset-based community development. Ability to balance long-term program strategy with timely response to urgent student, staff, and site needs. Familiarity with student information systems, evaluation tools, Microsoft Office, and collaborative planning tools. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred. Valid driver’s license and willingness to support occasional student transportation consistent with organizational policies.