Departmental Overview

The Department of Recreation & Wellbeing provides competitive and recreational opportunities for students, faculty, staff and campus affiliated community members. In addition to the 30 sports clubs, the department offers a wide range of recreational activities and state of the art equipment.

Position Summary

The Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs is involved with instructional activities related to recreation, leisure, and fitness in an accredited environment; provides first aid and emergency care as necessary, and responds to user/customer needs. The position oversees all non-business operational aspects for youth programs (summer, seasonal and year-round as assigned). The Senior Assistant Director of Youth Programs is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of youth programming and initiatives, supporting the development and implementation of staff training and education, and managing the annual summer staff recruitment and on-boarding process. Berkeley Youth Recreation Programs enrolls approximately 9,000 youth annually between the ages of 5-17 and employs 200 - 300 seasonal Rec. Program Instructors, and Program Leads.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is August 27, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Programs - 30%

• Leads program quality, development, and continuous improvement across all assigned youth programs in collaboration with program coordinators.
• Guides coordinators through program assessment cycles, quality improvement planning, and execution.
• Develops and maintains curriculum standards across all youth camp and year-round recreation programs, ensuring program design reflects best practices in the youth industry.
• Leads the development of program-specific staff training content, informed by assessment findings and program quality outcomes.
• Plans and leads summer kick off all-staff training.
• Supports American Camp Association accreditation, ensuring accredited programs meet and maintain standards on an annual basis.
• Plans and implements recreational programming in coordination with program coordinators.

Supervision - 25%

• Selects, trains, and supervises program coordinators.
• Manages employee performance, career development, and adherence to job standards across all direct reports.
• Develops annual staff evaluations and initiates disciplinary action as needed.
• Leads the ongoing development of coordinator professional growth and leadership skills.
• Develops immediate and long-range staffing plans, recruitment programs, and outreach to ensure a diverse and qualified applicant pool.
• Develops staff screening, interviewing, and selection processes in compliance with University policy.
• Ensures all staff position descriptions are current and accurately reflect program needs.
• Ensures onboarding processes are compliant and consistently implemented across all programs.
• Ensures all program staff meet training and certification requirements.
• Maintains sufficient working knowledge of all assigned program areas to step into any coordinator role as needed.
• Serves as primary backup to the Associate Director.

Policy and Compliance - 15%

• Implements and upholds all program policies and procedures across assigned youth programs.
• Ensures all staff receive required training in the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, mandated reporting obligations, youth interaction best practices, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance in accordance with state, local, and University requirements.
• Is responsible to ensure direct reports' teams meet department training compliance at 100% and follow department requirements for CPR/AED/First Aid training.
• Ensures all programs operate in full compliance with applicable University policies, accreditation standards, licensing requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Supports program authority across all youth camp programs operating within partner service level agreements.
• Ensures compliance with University policies governing activities involving minors on campus.
• Maintains accurate and complete program files, records, and reports as required.

Budget - 10%

• Supports annual budget development across all assigned programs.
• Enforces approved budgets with program coordinators, monitors spending compliance, and escalates variances as appropriate.
• Conducts regular budget reviews with coordinators to ensure adherence.
• Reviews and approves coordinator-level purchasing.
• Audits payroll reports for accuracy.
• Supports revenue growth through participation, retention, and program expansion.

Safety - 10%

• Provides risk management oversight across all youth program operations.
• Develops, implements, and monitors safety procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants and staff.
• Ensures safety standards and emergency protocols are understood and upheld across all program sites.
• Reports safety concerns and recommends improvements to appropriate personnel.
• Serves as the senior program authority for safety incidents and emergency response in the absence of the Associate Director.
• Conducts regular site visits (planned and spontaneous) and audits for all youth locations (summer and year-round).

Public Relations - 5%

• Collaborates with Marketing and Communications partners to promote youth programs through direct patron engagement, digital channels, social media, and print.
• Supports family communication, retention, and re-enrollment strategies across all assigned programs.
• Represents Youth Programs appropriately in internal and external settings as directed by the Associate Director.

Other duties as assigned - 5%

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Experience developing and implementing curriculum and programming in a youth recreation environment.
• Knowledge of youth program quality, assessment, and continuous improvement practices.
• Supervisory experience in a youth program setting including staff hiring, training, and development.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a professional team across multiple youth programs.
• Knowledge of compliance requirements, including mandated reporting and youth protection standards.
• Must be able to work effectively, across all organization levels, internally and externally.
• Client service minded, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative thinking.
• Must have demonstrated verbal and written communication skills in the English language.
• Must be proficient in the use of basic computer applications.
• Knowledge of and/or ability to learn campus policies and procedures.
• Strong judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Must be able to successfully pass FBI and DOJ Criminal Check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Youth outdoor recreation and/or youth adventure programming experience.
• Knowledge of budget management.

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. (Required)

Licenses / Certifications

• CANRA Mandated Reporter training. (Required)
• Current Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid/AED certification (Required)
• Current Blood Borne Pathogen training (Required)
• Lifeguard Training certification (Preferred)
• Concussion recognition and response training (Preferred)

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $80,000.00 - $87,000.00.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Driving Required

• Required to hold a valid driver's license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Mandated Reporter

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

Misconduct means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace