Director of Program Development at Girls on the Run: Curriculum Leadership in Youth Development|Apply by 7 Jun 2026
The Director of Program Development role at Girls on the Run International is a senior-level remote position focused on designing, refining, and innovating youth development programming for girls across the United States. The organization is a nonprofit that delivers physical activity–based social-emotional learning programs aimed at building confidence, health, and life skills in young participants.
This role sits within the Programming and Evaluation department and reports to the Chief Program Officer. It is fully remote within select U.S. states and offers a salary range of $80,000–$85,000 per year.
Organizational Context and Mission
Girls on the Run International is grounded in positive youth development and inclusive education principles. Its flagship program combines running with structured curriculum lessons that support emotional, social, and physical development.
Key mission priorities include:
- Empowering girls to build confidence and resilience
- Promoting joyful, healthy physical activity
- Ensuring equitable access to programming across diverse communities
- Embedding inclusion, diversity, and accessibility into curriculum design
- Supporting long-term youth development outcomes
The organization operates through regional councils and relies heavily on standardized curriculum design to maintain program consistency nationwide.
Role Overview: Director of Program Development
The Director of Program Development is responsible for leading the end-to-end lifecycle of curriculum and program design. This includes both maintaining existing content and developing new program initiatives aligned with organizational strategy.
Core purpose of the role:
- Translate organizational strategy into structured learning experiences
- Ensure curriculum aligns with youth development best practices
- Integrate physical activity with social-emotional learning content
- Use data and feedback to continuously improve program quality
- Lead innovation in program design and delivery models
The position requires a strong blend of instructional design expertise, youth development knowledge, and cross-functional leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Program and Curriculum Development
The role leads all phases of curriculum creation, including:
- Conducting needs assessments and identifying learning gaps
- Designing and prototyping new program content
- Writing structured lesson plans and facilitation guides
- Developing participant-facing materials such as journals and activity sheets
- Ensuring accessibility and cultural responsiveness in all content
This ensures that programming remains engaging, relevant, and developmentally appropriate.
Program Innovation and Quality Improvement
A major focus is continuous improvement of program effectiveness. Responsibilities include:
- Designing new program models aligned with strategic growth goals
- Applying research and participant feedback to improve curriculum
- Monitoring trends in education and youth development
- Enhancing consistency and impact across program delivery sites
- Supporting innovation in experiential learning approaches
This allows the organization to adapt to evolving educational needs.
Subject Matter Expertise
The Director serves as a key internal expert in curriculum and youth programming by:
- Advising staff and councils on program implementation
- Supporting volunteer training content development
- Providing guidance on program fidelity and participant experience
- Sharing insights from field feedback and evaluation data
- Contributing to organizational strategy discussions
This ensures alignment between design intent and real-world delivery.
Collaboration and Project Management
The role requires strong coordination across departments, including:
- Working with design teams to translate curriculum into visual materials
- Managing cross-functional program development timelines
- Coordinating internal stakeholders and external consultants
- Ensuring delivery deadlines and quality standards are met
- Supporting implementation tools and training resources
Strong project leadership is essential to success in this area.
Required Qualifications and Skills
Candidates are expected to bring substantial experience in education or youth development, including:
- At least 7 years of experience in curriculum or program development
- Bachelor’s degree required (advanced degree preferred)
- Experience designing youth-facing learning content
- Strong understanding of teaching, pedagogy, or social-emotional learning
- Ability to analyze program data and apply insights to design
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Experience working in collaborative, fast-paced environments
Preferred candidates demonstrate both creativity and evidence-based decision-making.
Compensation and Work Environment
The position offers:
- Annual salary: $80,000–$85,000
- Fully remote work within eligible U.S. states
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k)
- Paid time off and flexible wellbeing policies
Work expectations include:
- Regular collaboration across remote teams
- Participation in virtual and in-person organizational events
- Strong independent project ownership
- Ability to manage multiple curriculum development streams simultaneously
Recruitment Process
The hiring process includes several structured stages:
- Submission of resume and sample curriculum or program work
- Paid program development exercise
- Interviews and collaborative working sessions
- Evaluation of design thinking, creativity, and teamwork skills
This ensures candidates are assessed on both technical expertise and practical application.
Conclusion
The Director of Program Development role at Girls on the Run International is a strategic leadership position at the intersection of education, youth development, and curriculum innovation. It focuses on designing impactful learning experiences that help young girls build confidence, resilience, and life skills through structured, evidence-based programming.
The role is well-suited for experienced curriculum designers and education leaders who are comfortable working in mission-driven, collaborative, and fast-evolving environments.
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