Program Director (2026-27 School Year)

About the role

Harlem Lacrosse’s unique school-based model embeds full-time Program Directors within our partner schools to run academic, athletic, and enrichment programming for middle and high school students. In addition to practices, study halls, tutoring and field trips, Program Directors are constantly present for students to offer high fives, pep talks, individualized push-in and pull-out support, and a listening ear as students navigate the day-to-day. This is a full-time, year-round position.

Responsibilities

• Planning, Managing, and Delivering Program (70%)
  • Recruiting the students most likely to benefit from participating in the Harlem Lacrosse program and working actively to understand participant needs and retain them in the program
  • Establishing both a strong team culture and individual relationships with students to encourage attendance and engagement
  • Sets goals and clear expectations for student participants around team behavior and conduct, and creates routines and structures to help students meet those expectations
  • Creating an outcomes-oriented program plan for each season and year, planning and delivering a meaningful set of academic, athletic and enrichment activities
  • Scheduling clinics, games, and weekend events with partner towns and lacrosse clubs
  • Supporting students on their path to college and/or career through application support with families, campus and career visits, and ongoing monitoring and counseling
  • Collecting data about participants' academic, athletic, and social emotional growth through the program, and ensuring that students meet the core growth metrics of our program: increased school attendance, improved academic performance, and growth in physical fitness
• Maintaining Relationships with School and Community (20%)
  • Being present in the partner school throughout each day and maintaining strong relationships with school faculty, staff, and administrators to monitor student progress and foster a strong partnership between the school and Harlem Lacrosse
  • Facilitating regular communication with parents and guardians, informing them of Harlem Lacrosse activities and partnering with them in supporting participants
  • Establishing and maintaining relationships with partner towns, colleges, and teams
  • Recruiting and managing volunteers and paid assistant coaches
  • Collaborating with community organizations to leverage resources within the neighborhood
• Organizational Stewardship (10%)
  • Consistently demonstrating organizational stewardship by making good use of organizational resources, complying with organizational policies, and contributing to organizational efforts around social media, development and evaluation.

Qualifications

Expertise in the structure, rules, and strategy of lacrosse. Ideal candidates will have experience with lacrosse as a player and as a coach.
Experience working with middle or high school youth in a tutoring, mentorship, and/or coaching capacity. Ideal candidates will have experience mentoring a caseload/group of youth.
Demonstrated success with setting and achieving significant goals.
Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain a rigorous plan for programming, and keep meticulous track of program data and documents.
Ability to build relationships with students, school faculty and staff, parents, partners, and other Harlem Lacrosse staff. Experience and skill fostering relationships across lines of difference.
Strong professional judgment and ability to work effectively with minimal oversight.
Comfort with discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion, and enthusiasm for investigating one’s own identity and honing a racial equity lens.

Skills

Morning, evening and weekend work is often required.
Local and regional travel, including occasional overnight travel with the team, is required. Please note that the possession of a valid driver’s license is helpful for success in the role.
Spanish language proficiency is encouraged, but not required.

Benefits

We invest in and support our team members at Harlem Lacrosse! We offer an extensive suite of benefits including, but not limited to:

• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental and vision plans
• Access to One Medical, a 24/7 patient-focused primary care practice with highly qualified, board-certified physicians
• Receive access to online mental health therapy via a 1-year membership to Talkspace
• Flexible spending and health saving account options, 401k with match
• A $500 technology stipend for your home office; whatever you choose to buy is yours to keep!
• Parenthood leave policy to support your family planning journey
• Flexible PTO policy, in addition to 10 paid holidays and a company-wide winter break during the holiday season.

Pay

The salary ranges for this position are indexed to cost of living in each of our cities and are commensurate with experience. Starting pay for a successful candidate is dependent upon a variety of factors, including education, prior career experience and job location.

How to Apply

The application is now live on our website, harlemlacrosse.org/careers, effective January 5, 2026. You will be asked to submit the following as part of your application package:

• Current resume
• Cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position
• Short-essay questions (we recommend 250 words or fewer for each)
• Contact information for 2-3 references who can speak to your qualifications for this role