Senior Director, Curriculum & Instruction

About the Role

The Senior Director of Curriculum & Instruction provides strategic leadership for curriculum development, instructional quality, social-emotional learning, enrichment programming, and staff development across all Out-of-School Time programs. This position ensures the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of high-quality afterschool, summer camp, and grant-funded programming that aligns with YMCA standards, school district partnerships, licensing requirements, and evidence-based youth development practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for curriculum and instructional practices across all OST programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, quality standards, licensing requirements, grant deliverables, and youth development outcomes.
• Lead the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of curriculum frameworks that support academic enrichment, social-emotional learning, youth leadership, family engagement, and program quality across all program areas.
• Establish and monitor quality assurance systems, including YPQA, Summer Learning PQA, program observations, and outcome measurement tools, using data to drive decision-making and improve participant experiences and program effectiveness.
• Develop and lead high-performing instructional teams through effective supervision, coaching, professional development, resource management, and cross-functional partnerships that strengthen program quality, staff performance, and organizational impact.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive curriculum and instructional vision for OST programs.
• Lead continuous quality improvement efforts aligned with YMCA standards and organizational goals.
• Ensure curriculum supports academic enrichment, social-emotional learning, youth voice, leadership development, and family engagement.
• Partner with senior leadership to establish annual program quality goals and metrics.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum for various programs, including Afterschool Programs, Summer Camps, Early Learning Programs, Grant-Funded Programs, and Specialty Enrichment Programs.
• Ensure curriculum alignment with TEKS Standards, SEL Frameworks, YPQA Best Practices, Grant Deliverables, and Licensing Standards.
• Evaluate program effectiveness using data and stakeholder feedback.
• Directly supervise the Curriculum Manager and assigned instructional staff.
• Establish performance goals and accountability systems.
• Develop and implement department-wide professional development plans.
• Lead instructional coaching systems that support Regional Directors, Program Leads, and Site Leads.
• Analyze quality assessment data and develop improvement strategies.
• Monitor fidelity of curriculum implementation across all program locations.
• Support curriculum and instructional components of grant-funded programs.
• Collaborate with school districts and community partners.
• Ensure instructional deliverables and outcome measures are achieved.
• Assist with grant writing, reporting, and evaluation efforts.
• Establish systems for measuring program quality and youth outcomes.
• Utilize enrollment, attendance, assessment, survey, and quality data to inform decisions.
• Present quality and instructional performance data to leadership and stakeholders.
• Develop and manage curriculum and training budgets.
• Oversee curriculum materials, instructional resources, and technology investments.
• Ensure efficient allocation of instructional resources across program sites.

Qualifications

A Bachelor's Degree is required, with a Master's Degree preferred, in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Child Development, Youth Development, or a related field.

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive leadership experience in education, afterschool, youth development, or curriculum leadership.
• Experience supervising managers and instructional staff.
• Experience designing curriculum and leading quality improvement systems.

Skills

• Ensure Accountability: Hold yourself and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Collaborate: Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicate Effectively: Clearly convey ideas, instructions, and information in both verbal and written forms, adjusting messaging to suit different audiences and ensuring understanding.
• Foster Belonging: Recognize the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Problem Solving: Assess situations, solve problems, and take action.
• Build Effective & Inclusive Teams: Build strong identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Plan & Align: Plan and prioritize work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with YPQA and Summer Learning Program Quality Assessment.
• Experience managing grant-funded educational programs.
• Experience leading multi-site educational or youth development programs.
• Knowledge of TEKS, SEL frameworks, and youth development best practices.