Youth Program Coach - Program Specialist

Program Specialist – Youth Coach

Full-time, non-exempt, $31-33 per hour, 40 hours per week

Position is located at multiple locations in San Francisco and the East Bay

Do you enjoy working with kids and being active throughout the day? Playworks is hiring a Program Specialist to work at elementary schools, leading games, supporting positive behavior, and helping create a fun and engaging recess environment. This is a hands-on, outdoor role where you’ll build relationships with students and help them develop teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution skills.

What we offer:

• Full-time position, 40 hours per week, at $31.14–$32.97 per hour.


• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with match, HSA, disability, life insurance, and employee-funded pre-tax health and childcare spending accounts.


• Generous, flexible paid time off policy with paid sick and holiday leave.


• Room for career growth within our organization.


• Professional development and networking opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.

Responsibilities:

As a Program Specialist, you will help demonstrate the power of Playworks by: partnering with schools directly, providing support for programming across the Bay Area, and delivering professional development trainings to school staff. Travel to locations in San Francisco or the East Bay will be required on a daily basis. Travel outside of the Bay Area may be required on occasion.

Specifically, you will:

Implement Program – Plan and implement our consultative play-based TeamUp program at 1-3 elementary schools. Each school receives one week of programming per month. This includes:

• Delivering on-site coaching, consultation, and modeling to school personnel.


• Implementing the following components with students:




• Recess – develop a safe, active, and engaging playground, with multiple game areas that allow students to sustain themselves. Be a significant presence on the playground by playing games and modeling positive behavior.


• Student leadership program – organize a Junior Coach student leadership program for 4th and 5th graders by facilitating monthly trainings. Work with school staff to manage Junior Coaches during recess.


• Instructional classes – lead 20-30 minute classes teaching games that students can play at recess. Through these classes, students will learn what, how, and where to play at recess. They'll gain experience and confidence in themselves, and feel more comfortable joining in at recess.




• Maintaining communication between Playworks staff, school staff, and teachers.


• Collecting and maintaining paperwork, including organizing schedules, meeting agendas, notes, lesson plans, school newsletters, and data.


• Planning and implementing recess staff training.

Regional Support:

• When not coaching at your partner TeamUp schools, support the regional program team by working with Program Managers and other Playworks staff to ensure program quality at all Coach, TeamUp, and Relay schools.


• Be certified as a trainer and deliver Playworks Pro services to school staff.


• Organize and facilitate Playworks staff trainings.


• Engage in ongoing learning to develop training skills and curriculum.


• Attend conferences and professional development opportunities.


• Take an active role in preseason training for all new and returning staff.


• Support regional Playworks community initiatives and fundraising events 

Required Skills & Experience:

• A genuine love of play and an excitement to play games of all kinds at recess.


• Demonstrated experience leading large and small groups of children with the ability to engage and inspire them.


• Proven ability to train adult participants.


• Motivated self-starter with demonstrated success working effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision, and consistently exercising good judgment.


• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.


• The ability to make connections and to manage and sustain multiple relationships in diverse communities, and the ability to integrate into an existing school community.


• Ability to engage with diverse staff and leadership to promote trust, collaboration, and partnership between departments and levels of leadership.


• Conceptual ability for the larger perspective with a strong attention to detail.


• Ability to manage multiple tasks while also staying focused on the students' experience.


• Excellent planning and organization skills.


• Must have access to reliable transportation to travel locally; this position will require travel to various school sites and regional locations.

About Playworks: At Playworks, we believe in the power of play to bring out the best in every kid. We create a place for every kid on the playground to get active, build valuable skills, connect, and have fun. We partner with schools, districts, and after-school programs to provide a service or mix of services, including on-site coaches, professional training for school staff who support recess, and consultative partnerships. 

At Playworks, our starting salary takes into consideration internal pay scales, geographic pay differential, and robust external market data. We highly value transparency in compensation and are therefore committed to adhering to established compensation pay points.

As an equal opportunity program, Playworks encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, gender identity/expression, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, faith, marital status, physical ability, or any other legally protected basis. Playworks evaluates all candidates for employment, volunteering opportunities, or board service on a merit basis.