How to hire a director of after school program

How to hire a director of after school program, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of after school program hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of after school program job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of after school program
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of after school program do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your director of after school program job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a director of after school program for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   A director of after school program's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of after school program from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of after school program salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of After School Program	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of After School Program	Producers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.	$14-38
   Program Supervisor	A program supervisor is a professional who coordinates and monitors the scheduling and technical performance of company programs. Program supervisors aid in negotiating contracts and are responsible for any contractual changes... Show more	$17-25
   Program Lead	A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands... Show more	$28-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Youth Development
   • Child Care
   • DOH
   • HR
   • CPR
   • Community Resources
   • Curriculum Development
   • After-School Program
   • Professional Development
   • DOE
   • Flyers
   • Program Development
   • School Administration

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage alumni volunteer activities with the goal of expanding and enhancing alumni volunteer engagement.
   • Implement process improvements and Medicare department reorganization that establish a foundation for improve member outcomes and satisfaction and increase product margins.
   • Implement interesting lessons to capture student's attention and curiosity in middle and high school mathematics.
   • Teach adult and youth bible study classes.- Assist with the conducting of Sunday morning worship.-Structure and organize church ministries

   More director of after school program duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the director of after school program job description is a good way to get more applicants. A director of after school program salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a director of after school program in Missouri may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level director of after school program. Additionally, a director of after school program with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average director of after school program salary

   $49,648yearly

   $23.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of after school program salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average director of after school program salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$71,910	$35
   2	New York	$69,730	$34
   3	Massachusetts	$63,975	$31
   4	New Jersey	$55,614	$27
   5	District of Columbia	$55,192	$27
   6	Maryland	$54,485	$26
   7	Georgia	$51,611	$25
   8	Washington	$48,253	$23
   9	Pennsylvania	$48,018	$23
   10	Oregon	$47,272	$23
   11	Texas	$43,946	$21
   12	Maine	$43,159	$21
   13	Minnesota	$40,101	$19
   14	Alabama	$39,473	$19
   15	Idaho	$38,264	$18
   16	Tennessee	$37,933	$18
   17	Colorado	$37,756	$18
   18	Virginia	$37,424	$18
   19	Wisconsin	$32,545	$16
   20	Florida	$32,386	$16

   Average director of after school program salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Village of Lincolnwood	$75,356	$36.23
   2	New York University	$68,881	$33.12	12
   3	Mayo Clinic	$67,735	$32.56	15
   4	Cook Children's Medical Center	$67,198	$32.31	5
   5	Georgetown University	$60,828	$29.24	3
   6	UC Santa Barbara	$57,385	$27.59
   7	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$55,729	$26.79	27
   8	The Park School - Brookline	$55,545	$26.70	2
   9	Stockton University	$55,127	$26.50	2
   10	Boston College	$53,526	$25.73	5
   11	University of California-Berkeley	$52,454	$25.22	6
   12	Summer Search	$51,943	$24.97	2
   13	Cape Ann Savings Bank	$50,462	$24.26
   14	American University	$48,485	$23.31
   15	YMCA	$47,824	$22.99	58
   16	New York Edge Music	$47,639	$22.90	19
   17	Launch NY	$47,639	$22.90
   18	Easter Seals South Florida	$47,636	$22.90
   19	Greenheart Farms	$47,348	$22.76
   20	Boston University	$47,327	$22.75	13

4. Writing a director of after school program job description

   A job description for a director of after school program role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a director of after school program job description:

   Director of after school program job description example

   We all know that it takes a village to develop a child; at the Y, we know that before and after school programs are a vital member of every child's village. As a Child Care Site Director, you will have the unique opportunity and privilege to impact the lives of youth and their families and lead a staff team of emerging youth development leaders. Each day, you will lead, manage, organize and engage children and staff team members in a well-rounded before and after school program, that includes academic support, educational enrichment, family engagement, school partnerships, STEAM, physical activity/fitness and more. Your program is located on the campus of a public school, where you partner with your school principal/administrators and school-based parent organizations, like to PTA, to ensure that the YMCA is engaged, involved and emerged into the school culture. Before the kiddos arrive, you complete all of your paperwork, submit your snack order, pick-up your supply order from Amazon in the main office, and submit your licensing reports. While the children are present, you work with them and your staff through the daily curriculum and at the end of the day, you greet parents as they pick-up and get ready for the next day. You start the next day by attending a staff team member meeting, where you plan out upcoming events and initiatives.
   
   In your role as a site director, you develop, organize and implement a high qualify licensed child care program. You understand licensing regulations and ensure that your program follows Title 22, at all times. You assist with budget development and in securing the necessary supplies. You support your supervisor with the on-boarding and training of new staff team members. You observe, coach and provide feedback to your staff team. You ensure close visual supervision of all children in your care and follow-up all YMCA child abuse prevention and reporting policies. You manage children's behavior using a positive approach, consisting or redirection, proactive strategies and logical consequences. You adhere to program standards for cleanliness and safety and maintain all YMCA risk management policies. You cultivate positive relationships with parents, the host school, staff team members and the community. You attend and support all fundraising initiatives, family events, staff meetings and trainings.
   
   This program operates on the campus of a public school. For this position, shifts are typically split, 7:00am-8:30am and 11:30am-6:00pm, Monday - Friday. There are occasional night and weekend trainings throughout the year. During school breaks, this program operates a full-day day camp program, with hour typically ranging between 10:00am-6:00pm.
   Employee Benefits
   
   * This is a full-time, permanent position with year-round work (40 hours per week).
   * Medical, Dental and Vision insurance; life and disability insurance, etc.
   * Vacation and sick time accrual, floating holidays, holiday pay
   * 10% YMCA Retirement Fund contribution, upon eligibility.
   * Free YMCA gym membership for you, your spouse or domestic partner and for your minor children (access to our fitness facilities, group exercise classes and free child care while you work out). Free membership access to any YMCA in the United States (nationwide).
   * 20% employee discount on all YMCA programs.
   * Upon hire, access to free CPR, First Aid, Preventative Health & Safety and Basic Water Rescue certification courses.
   * Upon hire, access to paid professional development and staff training throughout the year.
   * Referral bonuses.
   
   Qualifications
   
   * Twenty-one years or older.
   * High school diploma or equivalent
   * Must have full knowledge of California Title 22 Regulations for Child Care Programs; must be Title 22 Center Director qualified for School-Age Programs.
   * ECE/CD UNITS: Option 1: Twelve (12) semester units in ECE or CD. Of the Twelves (12) units, six (6) units can be substituted for recreation, arts & humanities, human services. Three (3) semester units in Administration or Staff Relations. Option 2: AA or Bachelor with three (3) units in ECE, CD or School-Age child courses and three (3) units in administration or staff relations.
   * Four years' experience supervising group child care center. Previous experience working with school age children in a group setting (preferred). Ability to plan, organize and implement age-appropriate/developmentally appropriate program activities. Previous experience with diverse populations preferred. Ability to develop positive, authentic relationships with people from different backgrounds.
   * Strong character values, strong communication skills, emotional maturity
   * Current TB and physical exam. Proof of vaccination or immunization for pertussis (TDAP), and measles (MMR).
   * Proof of full vaccination for COVID-19, as required by the school district.
   
   Upon hire, the YMCA provides all youth development staff with paid trainings throughout the season in the following areas: child abuse prevention, mandated reporting, positive discipline and child guidance, supervision and safety, risk management, programming, active shooter, diversity & inclusion, anti-bullying, communication and child development. A full job description for this position is available upon request.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of after school program for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of after school program job on Zippia to find and recruit director of after school program candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit directors of after school program, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of after school program

   Once you've selected the best director of after school program candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new director of after school program. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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