HF Programs Specialist Youth

Salary Rate: $48,891 – Check out the YMCA's total compensation package

Location: McDonald Family YMCA Health and Fitness Centre

Work Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Employment Type: Contract Full Time Salaried (New Vacancy)

Number of Vacancies: 1

Anticipated Start Date: February 16, 2026

Deadline to Apply: January 30, 2026 at 5:00 pm

Be the Spark Join our passionate team of Health & Fitness Specialists and help us to achieve great things in our community

Reporting to the Health and Fitness Programs Supervisor, the Health and Fitness Program Specialist (Child, Youth & Family) provides direct leadership in our initiatives to provide a superior experience to our members. Implementing our Member Insight Strategy and using our Membership Involvement Model, the Program Specialist identifies initiatives to increase Membership on Roll, Retention, Satisfaction, and Philanthropic contributions in our Child, Youth & Family and Recreational Programs. The Specialist demonstrates leadership and provides coaching to staff and volunteers, sharing knowledge and opportunities regarding trends in child and youth development, and must provide a very practical link to all centre programs to integrate principles of Healthy Child Development, Ages and Stages, Playing to Learn and Abundant Assets into all HF programs. A minimum of 30% of the position is spent using specialized skills for program development in Recreational Sports.

In this role, you will:

• Provide direct program leadership to a variety of program areas, including Child Minding, Youth Leadership, Youth Council, Teen Night, Child and Youth sports programs, and Recreational Sports for the equivalent of 80% of scheduled shifts.
• Support department staff and volunteers in the achievement of all performance indicators and standards, including those related to MOR, Healthy Child Development, Playing to Learn retention, and YMCA Priority Sam standards.
• Deliver programs in a manner in which the Mission, Vision, values, goals, and practices, including Priority Sam Standards, of the YMCA of Greater Toronto are met; ensure that YMCA Aquatics best practices (as outlined by Priority S.A.M.) are followed.
• Recruit, coach, and develop a team of volunteers and participants for program areas, including Youth Sports Leadership, Teen Night, Youth Council, Youth Leader Corps, Recreational Sports, and Child, Youth, and Family programs.
• Build relationships with members and seek opportunities to share the YMCA story; educate members and guests on the YMCA as a Charity.
• Assist with scheduling and logistics of Teen Night, Youth Leader Corps, and Youth Council courses and events; assist the Manager in determining long-term and short-term goals for quantity, quality, and type of child, youth, and family programs in alignment with the strategic plan.
• Provide leadership and support as a member of the Centres' senior staff team. Act as an effective Service Leader as required.
• Provide leadership and coaching to staff and volunteers throughout the duty period. Circulate throughout program areas, build relationships with members and volunteers, and ensure excellence in program delivery.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

You bring:

• Diploma or Degree in Recreation Leadership, Kinesiology, Physical Education, Early Childhood Education, or related field preferred or equivalent experience.
• Current Standard First Aid/CPR certification required.
• Minimum of 2 years' experience delivering fitness programs.
• Experience coaching Basketball, Soccer, or Baseball would be an asset.
• Excellent theoretical and practical knowledge of various stages of child and youth development gained through previous related experience.
• Previous experience in developing and implementing new programs is an asset.
• Demonstrated leadership skills developed through progressively responsible experience; ability to encourage, motivate staff and volunteers, acknowledge and appreciate contributions.
• Proficiency with computer software including Excel, Outlook, etc.
• Well-developed interpersonal and relationship building skills; ability to establish rapport and excellent communication with members, staff, and volunteers.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Flexibility regarding assigned hours of work, including days, evenings, and weekends.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and building a sense of belonging

What you need to succeed:

• Commitment to the YMCA's Mission, Vision and Values
• Focus on the health, safety and wellbeing of all children, youth, and vulnerable people in YMCA programs including understanding legal and moral obligations related to reporting suspected child abuse to Child Protection Services
• YMCA Competencies: Accountable, Relationship-Builder, Improvement-Orientated, Team Player & Leader, Equity and Wellbeing Promoter

Why work for the YMCA?

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a charity that ignites the potential in people, helping them grow, lead, and give back to their communities. We are committed to helping our employees reach their full potential and are recognized as a great place to work. We offer meaningful jobs and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the health of our communities. See what you can expect from the YMCA here.

Joining the Y means contributing to over 170 years of providing opportunities for people to shine through programs and services, such as health and fitness, licensed child care, camps, employment and immigrant services, education and training, and services for youth, families, and seniors. Learn more in our 2025–2030 strategic plan, Greater Together, which outlines how we are focused on building communities where people feel healthier and more connected to their neighbours.

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. We strive to remove barriers to employment and recognize that diverse staff who reflect the communities we work in enrich the experiences of our participants and our team. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite applications from all qualified candidates including racialized people/people of colour, Indigenous Peoples, disabled people/people with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

If we can make the recruitment process more accessible for you, please let us know when we reach out about a job opportunity so we can work with you to accommodate your needs.

In keeping with our commitment to safety and child protection, job offers are contingent on the successful completion of a Police Records Check. Within the first four months and every three years thereafter, a Vulnerable Police Records Check is required. Learn more about these checks here.

The YMCA only considers applicants who are legally entitled to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, due to the volume of applications we receive, we can only contact candidates who are selected for an interview.

Check out the next steps in our recruitment process and see what others are saying about working at the YMCA.