Associate Director - The Garden in Cowbridge

The Garden is a 53,000-square-foot youth center in Sharpstown/Gulfton in Houston, TX. The facility is owned by St. Luke's United Methodist Church and is located on the St. Luke's Gethsemane campus. The Garden opened in June 2024 and is dedicated to fostering curiosity, growth, and well-being among young people. The Garden offers workshops, events, and programming for youth ages 12-24, primarily focusing on health and wholeness, knowledge and skills, and art and expression.

Position Summary

The Associate Director is a hands-on, relationship-centered role responsible for designing, coordinating, and facilitating programming for youth ages 12-24. This position is a daily presence at The Garden — building trust with young people, delivering high-quality programming, and ensuring every member experiences a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment. This role carries both a daytime component, supporting the operational functions that keep The Garden running, and an evening component, serving as a staff lead during programming hours when member attendance is highest.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Development & Facilitation: Design and facilitate age-appropriate, culturally responsive workshops and activities across The Garden's three focus areas: health and wholeness, knowledge and skills, and art and expression. Coordinate with external facilitators, instructors, and community partners to deliver diverse, enriching programming. Continuously assess program content and adapt based on member feedback, attendance trends, and emerging community needs. Maintain a consistent program schedule and ensure all sessions are well-prepared, well-run, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Participant Engagement & Outreach: Serve as a consistent, trusted presence for members — staying connected to their lives and progress, and fostering belonging, accountability, and growth. Support family engagement and communicate regularly with parents and guardians as appropriate. Conduct ongoing outreach to recruit new members and re-engage youth who have lapsed in attendance. Maintain enough awareness of each member's circumstances to connect them to resources when needed.
• Volunteer & Partner Coordination: Recruit, orient, and support volunteers engaged in youth programming. Coordinate with community partners to facilitate collaborative programming and service delivery. Serve as a consistent point of contact for partner organizations, maintaining strong working relationships. Support the DPO in identifying and cultivating new partnership opportunities that expand The Garden's programmatic reach and resources.
• Data, Reporting & Evaluation: Maintain accurate, up-to-date program attendance records and member data using Salesforce. Work closely with the DPO to track outcomes, document observations, and contribute to program evaluations. Collect member feedback and surface insights that inform programming decisions and continuous improvement. Support the DPO in preparing reports for leadership, funders, and board presentations.
• Events & Community Presence: Co-plan and support The Garden's signature events, including open houses, showcases, and community activations. Represent The Garden at community events, school visits, and partner convenings. Coordinate volunteers and staff during events to ensure a high-quality experience for all attendees.
• Administrative & Operational Support: Assist with daytime operational functions and prepare The Garden for evening programming. Serve as a staff lead during evening programming hours. Work closely with the DPO on scheduling, logistics, program files, supply inventory, and operations.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in education, social work, youth development, nonprofit management, or a related field preferred; equivalent lived and professional experience will be considered. Teaching certification or formal classroom experience is welcomed and highly relevant to this role.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience working directly with youth, particularly in urban or underserved communities. Demonstrated ability to engage effectively across a wide age range, from early adolescents to young adults. Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating programming for diverse youth audiences. Experience as a classroom teacher or school-based educator is strongly welcomed. Experience with volunteer coordination and community partnership development. Familiarity with Google Workspace, Salesforce or a similar data tracking platform, and social media tools used for youth engagement preferred.
• Schedule & Availability: Regular evening availability is required; youth programming hours conclude as late as 8:00 PM. Some weekend availability may be required for events and community activations.
• Skills & Competencies: Genuine passion for youth development and a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and community empowerment. Strong relationship-building skills — able to earn the trust of young people, families, and community partners. Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple programs and priorities simultaneously. Self-starter who takes initiative, follows through, and works well independently and as part of a team. Creative problem-solver with strong attention to detail and a calm, adaptable presence. Bilingual or multilingual candidates strongly preferred; language skills in Spanish, Farsi, Pashto, or other languages spoken in the Sharpstown/Gulfton community are a significant asset. Energetic and mission-driven, with a genuine joy for showing up for young people every day.