Director, Youth Learning

Are you passionate about shaping high quality learning experiences that help young people discover their potential and build skills for life? Do you thrive at the intersection of education, innovation, and partnership, bringing bold ideas to life through collaboration and purpose driven strategy? National 4-H Council is seeking a Director, Youth Learning to lead the vision, development, and delivery of youth focused curriculum that inspires curiosity, creativity, and confidence across our national platforms.

At National 4-H Council, we empower nearly 6 million young people each year to become confident leaders who are ready for life and work. As the nation's largest youth development organization, we prepare young people to be Beyond Ready through hands-on learning experiences in STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement.

As the Director, Youth Learning, you will play a pivotal role in advancing 4-H's educational impact nationwide. You will lead the strategy and stewardship of youth curriculum across digital and physical platforms, including CLOVER by 4-H and Shop 4-H, while partnering closely with Land Grant Universities, Extension leaders, and cross functional teams. From overseeing curriculum acquisition and peer review to guiding innovation, accessibility, and data informed improvement, this role ensures that every learning experience reflects best practices in youth development and meets national standards. Reporting to senior product leadership, you will help bring engaging, relevant, and high impact learning opportunities to youth everywhere.

Join us in supporting youth learning experiences that support young people in becoming Beyond Ready for the future. #4HBeyondReady

Mission

4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. In collaboration with the USDA and our network of 110 public universities, we serve every county and parish in the United States in more than 3,000 local 4-H Extension offices. Our programs have an impact on young people: 4-H youth are 2x more likely to excel in school, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities, 2x more likely to make healthier choices, and 2x more likely to pursue STEM education or careers.

National 4-H Council, 4-H's private sector nonprofit partner, builds public-private partnerships and provides resources and leadership development opportunities that expand the reach and impact of 4-H. With the Beyond Ready Initiative, 4-H has the potential to reach 10 million young people annually to help them lead healthy, productive and engaged lives. Young leaders will have the experience and mentorship to succeed in an evolving workforce and thrive in their communities.

Position Summary

The Director, Youth Learning will lead the strategic development, sourcing, and maintenance of youth-focused educational content across Council platforms. This role will oversee curriculum acquisition from Land Grant Universities (LGUs) for CLOVER (Council's online, interactive Learning Management System), manage contracts for physical and digital curriculum distributed via Shop 4-H, and ensure alignment with national standards through collaboration with Extension partners. The Director will also lead the peer review process and work cross-functionally to ensure timely, budget-conscious delivery of new content.

Essential Functions

Curriculum Strategy & Oversight

• Lead the sourcing and acquisition of youth curriculum from LGUs for CLOVER. This includes all contracts and coordination with the content development staff or vendors.
• Manage contracts for physical and digital curriculum distributed through Shop 4-H and support the royalty payment process.
• Develop and manage a process for updating and maintaining national curriculum in collaboration with Extension and Shop 4-H team.
• Lead the development of the quarterly Discover Boxes that showcase physical curriculum, hands-on activities, CLOVER by 4-H activities, and youth voice with input and support from a cross-functional team.
• Oversee the Meet the Author and CLOVER by 4-H monthly webinars in collaboration with Partner & Product Marketing Managers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Content Quality, Review & Innovation

• Ensure curriculum meets educational standards and reflects youth development best practices.
• Guide the integration of user-centered design, accessibility standards, and applied practice into all content and curriculum development.
• Leverage analytics, evaluation data, and feedback to inform content iteration and measure impact.
• Maintain the library of curriculum for Shop 4-H and CLOVER by 4-H, and conduct reviews to identify needs for updates.

Team & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• In collaboration with the VP, Educator Product Innovation and Sr. Director, Product Development, establish content development priorities and align on budgets.
• Coordinate with instructional designers and content developers to ensure timely and budget-aligned delivery of new CLOVER content.
• Collaborate with Partner and Product Marketing to align donor content and marketing deliverables. Support execution and evaluation of sponsored content deployment process.
• Collaborate with the development team to support new donor proposals to fund youth curriculum projects and content.
• Collaborate with PYD Academy and the larger LMS team on content and marketing alignment.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Oversee the peer review process for both physical curriculum and CLOVER content against national criteria approved by Extension. This includes the training and recruiting process for national Peer Reviewers.
• Serve as a liaison between internal teams, LGUs, and Extension partners providing insight on youth curriculum and development processes supported by Council.
• Represent youth curriculum and content in cross-functional meetings and initiatives where needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education, Curriculum Development, Youth Development, or related field, or any combination of relevant work experience.
• 10+ years of experience in curriculum development or educational product management.

Required Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage contracts and vendor relationships.
• Strong project management skills with experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with Cooperative Extension and LGU systems, or equivalent knowledge.
• 5+ years of experience leading a state 4-H program and participating in national committees.
• 5+ years of experience demonstrating the ability to guide initiatives focused on user-centered design, accessibility standards, and applied practice in content development.
• 3+ years of experience leveraging analytics and evaluation data to inform content iteration and measure impact.
• 3+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams, initiatives, or projects.

Preferred Qualifications

Travel Requirements: Travel may be necessary up to 20% by air, car, and/or rail domestically.

ADA Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an Associate must meet to perform the position's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disclaimer: This position description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to include or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required. An incumbent may be asked to perform other tasks as needed.