Director, Programs

Title: Director, Programs

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Pay Rate: $125,000 – $145,000

• Compensation rates vary based on job-related factors, including experience, job skills, education, and training.

Director, Programs

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) tackles the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness, and social justice for all Angelenos.

The Programs department functions as conveners, capacity builders, and community liaisons to create equitable opportunities for Angelenos. Through organization wide cross-collaboration, we take a holistic approach to build safe spaces for the healthy development of youth and community through grantmaking, education initiatives, and signature sports-based youth development programs, that furthers the vision, mission, and goals of LADF.

To support us in achieving these bold goals, we seek an experienced Director of Programs to ensure that LADF's Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) programs are fully aligned with the organization's focus areas and broader strategic priorities.

Organization Summary

Reimagined in 2013, LADF has since raised over $204 million. Under its new strategic plan, “Lasting Impact for Los Angeles,” LADF is amplifying best practices, scaling solutions, growing its capacity and refining its work with investments exceeding $71 million in its programs and grants to local organizations. To date, LADF has positively impacted over 11 million youth. LADF is the proud recipient of ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, Robert Wood Johnson Sports Award, Beyond Sport's Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award, and the Aspen Institute Project Play Champion.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• You will work in close collaboration with the Chief Program Officer (CPO) to ensure that Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) programs under LADF’s Health Care focus area are fully aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities. As a member of the Functional Leadership Team, alongside the CEO, COO, and other Directors, you will help guide LADF’s direction and impact, connecting and synthesizing LADF’s work across all focus areas. You will lead the growth of SBYD programs, specifically Dodgers Dreamteam, with the goal of serving 25,000 youth by 2030, and Dodgers Dreamfields, building 75 by 2033. In partnership with the CPO, you will develop new partnerships and represent LADF externally with sector leaders such as Beyond Sport, Coach Across America, Hello Insight, the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport, and the Positive Coaching Alliance, as well as major municipal partners across greater Los Angeles County.

Team Leadership and Development

• You will lead a high-performing, mission-aligned team, directly managing three full-time Program Managers as well as associates and consultants, with support from and dotted-line oversight of a coordinator. You will lead a partnership with AmeriCorps, consisting of 65-70 Coach Mentors/Field Champions annually, and build and maintain strong relationships with the leaders at municipal partners. You will foster a collaborative team culture grounded in clear expectations and shared accountability, supporting your team’s growth and capacity to deliver high-quality, high-impact programs.

Program & Partnership Development and Management

• You will oversee all aspects of the Dodgers Dreamteam and Dodgers Dreamfields programs, managing their implementation, growth, and continuous improvement. This includes setting clear expectations and priorities, managing budgets, building accountability structures, and establishing KPIs tied to LADF’s Theory of Change. You will guide affiliate and program partners toward excellence by approving applications, supporting staff and Coordinators, and facilitating partner development. You will manage relationships with external Project Managers for Dreamfields projects and identify partnership opportunities that expand the reach and effectiveness of both programs, with a focus on schools, city agencies, and nonprofits. Additionally, you will serve as the Programs team’s point person for all SBYD-related sponsorship integrations, activations, and deliverables.

Evaluation and Reporting

• You will lead the evaluation of SBYD initiatives, including monitoring program performance, conducting site visits, and measuring impact in order to drive growth. You will lead the integration of education, homelessness, and social justice nonprofits into Dodgers Dreamteam and Dodgers Dreamfields. Working in collaboration with the CPO and Manager, Grants & Initiatives, you will maintain a working knowledge of the full LADF grants portfolio to better incorporate partners into Dodgers Dreamteam and Dreamfields. You will ensure accurate and timely recordkeeping, develop effective systems for program management, and provide regular reporting on program outcomes and progress. In partnership with Operations and Development teams, you will also collaborate to identify compelling program impact stories, elevate participant and community voices, and contribute content that supports internal and external storytelling efforts.

Qualifications and Experience Needed

We are looking for a collaborative and mission-driven leader who can execute vision with excellence, build strong relationships, and manage high-impact programs. You should have:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in nonprofit program management, including direct oversight of staff and programs in youth development, education, health, or related fields.
• Experience managing and coaching a team, with a proven ability to set clear expectations, support professional growth, and build a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Experience and content expertise in at least one of LADF’s focus areas: education, health care, homelessness, and social justice.
• Strong familiarity with sports-based youth development (SBYD) and/or youth development principles and practices; experience in SBYD is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing large-scale programs or initiatives, including setting goals, developing systems, managing budgets, and measuring impact.
• Strong project and partnership management skills, including experience working with community-based organizations, nonprofit partners, and/or municipal agencies, and the proven ability to track and manage multiple projects and processes and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of the Los Angeles nonprofit and philanthropic community, with an understanding of how to support relationships with partner organizations, nonprofits, and sponsors.
• Experience working with data and evaluation tools to assess program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• A hands-on and adaptable approach, with the ability to manage both strategy and execution across a dynamic portfolio of programs.
• Ability to work both under supervision and independently, with creative problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
• Strong passion for and commitment to LADF’s mission, programs, and values.
• Ability to work a non-traditional schedule, which includes nights, weekends, and some home games (March - October).

LADF is firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for all qualified applicants from every background. The Foundation is also firmly committed to complying with all applicable laws and governmental regulations at the federal, state and local levels which prohibit discrimination, and which provide for reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

LADF considers all applicants without regard to national origin, ancestry-ethnicity, race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy or related medical conditions, genetic information, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizenship status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that the Foundation obtain documentation from every individual who is employed which verifies identity and authorizes their right to work in the United States.

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LADF Values

Our core values are the fundamental beliefs upon which our foundation and its people operate.

We look for hardworking team members who share our passion.

Opportunity – We know that talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.

Access – No recreational, education or health resource should be out of reach for any child.

Equity – We aim to level the playing field and make sure that every kid has a fair shot.

Collaboration – We believe that working well with others is the secret sauce to success.

Impact – The work we do must create meaningful progress that is measurable. We want to support proven programs.

Excellence – We hold ourselves to the highest standards across all of our work, striving for quality and credibility.