Career Opportunity: LEAD Program Coordinator 

About the Buddy Program  

Join our team! 

For 52 years, the Buddy Program has been serving youth in Aspen to Glenwood Springs and in Rifle. We operate four programs, including one-on-one mentoring and group/experiential mentoring, known as our LEAD (Leadership through Exploration, Action, and Discovery Program). Mentor/mentee pairs in our Community Program stay together for 3.5 years, nearly twice that of national mentoring programs. Program evaluations demonstrate the Buddy Program has helped our Little Buddies in areas of self-esteem, decision-making, academics and relationships with friends and family. The Buddy Program works with close to 500 youth and their families each year and an additional 125+ adult volunteers and continues to grow to meet the larger need in our local community. The Buddy Program is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The organization is working on building relationships, partnerships, and opportunities for the entire Roaring Fork community. 

Vision: We envision a thriving community in which all members are supported and connected through meaningful relationships and experiences to achieve success. 

Mission: The Buddy Program empowers youth through mentoring experiences to achieve their full potential.

Commitment to Social Justice, Diversity and Inclusion: We value, celebrate, and consciously cultivate diversity as we strive to achieve equity through the power of mentoring.

Values: Kindness, inclusion, discovery, connection, empowerment 

Working Relationships:  

● Reports to the LEAD Program Director. This position also receives support and direction from other team members, depending on the tasks at hand.
● Spends significant time in a school-based setting and develops working relationships with school administrators and staff.
● On-going, constructive, and open collaboration between all Buddy Program staff is essential to our team to ensure a consistent, quality-run program. 

 About the LEAD Program Coordinator Role: LEAD Program Coordinators are mentors to cohorts of teen youth within our LEAD Programs, empowering them to enhance their social emotional learning skills, including teamwork, communication, confidence, trust, and decision-making. LEAD Program Coordinators facilitate hands-on experiences via Outdoor Leadership classes and clubs (curriculum provided), summer camp opportunities, and other experiential activities that take place in backcountry, school-based classroom, and community-based settings. Annually, LEAD Program Coordinators spend around 35 days and 20 nights in a backcountry/outdoor setting, 90 days in a school-based classroom setting, and remaining time performing administrative and program support tasks in an office-based environment. Ideal candidates have many or all of these skills and traits: passionate about youth development and working with teenagers, strong critical thinking abilities, a good sense of humor, clear communication, energetic, reliable, motivated, able to lead a group, culturally humble, organized, and flexible.

Responsibilities include:  ● Organize, prepare, and facilitate LEAD experiential group mentoring programs for teens. Includes Moab Youth Camp, Dream Day Camp, Outdoor Leadership classes at middle and high school sites, as well as Monthly Activities throughout the Buddy Program service area and lunch meetings at local schools.
● Help develop Outdoor Leadership coursework  
● Deliver Outdoor Leadership curriculum in the school-day classroom, topics include: trip planning, wilderness ethics, backcountry navigation, land management, risk assessment, wilderness medicine, etc.
● Act as primary trip leader on backcountry trips with support from and oversight of one or more Assistant Leaders. Single and multi-day trips include backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, hut trips.
● Recruit and register student participants for all programs and support those youth as needed
● Act in a position of role model, mentor, and teacher to youth participants
● Facilitate parent orientation sessions as needed for programs
● Develop and maintain community partnerships that support LEAD programs and youth participants, including but not limited to partnerships with school districts, Colorado Mountain College, and other non-profit organizations
● Gather and track student information and program evaluation data
● Keep current on certifications including, but not limited to Wilderness First Responder, CMC Adjunct Faculty
● Special projects in conjunction with the overall coordination of the program
● Engagement and attendance in team meetings, including: LEAD team meetings, Buddy Program staff meetings
● Maintain and update online and written data files on an ongoing basis
● Maintain client confidentiality ● Attend Buddy Program sponsored activities/events and assisting with special projects as they arise ● Support of Buddy Program events, including but not limited to: Bash for the Buddies, Boogie’s Buddy Race, Gingerbread House, recruitment events.

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. 

Skills and Life Experience:  ● Passionate about the mission of the Buddy Program and working with youth and families
● Bachelor’s degree or experience in related field (outdoor education, social work, education, youth services, psychology) preferable, may substitute for applicable life experience also
● Advanced interpersonal and communication skills
● Knowledge and skills for working with families who are working to overcome all forms of challenges
● Ability to remain compassionate and empathetic towards donors, families, youth, and volunteers
● Ability to act as ambassador for the Buddy Program at all times
● Have a “whatever it takes” attitude
● Ability to prioritize work in accordance with Buddy Program goals and priorities
● Strong computer skills - Google and experience with using a database (Donor View CRM or equivalent)
● Strong organizational skills, excellent attention to detail, efficiency, and ability to meet deadlines
● Ability to work as a strong team player as well as independently
● Experience working with teenagers required
● Experience with leading backcountry trips required
● Current Wilderness First Responder certification required (or willingness to obtain)
● Flexible with time and duties as they evolve; ability to work nights and weekends, including multi-day trips of up to 5 days duration
● Bilingual (Spanish/English) skills preferred
● Classroom management experience preferred 

Time and Compensation Details: 

Full-time; 40 hours per week. Some nights and weekends required. This position is located in our Aspen, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs offices, is an exempt position, and includes some flexibility to work from home. Teaching responsibilities take place in local schools in the Aspen - Rifle geographic area. Salary range is $55,000 - $65,000.  Benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, personal days, volunteer hours, retirement contribution, All One EAP program, annual wellness benefit, and 100% paid full healthcare, including dental and vision for the employee (dependent care coverage available at additional cost).   

Please apply by using this link :https://secure.builtapp.com/the-buddy-program/jobs/f5747668 The deadline to apply is Sunday, March 9, 2025. https://www.buddyprogram.org/careers