Youth Leader

Youth Leader — Two Part-Time Openings

South End Children’s Cafe | Albany, NY

Pay: $16 per hour

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 4:00–7:00 p.m.

Position: Part-time, school year

Position Summary

South End Children’s Cafe is seeking two dependable, energetic, and community-minded Youth Leaders to support children and teens during our after-school program.

We are especially interested in applicants who have experience working with middle or high school youth, skills in leading workshops or activities, or a genuine passion for positively supporting children in the Albany community.

This is an active, hands-on position. Youth Leaders are expected to engage with children, participate in programming, supervise attentively, support coworkers, redirect behavior appropriately, and complete assigned end-of-day cleaning and closing responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Actively supervise, engage, and build positive relationships with children and teens.
• Assist with homework, group games, discussions, clubs, workshops, and enrichment activities.
• Help plan or lead age-appropriate activities based on personal skills or interests.
• Provide meaningful engagement and positive guidance for middle and high school youth.
• Reinforce universal Cafe rules and address unsafe, disrespectful, or inappropriate behavior calmly and consistently.
• Support daily transitions, attendance checks, dinner, dismissal, and other program routines.
• Communicate child safety, behavioral, or program concerns to leadership promptly.
• Work cooperatively with staff and assist wherever support is needed.
• Clean and reset assigned program areas, return supplies, remove trash, and help complete the building’s closing procedures through 7:00 p.m.
• Participate in required staff meetings and training sessions.

Qualifications

• A positive and respectful approach to working with children and families.
• Reliable attendance, punctuality, and willingness to follow directions.
• Ability to remain attentive, engaged, and active throughout the program.
• Comfortable providing firm but respectful guidance and redirection.
• Experience working with children or teens is preferred but not required.
• Experience leading workshops, clubs, sports, arts, life-skills activities, or youth groups is a plus.
• Willingness to learn, accept feedback, and work as part of a team.
• Ability to complete required background checks and staff training.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is dependable, creative, patient, willing to take initiative, and excited to make a positive difference in the lives of Albany youth. They understand that every child is a shared responsibility and are ready to participate fully in both programming and end-of-day responsibilities.

To Apply

Please submit your résumé and a brief statement explaining why you are interested in working with children and teens at South End Children’s Cafe.

Send applications to: [email protected]

Application deadline: September 16, 2026

Pay: $16.00 per hour

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person