Executive Training Specialist

The National Executive Training Specialist plays a critical role in strengthening the leadership capacity of Youth for Christ by equipping Executive Leaders to lead healthy, effective, and missionally aligned chapters. This role translates the vision and priorities of the Movement’s Strategic Plan into practical, high-quality learning experiences that help Executive Leaders grow in their leadership, spiritual formation, organizational effectiveness, and ability to lead their chapters toward greater mission impact. 

Working in close partnership with the Leader Formation Department and other national leaders, the Executive Training Specialist will develop and deliver a cohesive leadership development strategy that provides continuity across the Executive Leader journey. This includes creating and curating exceptional content, facilitating training experiences and executive cohorts, and identifying and engaging highly qualified internal and external consultants who can equip leaders in areas of specialized expertise. 

The Specialist will also cultivate and lead a network of cohort leaders who, through mutually agreed-upon roles and MOUs, can facilitate executive learning communities across the Movement. Through these cohorts and other development opportunities, this role will foster meaningful peer learning, accountability, collaboration, and practical application. 

This person must bring both the ability to build excellent learning experiences and the leadership presence to facilitate them. They will understand the unique demands of executive leadership and create environments where leaders can wrestle with real challenges, develop new capabilities, deepen their spiritual foundation, and leave with practical tools to lead more effectively. 

Ultimately, the National Executive Training Specialist will help ensure that Executive Leaders across Youth for Christ are not only equipped to execute the Strategic Plan, but are continually formed as leaders who can multiply people, strengthen chapters, steward resources, lead through change, and advance the mission with spiritual depth, courage, and vision. 

Proactively identify high-capacity leaders across the Movement who demonstrate the potential for future executive leadership, including those who may not currently be part of an identified executive leadership pool. Partner with national and field leadership to recognize emerging talent, assess leadership readiness, and create appropriate pathways for development. 

Lead National Executive Recruitment and Screening: Help build and execute a national approach for identifying, screening, and recruiting potential Executive Leaders from both within and outside the Youth for Christ Movement. Develop processes and relationships that create a strong and diverse pipeline of qualified candidates who demonstrate alignment with the mission, values, leadership expectations, and spiritual foundation of Youth for Christ. 

Connect Recruitment to Formation and Development: Work collaboratively with the Leader Formation Department and other national leaders to ensure that identified and emerging executive leaders have access to intentional development, cohort experiences, mentoring, assessment, and other opportunities that prepare them for future executive leadership responsibilities. 

Essential Functions  

Executive Leader Training & Equipping — 30% 

• Co-Design and deliver high-quality training experiences that equip Executive Leaders to lead effectively and execute the Movement’s Strategic Plan. Facilitate training, workshops, and learning experiences while identifying and coordinating qualified internal and external experts in key areas of executive leadership. 

2. Content Creation, Curation & Learning Design — 25% 

• Create, curate, and improve practical leadership content, tools, and learning experiences for Executive Leaders. Partner with the Leader Formation Department to ensure continuity of development and a strong foundation of spiritual formation. 

3. Executive Cohorts & Leadership Community — 20% 

• Lead Executive Leader cohorts that foster peer learning, accountability, and practical application. Recruit, equip, and support a network of qualified cohort leaders who serve through mutually agreed-upon roles and MOUs. 

4. Executive Leadership Pipeline, Screening & Recruitment — 15% 

• Identify high-capacity leaders within the Movement who demonstrate potential for executive leadership and help create pathways for their development. Contribute to a national strategy for screening and recruiting qualified Executive Leader candidates from both inside and outside Youth for Christ. 

5. Strategic Collaboration, Administration & Other Responsibilities — 10% 

• Collaborate with national and field leaders to ensure a coordinated approach to executive development. Participate in planning, evaluation, reporting, meetings, and other responsibilities or special projects that support the mission and strategic priorities of Youth for Christ. 

Throughout the functions apply a Design Thinking mindset in daily work, integrating innovation and Christ-centered, human-centered problem-solving into planning, collaboration, and execution. 

Spiritual Responsibilities 

Because the overriding religious purpose and mission of Youth for Christ USA is to communicate and introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to young people and their families, and in that regard to make, educate and encourage life-long disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is very important that you as an employee in the movement of Youth for Christ be recognized as an associate minister of the Gospel.  

As an employee of Youth for Christ and an associate minister of the Gospel, YFC expects all employees to:  

• Seek God’s guidance and wisdom, through prayer and meditation, for the organization as a whole, as well as for specific ministry initiatives.  
• Participate and lead regular times of prayer, devotion and worship as a regular aspect of your role within YFC.  
• Teach and preach from the Holy Bible at YFC staff meetings, conferences, camps and events.  
• Model empathy, humility and care for all people. This includes promoting equity and inclusion in words and in the practice of faith expression.  

YFC employees will have an opportunity to be commissioned or licensed as a minister of the Gospel through the established Youth for Christ process, and/or ordained by an outside body recognized by Youth for Christ USA. 

YFC Cultural Attributes 

Our cultural attributes are not about competency. It is an obedience to the call of Christ on our lives. YFC believes that spiritually healthy adults foster healthy relationships with our kids. We place a heavy commitment and emphasis on developing and equipping a Christ-centered life marked by Enduring Humility, Relentless Trust, Joyful Camaraderie, Courageous Faithfulness and Kingdom Inspired Diversity.  

Our leaders are expected to be willing to demonstrate and/or possess the following:  

• Ability to humbly serve and honor others even in difficult situations with prayer, consistency, transparency, and resilience. (Enduring Humility).  
• Demonstrate proper reliance on God, others, and self through generous giving of time and skills, by collaboratively incorporating others’ ideas, welcoming candid input, recognizing others’ need for grace and extending forgiveness and empathy. (Relentless Trust).  
• Prioritize others’ needs for a missional outcome, characterized by joy, with active listening and problem-solving skills, while encouraging and empowering fellow believers. (Joyful Camaraderie). 
• Trust God with new approaches and changes, and communicate needs and limits with emotional intelligence*, while seeking confidence and wisdom in Christ. (Courageous Faithfulness) 
• Seek and foster authentic Christ-Centered relationships with people of various backgrounds and an inviting environment and empower historically marginalized groups and indigenous populations (within the local context), through active listening, inclusion, advocacy of those who are vulnerable and respect of others’ experiences. (Kingdom Inspired Diversity).    

Fundraising Responsibilities 

All YFC employees are expected to regularly and actively participate in faithful activities that advance the stewardship functions of YFC/USA. These activities will include—but are not limited to— extending invitations to fundraising events, recruiting personal circle of influence/YFC donor contacts, sending letters, handwritten notes, personal calls, and personally ministering to donor contacts.

Budget Responsibilities

A Budget Manager is responsible for aligning all financial resources to the YFC/USA strategic plan in accordance with the delegation and direction of the Division Head. The Budget Manager is responsible for coding, approval, and financial decision-making for their assigned Division, Department and/or Action Plan budget. When a budget is overfunded or underfunded, the Budget Manager is responsible for course correcting through the MCCR process.