As an organization that centers young people through youth playwriting workshops, performances, and support for educators, we believe that their stories, their ideas, their dreams, and their achievements are integral to building a better, stronger future for us all. If you are someone who is passionate about supporting the growth and advancement of young people, loves creativity and art, and wants to work for an organization that values autonomy, flexibility, anti-oppression, collaboration, and compassion, we encourage you to learn more about Young Playwrights’ Theater and our employment and service opportunities.
Join us in fulfilling young playwright Tomii’s dream:
“If I could make one positive change in the world I would make sure all kids got a chance to work with YPT.” -Tomii Butts, YPT Playwright (2017)
Be YPT’s Program Manager
Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT), seeks a Program Manager to join our team!
The Program Manager reports directly to the Education Director and manages the successful execution of YPT’s in-school and out-of-school-time programs for elementary, middle, and high school students, and adults. They establish and maintain relationships with partner schools, parents, and students, and serve as the point of contact for school and community partnerships. They create, manage, and analyze program assessments, provide program data for grant reports, and design curricula for new programs. They manage YPT’s Program Associate, and recruit, contract, assign, and serve as a primary point of contact for teaching artists and classroom actors. They also teach several residencies each year and provide substitute teaching as necessary.
The ideal candidate is an effective, detail-oriented manager of people, projects, and budgets, an inspiring educator and facilitator, a strong communicator, a creative program designer, and an organized planner. Experience designing and teaching theater education, arts integration, and/or storytelling programs is preferred. The ability to travel to YPT classrooms across the DC region is required.
Because everyone deserves high-quality theater education that centers their voices, YPT provides inspiration, tools, and opportunities for young and emerging artists to develop and share their stories. We prioritize young people who are targeted by systems of oppression, and we also collaborate with people of all ages who are invested in the ways that theater can transform lives and communities. We provide these opportunities in order to achieve youth development outcomes through theater education. We engage our students in joyful, creative play, bolster their confidence and personal resilience, enhance their writing, communication, and collaboration skills, develop young and emerging playwrights and theater artists, and create an arts-enriched world in which marginalized perspectives are valued and heard. Across all of our work, we center young people and their agency and adhere to our core organizational values of acknowledging oppression and reducing its harm, anti-oppressive communication, commitment to health and safety, and responsive flexibility.
Each year, Young Playwrights’ Theater serves more than 700 students with our responsive, customized In-School and Out-of-School Time Programs for youth ages 8-24, and our arts integration coaching for educators.
We believe that young people are inherently brilliant, and we exist to share their brilliance with the world.
Salary and Benefits
This position is full-time and partially remote. The salary for this position is $60K per year. In recognition of the ways that posting salary ranges unjustly benefits people of privileged identities who are most comfortable navigating salary negotiations, YPT transparently posts and grants the highest budgeted salary for all open positions rather than posting a salary range in anticipation of a salary negotiation.
Benefits include paid time off (starting at 3 weeks vacation, 3 personal days, 2 floating holidays, and up to 36 sick days annually), flexible work schedule, annual week-long winter office closing, paid holidays, gold level employer-sponsored and employee-selected medical insurance with CareFirst, United Healthcare, or Kaiser, with CareFirst dental and vision insurance, Flexible Spending Account for medical expenses, transportation and parking, stipend for remote office supplies, professional development and travel reimbursement, 403(b) retirement plan, and 12 weeks of fully covered family and medical leave.
YPT is headquartered in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC and our offices are accessible by public transportation. YPT maintains a partially remote working environment in which employees have a combination of in-office, onsite teaching, and work-from-home days each week.
All YPT employees are required to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination. This employee is also required to pass a DCPS background check.
To apply:
Please send your letter of interest, resume/CV, and three references in an email to jobs@yptdc.org. Please put “Program Manager” in the subject line.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply even without meeting 100% of the listed role requirements.
Applications will be accepted and qualified applicants interviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, likely by July 31, 2025.
YPT is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, personal appearance, marital status, matriculation, or family responsibilities.
Become a YPT Teaching Artist
Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT) seeks highly motivated, experienced, and energetic Teaching Artists to lead YPT’s playwriting programs for the 2023-2024 school year.
Programs run during the school day and after school, working with a variety of ages. YPT provides all necessary materials and trains Teaching Artists on our curriculum. Teaching Artists are responsible for transportation needs, and for bringing their expertise to enhance YPT’s lessons (based on the students’ needs and interests). This is a contracted position. Compensation varies depending on the length of the program.
Experience working with youth is required.
All YPT Teaching Artists must be fully vaccinated and pass a criminal background check. Required COVID-19 vaccinations include receiving two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or 1 shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, as well as one shot of the updated bivalent booster that became available for people over the age of 12 in September of 2022.
Please email your letter of interest, resume/CV, three references, and general availability (times included) to our Programs team at programs@yptdc.org. Please put “TEACHING ARTIST” in the subject line.
Board of Directors
YPT welcomes individuals interested in serving on the YPT Board of Directors to learn more about our Board and how to apply. The Board supports the work of YPT and provides mission-based leadership, development assistance, and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by YPT’s Executive Director (ED) and YPT’s staff leadership team, the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected. Learn more about the YPT Board of Directors.