Director of Product Programs

Who We Are...

Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) is one of four Girl Scout Councils supporting the New Jersey area. We service all of Hudson, Essex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, and portions of Middlesex and Warren counties. We operate offices in Newark, Westfield and North Branch, NJ; and maintain camp properties in Maplewood, Hillsborough, and Middleville, NJ.

The Mission...

Building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Here at GSHNJ, we offer every girl a chance to do something amazing!

The Role...

We are looking for a talented individual to join our Product Programs team as Director of Product Programs who provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey’s annual Cookie Program and Fall Product Program representing more than $5 million in annual gross sales revenue. This role is responsible for program performance, partnership development, cross-functional alignment, and team leadership, ensuring that they align with the Mission and drive GSHNJ’s strategic priorities.

The Director is responsible for growing revenue, participation, and overall program performance, particularly within the Cookie Program, by making data-informed decisions that lead to effective business strategies and strong operational execution, volunteer satisfaction, and member participation. The Director leads a high-performing team, cultivating strong, mission-centered relationships with staff, volunteers, vendors, strategic partners, and other stakeholders to maximize mission impact, financial results, and the overall experience of every member.

Here's What You Will Be Doing...

Program Performance & Strategy

• Provides strategic oversight of both the Fall Product Program and Cookie Program, ensuring each is positioned for success based on its unique structure, timeline, and participant experience.
• Leads and implements strategies to increase performance of the Cookie Program, including business analysis, sales, troop engagement, and participation models (e.g., boothing strategy, participation expectations, and per girl average).
• Drives results across key metrics including revenue, participation, and overall program experience.
• Uses data from multiple sources (product lineup, pricing, sales results, trends) to inform decisions, improve performance.
• Continuously evaluates program results and identifies opportunities to strengthen participation, remove barriers, and improve how the program is run.
• Works cross-functionally to ensure the programs’ mission alignment and elevate and maintain the integrity of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Partnership Development

• Stewards relationships that serve the programs’ operational logistics like mega drop locations, regional cookie cupboards, recipients of excess production inventory, experiential rewards, etc.
• Establishes and maintains business relationships with Fall Product and Cookie vendors and delivery agents, including negotiating contracts.
• Builds and manages partnerships that expand program reach and revenue, including corporate booth buyouts and community-based opportunities.
• Identifies new opportunities that increase visibility and access for troops.
• Evaluates partnership impact and adjusts approach to maximize both results and participant experience.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Works closely with council leadership to align product program strategy and execution with GSHNJ’s strategic priorities. Works closely with Marketing & Communications, External Affairs, Strategic Philanthropy, Mission Alignment, Membership, and Finance to align messaging, campaigns, customer care, and program execution.
• Promotes shared project ownership and clear communication across teams.

Team Leadership & Development

• Leads, manages, and develops the Product Programs team, with a focus on staffing, performance, and growth. Ensures the team has the knowledge, skills, tools, and resources necessary to deliver assignments timely and effectively.
• Builds team capacity through strong hiring, onboarding, coaching, and clear expectations.
• Creates a team environment that is collaborative, accountable, and focused on results.
• Establishes and cascades clear, documented, data-driven goals for each team member. Develops career development plans with employees and ensures plans are implemented.
• Establishes team goals and priorities, initiates regular check-ins, assigns projects, monitors progress and key performance indicators and adjusts assignments accordingly.
• Optimizes and ensures adherence to internal policies, procedures, business processes, and workflows to maintain brand standards, staff efficiency, and to meet business demand.

Sales, Supply Chain & Program Operations

• Oversees program operations, including inventory, supply chain coordination, distribution, and vendor management, with a primary focus on ensuring seamless execution.
• Uses operational and sales data to identify issues, improve processes, and strengthen program delivery.

Volunteer Engagement

• Facilitates troubleshooting, problem solving, service recovery, and conflict resolution to maintain a customer-centric environment.
• Provides strategic oversight of Product Program volunteer training, ensuring curriculum, materials, and delivery methods are regularly evaluated and refined based on program performance, volunteer feedback, and emerging trends to reinforce areas requiring additional support and improve the overall volunteer experience.
• Ensures Product Programs Committees run effectively and have positive impact across the programs.
• Builds strong relationships with volunteers to drive participation, retention, and program success.
• Works cross-functionally to ensure volunteers, families, and Girl Scouts have the tools, knowledge, and support needed to be successful.

Financial & Performance Management

• Develops and manages department budget; monitors performance against goals; works to grow revenue and control expenses in accordance with overall annual goals.
• Uses data and analysis to guide decisions and improve outcomes.
• Works closely with the Finance Department on forecasting and financial processes.
• Contributes to the optimization and adherence to internal policies, procedures, processes, and workflows to meet business demand while maintaining brand and finance standards, and ensures departmental compliance with these, State, and Federal regulations as appropriate.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensures Girl Scouting is open to all appropriate youth and adults by actively participating in the development of environments that foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and access through words, actions, and attitude.
• Complies with GSHNJ’s Charter of Values, and uses it as the basis for personal conduct, conflict resolution, and correspondence with customers and coworkers.
• Remains current on GSUSA’s and GSHNJ’s initiatives and national and local trends affecting our membership demographic and is able to correspond with team members and customers accordingly. Attends GSUSA webinars, participates in Chatter groups, and utilizes gsConnect.
• Performs other duties as necessary or assigned.