Program Specialist

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 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 and passionate individual to join our Mission Alignment team as Program Specialist who will support the council’s mission by coordinating and delivering high-quality, relevant programs and events for Girl Scouts ages 5–17, informed by Girl Scout philosophy, funding requirements, market needs, and current trends.

Working collaboratively with Mission Alignment, External Affairs, and other departments, the position helps ensure programs and events are successfully executed and aligned with the Girl Scouts’ mission. The role focuses on program execution and operational coordination and escalates policy questions, disputes, or structural concerns to the appropriate supervisor.

The position offers the opportunity to directly impact girls’ leadership development by delivering innovative, mission-driven programs that help girls build confidence, explore new skills, and connect with their communities.

Here's What You Will Be Doing...

Program Delivery:

• Demonstrates understanding of and implements the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) philosophy while adhering to council policies, procedures, and standards.
• Utilizes existing curriculum to deliver engaging, hands-on, and age-appropriate programs for Girl Scouts ages 5-17, ensuring alignment with GSLE methodologies and desired outcomes across a broad range of topics.
• Collaborates with Program Managers to create innovative and visually engaging program materials and activities using platforms such as PowerPoint, Canva, and Publisher that break down complex concepts into accessible learning experiences for youth of all backgrounds.
• Works collaboratively with cross-functional teams, community partners, and volunteers to deliver high-quality programs and events, including mobile classroom and concierge-style programs.
  • Confirms venue, sets up and breaks down event.
  • Verifies registration rosters, tracks attendance.
  • Inventories, collects, and transports all necessary equipment and materials.
  • Safely operates the council’s mobile classroom vehicle (Ford Transit 350 High Top van) to deliver programs throughout the service area.
• Coordinates Programs a la Carte requests, including scheduling, capacity management, troop communication, and tracking requests through completion in accordance with established procedures.
• Addresses routine program delivery concerns within established guidelines and escalates matters outside defined role expectations.

Highest Awards Support

• Supports candidates pursuing the highest awards in Girl Scouting through mentorship and resource coordination as assigned by the Mission Support Specialist.
• Escalates disputes or exception requests related to GSUSA Highest Awards standards and council procedures to the Mission Alignment Operations Manager.

Systems & Documentation:

• Uses required council systems and tools to support event management, budgeting processes, customer service, and record keeping related to assigned programs. Follows established workflows and escalates system or process concerns appropriately.
• Contributes to program evaluation efforts by documenting outcomes, sharing delivery insights, and supporting assessment of program effectiveness in meeting desired outcomes, participant satisfaction, adherence to GSLE principles, and funding guidelines.
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation in accordance with council reporting requirements.

Collaboration & Professional Conduct:

• 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.

• Performs other duties as necessary or assigned.

Reporting & Direction

• Collaborates with Program Managers for subject-matter direction on assigned programs.
• Works in coordination with the Mission Support Specialist regarding Highest Awards candidate support.
• May support External Affairs initiatives and cross-departmental projects as assigned.
• All workload prioritization and performance evaluation are managed by the Mission Alignment Operations Manager.