Vice President of Programs

Vice President of Programs

Job Description | April 2026

 

The Organization

Girl Scouts River Valleys (GSRV) serves over 12,000 girls across southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and surrounding communities, supported by thousands of volunteers who deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience every day. We are one of 111 councils nationwide, united by a shared mission: building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

We believe all girls belong here. That belief is embedded in how we operate, how we hire, and how we lead. Our work is grounded in five core values that are not aspirational, they are our standard:

• Be Joyful
• Be Willing to Work Through It
• You Can Count on Me
• Community First
• Girls Are at the Center of Everything We Do

GSRV operates within the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) - aligning leaders through clear accountability, scorecards, Rocks, and weekly L-10 meetings.

Position Information

Position Title: Vice President of Programs	Job Code: VPPRG	Reports To:	Department:
FLSA Status: Exempt	Salary Grade: 10	Last Updated: 04/2026	Hiring Range: $125-$145k

 

About This Role

Programs – for all Girl Scouts

The Vice President, Programs ensures strategic and operational alignment for the full suite of Girl Scout programs as delivered across all program delivery pathways. Serve as subject matter expert in Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) to ensure programs drive member acquisition and retention. Build and maintain strategic program partners within key communities and program subject areas. Develop and ensure the successful execution of Girl Scouts River Valleys Camps and two annual revenue-generating Girl Scout programs -- the Fall Snacks and Magazines program, the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program.

As a member of GSRV’s leadership team (or leadership cohort), this role translates organizational priorities into clear goals, leads within EOS, and models our values through daily decision-making. This leader balances clarity with empathy, urgency with sustainability, and accountability with growth.

 

Essential Functions

Member-Facing Girl Scout Programs

• Ensure successful execution of a full-year of member-facing programs (in full alignment with GSUSA resources + research) that drive youth member engagement and volunteer and/or partner retention.  
• Develop and execute annual objectives, work plan, and operating budgets for product programs

Effective Programs Operations

• Direct and oversee consistent operations (content, training, delivery) to all who deliver/facilitate Girl Scout Programs, inclusive of school-, community-, partner- and volunteer-based delivery models. 

Team Leadership, Program Delivery and Accountability

• Lead, manage, and drive accountability with all program-delivery and product program teams to ensure program content and delivery are culturally responsive and aligned with GSRV’s strategic, financial, and operational targets.

Programs

• Provide strategic direction in the execution of programs in the areas of resident camp, day camp (staff- and volunteer-led), adventure programming, STEM programming, and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (inclusive of badge, Journey, Higher Awards, Destinations, and other GSLE opportunities) that meet organizational objectives. The program platforms that Girl Scouts focuses on include Entrepreneurship/Financial Literacy, STEM, Outdoor Adventure, and Leadership. 
• Operationalize funding and revenue generating strategies to drive consistency, scalability, and diversification of funding to support all program pathways.

Equity & Community Integration

• Center equity in every interaction – ensuring that how we show up in community reflects GSRV’s equity framework, anti-racism guidance and commitment to all girls.
• Maintain and form partnerships with external stakeholders and constituencies to drive program growth and relevance

 

Scorecard: What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is defined by:

• Achievement of functional goals and scorecard metrics; these are not aspirational — they are the weekly, quarterly, and annual measures that define performance in this role.

• A high-performing, engaged team with clear accountability
• Strong cross-departmental relationships
• Demonstrated use of equity-centered practices

 

Metric	What We Measure
Girl Scout Voices Count data (youth and volunteer) (program outcomes)	Outcome Score: % of girls reporting high or very high growth in the 5 Leadership Outcomes. Volunteer Satisfaction: Net Promoter Score (NPS) specifically for Troop Leaders. Improvement Index: Comparison of the current year’s feedback against the previous year.
Program participation	Unique Reach: The number of individual girls who attended at least one council-led program. Program Density: Average number of programs attended per girl (moving from one-and-done to highly engaged). Capacity Utilization: % of event spots filled vs. total spots available (identifying over-programming or under-marketing).
Funded/sponsored program partnerships (full pipeline)	Pipeline Value: Total potential dollar value of partnerships currently in the proposal sent stage. Conversion Rate: % of partners that move from discovery to contract signed. Fulfillment Rate: % of sponsored program deliverables (e.g. STEM workshops) met within the agreed-upon timeframe.
Revenue generation/targets	Revenue vs. Goal: Actual revenue vs. budgeted target for the current period (Week/Month/Quarter). Product Sale Pacing: (during season) Number of cases/units sold against budget target.

 

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in education/youth development, management, sales, marketing, community organizing or related field; or a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.
• Minimum of five years of senior level management experience.
• Minimum of five years of program development and/or implementation experience.
• Strong communication, prioritization, and execution skills
• Comfort operating in a structured accountability system (EOS or similar)
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and anti-racism as a practice

 

Preferred

• Master’s degree in business, nonprofit management, or administration
• Experience in a nonprofit, youth-serving, or mission-driven organization
• Familiarity with EOS
• Community-based or cross-sector partnership experience

Don't meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and BIPOC professionals are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Girl Scouts River Valleys, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply. You might just be the right candidate for this or other roles. 

Girl Scouts River Valleys is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and racial justice, and is working to boldly lead as an anti-racist organization that uplifts and empowers every Girl Scout to know their worth and lead in their world. This means leading not just with words, but with actions.  

 

Leadership Competencies

These competencies define what exceptional leadership looks like at GSRV. Performance is evaluated against each competency during regular reviews. They are not categories — they are a commitment to how we lead.

 

Competency	What This Looks Like in Practice
Competency 1 Team Engagement	You are a culture carrier. You show up for your team and for the broader organization — in L-10s, in hallways, in hard conversations. You build relationships across departments, with community stakeholders, and with the girls and families we serve. You create team dynamics that are positive, productive, and reflective of who GSRV is.
Competency 2 Communication & Accountability	You communicate with clarity and intention across audiences — from a frontline donor conversation to a board presentation. You set expectations, meet deadlines, and when things go sideways, you re-engage fast and recalibrate. You practice open and over-communication, so your team is never left guessing.
Competency 3 Professional Growth	You are actively learning — whether that is in your craft as a revenue leader, as a manager, or as a community member. You seek feedback, invest in your own development, and create growth opportunities for your team. At GSRV, investment in people is an investment in mission.
Competency 4 Innovation & Impact	You bring ideas to the table, and you pressure-test them. You use data to inform decisions, you stay focused on outcomes, and you are willing to try something new when the old approach is not working. You think beyond your department — your decisions have an organizational impact, and you own that.
Competency 5 Equity-Focused Practice	You integrate GSRV's equity framework and anti-racism guidance into your work — not as a compliance exercise, but as a leadership discipline. You use it to remove barriers, build belonging, and make sure our revenue strategy reflects who we are and who we serve. You take accountability for mistakes and model how to turn them into learning.
Competency 6 Work Performance & Problem Solving	You know your Rocks, your scorecard, and your responsibilities. You work across teams to deliver outcomes. When you fall short, you regroup, re-strategize, and bring solutions — not excuses. You coach your team with the same directness and care you expect from your own leader.
Competency 7 Strategic Mindset	You are mission-driven and future-focused. You use data to measure against goals, build internal and external partnerships that advance GSRV, and bring stakeholder perspective into strategic conversations. You understand where the organization is going, and you help us get there.
Competency 8 Transformational Leadership	You learn from what has come before, you understand where the sector is heading, and you create space for your team to grow, challenge assumptions, and contribute to something bigger than their job description. You can represent GSRV's story compellingly — to a donor, a corporate partner, a reporter, or a room full of girls.

 

Working Conditions

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

This role operates across office environments, community settings, meetings, and external events. Must be able to travel occasionally throughout the GSRV service area (southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and surrounding regions). The employee is frequently required to speak, present, read, and use a computer. Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds. Noise levels may vary by location.

Disclaimer

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed within this role. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required. Management retains the right to assign or reassign schedules, duties, and responsibilities at any time.