Camp Director
Capital Camps & Retreat Center (CCRC)
Description
Capital Camps & Retreat Center (CCRC), a non-profit Jewish camping and retreat organization, is seeking a full-time Camp Director to lead our premier camp in partnership with our CEO and senior leadership team.
Agency Overview
CCRC provides enriching, summer overnight camp and year-round retreat services to children, families, and organizations primarily from the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas. The agency’s office is located in Rockville, MD, and the camp and retreat center is located in Waynesboro, PA. Founded in 1987, Capital Camps has enjoyed steady growth and is now close to capacity each summer with children ages 7 to 17 on an expansive renovated campus in the Catoctin Mountains. The Retreat Center, which hosts approximately 100 groups each year, is a center of learning and rejuvenation for adults, families, and organizations.
CCRC is affiliated with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, JCCA (Jewish Community Center Association), ACA (American Camp Association), FJC (The Foundation for Jewish Camp), and JCamp 180 (a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation).
For more information about the camp, go to capitalcamps.org, and capitalretreat.org for information about the retreat center.
THE POSITION
Capital Camps & Retreat Center is seeking an energetic, self-motivated camp professional for the Camp Director position, who demonstrates a love of Jewish summer camp and all it has to offer. This position will report to the Chief Executive Officer and will ensure the mission and vision of the summer camp program, as defined by the Board of Directors, is successfully achieved through the development, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of assigned core responsibilities. The ideal candidate possesses the energy, talent, vision, and experience required to manage and further our successful program. As a member of the Agency’s Management Team, the Camp Director will lead a talented professional team focused specifically on camp.
Core Responsibilities
- Year-round leadership, administration, and oversight of the summer camp program operations.
- Camper retention and recruitment.
- Summer camp staff recruitment, training, and supervision.
- Summer and Year-Round Camp Program development.
- Summer camp budget development and monitoring in conjunction with the CEO and CFO
- Summer camp marketing and public relations management in conjunction with the CEO and Director of Development
Qualities Sought in the Summer Camp Director
- A Jewish role model with a charismatic ability to provide ongoing dynamic support and leadership to colleagues, camp staff, campers and their families, and lay leadership.
- An ambitious and enthusiastic leader who will conduct summer sessions establishing strong relationships with campers and staff (this includes living at camp for the duration of the summer);
- An ability to work effectively under pressure, receive direction from the CEO, and work unaided on time-sensitive projects.
- An ability to effectively engage in an important level of support and customer service to camp families, while ensuring adherence to camp values and goals and ACA accreditation.
- A creative, flexible, and effective problem solver with the skills to identify and provide solutions to complex issues and concerns in a professional manner, including conflict management with parents and/or campers.
Responsibilities & Duties
- Manage, oversee, and coordinate all aspects of Camp Operations
- Develop, monitor, and, as need, modify short and long-term strategic goals for the growth and development of summer camp, working and communicating with the CCRC Board of Directors, staff, Camp Committee, and the larger community to ensure continuity of programming to best achieve the organizational mission.
- Ensure program development and implementation, facilitating camp through feedback from camp families and staff.
- Plan, coordinate, oversee, implement, and evaluate all aspects of summer camp service. This includes, but is not limited to, recruitment of campers and staff, program development (including educational components), sales and marketing, and coordination with COO to manage food service personnel, facility and maintenance.
- Oversee, coordinate and execute Summer Leadership Team and staff training (pre-camp and in-camp)
- Hire, mentor/supervise, and, as necessary, terminate summer camp staff in a manner consistent with camp values. Supervision will include ongoing feedback and incorporate formal evaluations.
- Develop and monitor the summer camp marketing and recruitment plan, with support of the team, to meet camper enrollment and retention goals, in conjunction with updates from and to the CEO, Board of Directors and Camp Committee.
- Oversee all special needs of campers and summer staff, including transportation, medical, mental health, social, and spiritual.
- Ensure procurement of all required supplies for all aspects of summer camp.
- Manage volunteer activities during summer sessions.
- Incorporate the Culture of Philanthropy into all aspects of camp, alongside the Development Team and lay leadership.
- This position will have dotted line reporting responsibility to CCRC’s CEO & COO
Qualifications
- Overnight camp experience in a senior leadership role
- Operations Management experience
- Work well in teams to further program, camp, operation, and agency goals
- Hands on leader willing to wear multiple hats
- Strong problem solving and strategic management skills
- Strong public relations skills
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- High level of ethical standards
- Strong judgment and decision-making skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Problem solving and conflict resolution skills
- Ability to maintain and build strong relationships and partnerships
- Excellent organizational and planning skills
- Familiarity with Jewish culture, traditions and community
Additional Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 8-10+ years of experience directing camps in day or overnight setting and/or youth programs.
- Knowledge of program development and educational methodologies, with specific understanding of camp programming;
- Knowledge and commitment to Jewish traditions and customs.
- Knowledge and commitment to “best practices” in the camping field.
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Experience in financial management and budgeting.
- Familiarity with staff certifications necessary for licensure and ACA accreditations.
- Knowledge and familiarity with Excel, Budget management and Data management.
Working Conditions (full time, year-round, exempt position)
- Due to the nature of this position, the Camp Director will live at camp (in Waynesboro, PA) during the summer months (including time before and after the camp sessions)
- Winter office is in Rockville, MD
- Travel as needed between the two locations, as well as Baltimore, Greater Washington, Richmond, Newport News and Tidewater communities throughout the year.
Additional Information
- The Camp Director is supervised by the CEO.
- Medical/Dental/Vision insurance, as well as 403(b) retirement plan with match available.
Compensation
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and references to jobs@capitalcamps.org by January 22nd 5:00 pm Eastern.