Associate Camp Director

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF DENVER

1d•$72,000 - $78,000

About The Position

At Ranch Camp, we aim to create an environment for campers that fosters social, spiritual, and emotional growth for campers from 2nd grade through high school. We want to bring out the best version of everyone at camp. Our inclusive and unique community is a place for people to thrive, be creative, and teach about something they truly care about; sharing that passion with future generations. The Associate Director of Camper Wellness will be the front-line communicator with parents, caregivers, and families attending and interested in the JCC Ranch Camp, the lead strategist for camper recruitment and retention, and an integral part of the fostering the career development of the summer seasonal team. This position works directly with the community to engage and register families, create and sustain partnership with local and national Jewish and youth serving organizations, ensure campers are being set up for success during the summer, and will supervise members of the seasonal camp team. This person is second in line in the camp's administrative structure and will often be speaking from a position of leadership on behalf of the organization.

Requirements

You have at least 7 – 9 years of experience directly supporting children aged 7 – 17 in a formal or informal educational setting with a focus on behavior management and character development.
You have at least 5 – 7 years of experience supervising young adults, often in their first jobs, focusing on developing key professional skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and professionalism.
You understand how to push short- and long-term goals towards a high-level mission and vision while maintaining focus on the detail work day to day.
Two to three years of experience in camping, social work, counseling, education or in a related field in a supervisory capacity
Four to five years of experience working directly with children, youth, and/or families
Passion for creating inclusive and supportive environments for youth and young adult staff
Passion for working with individuals with identified needs and diverse backgrounds
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal), including supervision
Ability to make strategic and empathetic decisions based on organization's values and risk mitigation
Adept to expert familiarity with Microsoft Office suite, Google Drive, or similar software

Nice To Haves

Degree in social work, counseling, education, Jewish education, or in a related field
Familiarity with CampMinder
Familiarity with Colorado State Childcare Licensing Guidelines and ACA Standards

Responsibilities

Strategic Program Leadership & Decision-Making Partner with the Camp Director to shape the vision, goals, and long-term strategy of the summer program.
Translate camp philosophy and values into high-quality, mission-aligned programming and daily operations.
Act as Camp Director in their absence, providing confident leadership and timely decision-making.
Serve as a visible, steady leadership presence for staff, campers, and families throughout the summer.
Ensure compliance with health, safety, licensing, and risk-management protocols; lead incident response and follow-up as needed.
Collaborate with facilities, maintenance, and health staff to support a safe and well-functioning campus.
Assist in developing and managing program budgets, staffing models, and resource allocation.
Make strategic recommendations to improve efficiency while maintaining program quality.
Analyze enrollment trends, staffing data, surveys, and operational metrics to inform decision-making.
Lead post-summer evaluation and reporting to support future planning and program growth.
Owns end-to-end management of the systems and implementation of the camper intake process by: Serving as the primary point of contact for all families and care givers specifically around camper support, identified needs, accommodations, and behavior management.
Developing, maintaining, and revising tracking systems to ensure all campers are conducting pre-enrollment meetings with families and their children to identify what accommodation might be available to create a successful camp experience
Communicating with camp registrar to partner in implementation communication processes with parents/caregivers
Schedule and conduct valuable intake calls with parents to understand each camper’s unique needs and support structures
Synthesize information from intake communication to determine camp’s ability to support the camper and the level of behaviors that might be seen at camp
Building custom care plans for each camper that require individualized tier 2 supports and accommodations to be successful at camp
In construction of care plans, ensure plans will prepare seasonal staff to facilitate necessary modifications and create a supportive environment for development and growth of campers enrolled in our programs
Survey program curriculum, activity flow, camp environment, and other factors to determine methods to ensure camp and seasonal staff are supporting greater inclusivity
Develop and facilitate specialized training for seasonal staff to understand and support inclusive and restorative behavior management practices
Track and identify camper needs (allergies, participation limitations, mental health, physical health, etc.) prior to summer; and work with Camper Care Team to follow up with identified needs campers in line with camper support plans for identified needs campers
Lead recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, and supervision of seasonal leadership staff.
Directly supervise entire team of Camper Care Coordinators (typically three people) and co-supervise the Unit Head team (typically four people) focusing on effective coaching and mentoring through a train-the-trainer lens
Manage behavioral and mental health crisis intervention including direct support, staff coaching, follow up, and all communication with parents/caregivers
Role model and teach effective behavior and group management techniques following a trauma-informed and psychological safety methodology
Evaluate direct reports weekly on six core skill areas including strengths and grow areas providing concrete feedback from observation
Host daily collaboration meetings with Camper Care and Unit Head teams to streamline communication and identify and react to trends in camper and staff behavior.
Support a positive, inclusive staff culture that prioritizes engagement, accountability, and growth.
Overseeing the execution of session pick-up and drop-off procedures to ensure campers transition seamlessly into camp life
Facilitating systems for camper incoming and outgoing mail
Handing off incoming emails and phone calls and training on answering general inquires and collaborating on higher level communications
Training on reviewing all incoming camper paperwork and related communication
Train on CampMinder pre-session reporting and session paperwork preparation
Serve as a key point of contact for families, managing complex communications, concerns, and sensitive situations with professionalism and care.
Partner with year-round staff and organizational leadership to ensure alignment and continuity beyond the summer season.
Lead management of all mass-marketing & individual-focused marketing management via CampMinder, the JCC Ranch Camp website, and social media channels (including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok)
Monitor camper experience outcomes and proactively address trends, challenges, or opportunities for improvement.
Oversee the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of camper programs to ensure safety, engagement, and developmental impact.
Organize and manage recruitment events (typically 20 – 35 events per year) with local and out of state community partners and Jewish organizations
Travel is required for this role in addition to working evenings and weekends for scheduled events
Coordinate with other JCC departments in planning Ranch Camp’s presence at JCC-wide events
Attend and participate in community-wide events as a representative of Ranch Camp
Draft annual marketing plan to meet or exceed camper recruitment goals and make recommendations to JCC Marketing Department based on research industry trends
Create collateral marketing materials to effectively communicate Ranch Camp’s mission, programs, and value proposition
Directly oversee in-season communications ensuring timely and appropriate communication with parents/caregivers
Act as primary communication for first time and prospective families to answer questions, walk through the enrollment and pre-camp processes with a focus on relationship building
Support Camp Director in reviewing hiring practices and timelines, interview questions, and job descriptions
Lead interview and recruitment process for Lead Counselors and Camper Care Coordinators and assist in interviews and recruitment for other supervisory and program positions as needed
Research general trends in childhood development and update trainings for summer seasonal staff in line with findings each year
Provide leadership and oversight during camp season as well as year-round programs, including rentals and retreats
Partner with JCC employees for organization-wide projects and staff JCC-hosted events
Lead and participate in thematically relevant programming for other youth-serving departments
Other duties as Assigned You might need to make campers’ dreams of a beach themed ice-cream campfire song session come true or become your favorite legendary Pokémon for an evening program
Must be able to drive company vehicles with and without children on- and off- site for programming
Other relevant tasks to support the overall operation of a top-notch camp program

Benefits

Full-Time employees of the JCC are considered benefits-eligible.
The JCC contributes a portion of medical, dental, and vision plan premiums.
The JCC proudly pays for 100% of Basic Life Insurance, AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability coverage for benefits eligible employees.
We also provide additional voluntary benefit plans.
The JCC has a 401(K) Plan available for elective deferral contributions for employees over 21 years of age with no waiting period.
The JCC matches 50% of employee contributions, up to 3%, on a 5-year vesting schedule.
Paid Time Off is a day-one benefit, accrued based on years of service and in compliance with Colorado Health Families & Workplaces Act.
First-year, benefits-eligible employees may accrue up to 120 hours of Paid Time Off in their first year of service.
The JCC also provides paid-holidays and benefits-eligible employees are awarded up to 6 additional “Floating Holidays” per year, prorated based on date of hire.
Full-Time employees are also eligible for a wide range of discounts, including the JCC’s Preschool and Summer Camp childcare programs, free and discounted tickets to Mizel Arts and Culture events, discounted program and class costs, and more!
Full-Time employees of the JCC receive a complementary family gym membership, which includes year-round access to the JCC’s fitness center and heated pool.
All employees of the JCC are eligible to join the “JCCs of North America” (JCCA) community, which includes access to the JCCA’s resource center, ongoing professional development and networking opportunities, as well as educational stipends for qualifying employees.