Camp Director, Camp Hale

CampHire Recruiting•Boston, MA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Camp Hale, located on Squam Lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, has been offering sleepaway camp experiences to Boston youth since 1900. As a part of United South End Settlements (USES), a nonprofit focused on fostering children's growth and positive change, Camp Hale serves over 300 youth aged 5-17 each summer. The camp utilizes a sliding-scale tuition model, ensuring accessibility, with approximately 75% of families receiving financial assistance. Camp Hale is distinguished as one of the few camps in New England primarily serving Black and Brown youth, with 78% of campers identifying as BIPOC. Activities include hiking, swimming, canoeing, gardening, and building friendships across diverse backgrounds. Camp Hale is integrated into USES's broader programming, which includes Early Childhood Education, Children’s Art Centre, and club48, a year-round afterschool program in Boston. The Camp Director is a senior leadership role reporting to the CEO, responsible for strategy, enrollment, program quality, safety, and financial sustainability. This role involves setting the vision for camp programming, leading staff, and strengthening the camper pipeline and community partnerships, especially in connection with club48. The Director also engages with campers, families, and the Development team for donor stewardship, representing Camp Hale in both Boston and Sandwich, NH. The ideal candidate is rooted in Boston's community, committed to working with underserved youth, and will be based in Boston with a hybrid schedule, residing at Camp Hale from June to August.

Requirements

Extensive leadership experience in a camp setting required, ideally at an overnight camp.
At least 5–7 years of experience working in diverse environments in youth development.
At least 3 years of experience supervising staff required.
Based in or willing to relocate to the greater Boston area, with demonstrated experience building trusted relationships with Boston’s diverse communities, particularly Black and Brown families and communities that have historically faced barriers to accessing residential camp.
Demonstrated commitment to promoting racial justice.
Familiar with best practices in child development and astute at implementing environmental and recreational education curriculum.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity and experience with American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation standards strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Responsible for enrollment of campers and meeting revenue goals, working toward full enrollment across all sessions.
In partnership with the Director of Out of School Time, develop and oversee a comprehensive camper recruitment strategy, including outreach to schools, community-based organizations, camp fairs, and other groups.
In partnership with the Director of Out of School Time, increase cross-enrollment between Camp Hale and club48 in partnership with program leadership, supporting USES’s strategic goal of 25% growth in shared enrollment.
Conduct periodic market analysis, including rate comparisons, and align the structure of camp sessions, including length and target audience, for maximum programmatic and financial impact.
Cultivate strong relationships with Camp Hale campers, families, and alumni to drive retention and word of mouth.
In partnership with the Director of Out of School Time, recruit, hire, train, evaluate, and supervise all camp staff, including the Program Director, Chef, Nurse, and seasonal counselors and CITs.
Set the vision and direction for camp programming and curriculum, with the Program Director leading day-to-day execution.
Build a staff culture rooted in accountability, safety, and USES’s values.
In partnership with the Director of Out of School Time, partner with Human Resources on hiring paperwork, background checks, and labor standards compliance.
Develop and implement a summer and year-round curriculum that promotes positive youth development and environmental learning, in alignment with USES’s shared STEAM and social-emotional learning framework.
Develop and maintain program goals, activities, policies, and procedures that reflect current best practices in both youth development and environmental learning.
Work with the data and evaluation team to develop and implement tools to measure program impact annually, and use data to determine the pace and quality of programming.
Serve as the content expert on summer residential camps, ensuring Senior Leadership and the Board are updated on trends in camping and youth development.
Ensure the safe and secure operation of camp, including safety drills and procedures.
Maintain ACA accreditation and NH licensure, and utilize ACA standards to inform best practices for program management and delivery.
Maintain required records, permits, and licenses in accordance with both MA and NH regulations and standards, including contract compliance for the NH summer food program.
Comply with all regulatory procedures, including water testing, worker’s compensation, and hiring and labor standards.
Oversee the Camp Hale program budget (approximately $1M) and manage expenses against both operational and maintenance budgets.
Ensure accuracy and efficiency in the billing and collection of parent fees.
Oversee the safe and effective operation of Camp Hale’s facilities and grounds, partnering with the Caretaker and coordinating contractors, repairs, and maintenance priorities as needed.
Coordinate off-season rental use of camp property, including family and event rentals, to maximize revenue opportunities.
Support the collection and use of camper data for continuous program improvement, including entering information into Camp Site, Salesforce, and other databases as needed.
Serve as a liaison between Camp Hale and the Town of Sandwich, NH, and USES’s Boston campus.
Build and maintain relationships with Camp Hale neighbors and the Camp Hale Alumni Association.
Develop partnerships with community-based, educational, and other organizations to enhance program activities at camp.
Play an active role in fundraising for Camp Hale, including cultivation and stewardship of the donor base in partnership with the Development team.
Serve as a thought partner in expanding and marketing Camp Hale and other USES youth programs to attract families from diverse communities.