Camp Director - Camp Stella Maris

Immersive1st • Livonia Center, NY

11h • Onsite

About The Position

The Camp Director leads Camp Stella Maris’s summer overnight camp, day camp, and Counselor-in-Training and Leader-in-Training programs. Reporting to the Executive Director, this leader manages seasonal staff, programming, camper experiences, safety, and summer budgets while working closely as an essential member of the year-round team. Success requires a director who is present in daily camp life, builds relationships with campers and staff, and creates a summer that is both fun and well organized. The director will recruit and develop a strong seasonal team, communicate clearly with families, and make intentional decisions. The director prepares for the summer season, supports year-round programming, and collaborates with colleagues on enrollment, facilities, administration, and community relationships. The next leader will earn trust by preserving CSM’s valued traditions while making improvements that serve campers and staff.

Requirements

• Three or more years of experience in camp leadership, business, education, or nonprofit management.
• Proven managerial and administrative skills, including scheduling, organizing, supervising staff, and managing competing priorities.
• The ability to build respectful relationships with children, young adults, colleagues, and parents.
• Integrity, emotional steadiness, and the ability to make decisions and follow through under stress.
• Enthusiasm, creativity, and a willingness to participate actively in daily camp life while mentoring others.
• A commitment to supporting the camp’s mission, Catholic identity, spiritual practices, and traditions.
• Ability to meet the employer’s minimum age requirement of 25, pass required background screening, and hold or obtain a valid New York State driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• A bachelor’s and/or master’s degree, preferably in education, recreation, human services, or a related field.
• Candidates do not need to be practicing Catholics but they should be prepared to respect and support the camp’s Catholic values and spiritual life.
• A willingness to learn the community and invest in relationships over time.

Responsibilities

• Lead summer operations with clear priorities, sound judgment, and consistent follow-through.
• Be approachable and visible, listen to experienced staff, and address concerns respectfully.
• Uphold the camp’s Catholic identity and help staff understand their purpose in camp life.
• Build relationships that support lasting leadership and continuity.
• Recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate seasonal camp staff, excluding office, kitchen, and maintenance staff.
• Match hiring and schedules to weekly program needs and staff availability.
• Coordinate paperwork and logistics with the Program Administrator and Business Manager.
• Deliver pre-camp and in-service trainings.
• Coach emerging leaders, delegate when possible, and use staff feedback to strengthen morale and retention.
• Support the summer team that is developing creative, age-appropriate overnight, day camp, CIT, and LIT experiences that reflect the camp’s mission and offer progression, challenge, and success.
• Preserve the joy of camp while supporting camper behavior and well-being.
• Ensure activities have qualified personnel, clear guidelines, and appropriate safety and emergency procedures.
• Maintain applicable camp compliance and accreditation requirements, working with colleagues and relevant agencies.
• Update and implement the camp safety plan and applicable emergency action and crisis communication plans.
• Participate in the Safety Committee and incident reviews.
• Clarify supervision and safety responsibilities, including waterfront roles, and coordinate annual challenge course inspections and permits with the Director of Year-Round Programming.
• Provide responsive, respectful service to campers and families, including resolving concerns within the director’s scope.
• Partner with the Marketing Director on summer communications, camp fairs, and recruitment efforts that broaden the geographic and racial and ethnic diversity of families reached.
• Build confidence through timely communication and a clear understanding of each family’s camp experience.
• Develop, track, and forecast summer budgets and manage operations toward a balanced year-end budget.
• Maintain organized records and positive vendor relationships.
• Oversee summer setup and teardown, coordinate facility readiness with the Facilities Manager, and advise the Executive Director on improvements affecting programming and supervision.
• Support staffing for year-round camps with the Program Administrator.
• Represent camp in local organizations and professional learning opportunities including the American Camp Association.
• Support alumni relations, fundraising, board committee work, and special projects as assigned by the Executive Director.

Benefits

• Salary: $85,000 annually and benefits
• Housing: On-site private housing.
• Housing: The position includes on-site housing, with residency required during the summer camp program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree