Director of Student Life, BEAM Summer Away

Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) • New York, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

BEAM is seeking a Director of Student Life for our BEAM Summer Away campuses this summer. Each one will be part of a leadership team along with a Site Director, Associate Site Director, Academic Director, one guidance counselor, and a full complement of seasonal staff (9-10 counselors, 7-8 faculty, 1 nurse).
BEAM Summer Away is a cornerstone of BEAM’s 10-year Pathway Program, providing a residential math experience where students grow as problem solvers, learners, and community members.
As the Director of Student Life, you will help students discover powerful mathematical ideas, build confidence, and see themselves as mathematicians.

Requirements

• To be considered for this role, you must have served as staff at an in-person BEAM Discovery site for at least one summer and must have been offered a multiple-year rehire offer at that time.

Nice To Haves

• Preference given to those who have been a BEAM Discovery counselor for multiple years.
• Preference given to those with experience working at the specific site of the role.
• Preference given to those with past leadership and/or administrative experience.
• Preference given to those with multiple years experience working at BEAM.

Responsibilities

• Complete required BEAM onboarding, including background checks and a mix of asynchronous and synchronous virtual training.
• Read and internalize the BEAM Leadership Handbook, BEAM DoSL manual and engage with BEAM’s full-time staff in virtual meetings to understand the various components of running a BEAM camp. The Leadership team is allowed to make selected customizations for their camp and are expected to create a site-specific Leadership Handbook that documents such customizations and can be shared with the other leaders. The Director of Student Life is expected to support Site Directors in these customizations.
• Participate in virtual meetings with the other members of the Leadership Team to start building a collaborative leadership community and to prepare for “Pre-camp week”. The “Pre-camp week” represents the days when leaders and staff meet for training and logistical preparation before students arrive at camp (2-3 meetings of 1 hour each).
• In collaboration with the members of the Leadership Team, plan the content, staff training, and schedule of the “Pre-camp week” based on templates and guidance from BEAM. More details in the next section. Leaders are expected to start planning virtually and finalize the plan during the “Leadership Retreat” (Pre-camp Leaders only days).
• Support Site Directors in planning the schedule for the “Leadership Retreat” based on templates and guidance from BEAM.
• Align on leadership roles and responsibilities, and site-specific operational policies.
• Establish a set of working norms and communication expectations among leadership and staff.
• Plan team-building activities or social events.
• Train for the role.
• Refresh on changes to BEAM policies and systems.
• Prepare to implement training.
• Train counselors using BEAM-provided scripts in the days before the program.
• Supplement provided materials with additional systems and training as needed.
• Provide coaching and supervision during the first few days of camp, while counselors are learning their roles.
• Coordinate special counselor duties and assign responsibilities as needed.
• Briefly check in with each counselor regularly, and be present to answer any questions or address concerns.
• Provide mid-program feedback to counselors and follow up with written summaries to document anything that may affect rehire decisions.
• Coordinate coverage in the event of counselor absences.
• Oversee fair and consistent scheduling of counselor work hours.
• Manage field trip logistics and delegate student supervision responsibilities to counselors.
• Plan activities using counselor preferences and assign counselors (and faculty) accordingly.
• Train counselors on grouping students into activities and overseeing proper supervision.
• Track inventory and coordinate the purchasing of necessary supplies and snacks.
• Ensure activities run smoothly and provide a positive, engaging experience for the students.
• Delegate the planning of special events (e.g., Field Day and talent show) to counselors and provide guidance and support as needed.
• Assist with set up and end-of-day clean up of common areas and academic areas.
• Collaborate with the site leadership team to review student behavior reports via the CARE system.
• Handle routine follow-up and escalate serious infractions to the co-SDs.
• Communicate with parents about any issues at the program with guidance from the site leadership team.
• Work in partnership with the Guidance Counselor to help students transition to a new independent living environment.
• Model program values by balancing academic and social leadership, treating students with respect, and centering students as doers of mathematics in the classroom.
• Participate in the leadership decision making process, along with co-SDs and the guidance counselor.
• Carry out miscellaneous roles as needed to ensure smooth program operations.
• Support Site Leadership in completing the Site Director clean-up checklist.
• Complete staff evaluations and 1:1 debriefs.
• Support the process of updating the BEAM storage inventory with an end of camp detailed list of items.
• Attend the BEAM-led multi-site Summer Camp step-back meeting.

Benefits

• Transportation expenses to/from staff’s residence to a BEAM Summer Away campus location are covered by BEAM within BEAM's approved travel guidelines. This includes flight cost if needed. Details about expense approval criteria and travel booking process will be provided later.
• We provide free dorm room, breakfast/lunch/dinner, and laundry access through all training and camp days.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed