About Tawonga
Tawonga’s mission is to provide educational and recreational programs for children, adults and families that foster self-esteem, lifelong friendships and community, connections with nature, commitment to tikkun olam (the Jewish value of repairing the world), and positive Jewish identity and spirituality. We run programs at our residential campsite next to Yosemite National Park and in the Bay Area, serving over 5,000 people a year.
About Camp Tawonga’s Culture
At Camp Tawonga, we are a caring, collaborative, joyous group of professionals who take great pride in fulfilling our mission and having fun while doing it. We have deep respect for our community, the children and the families who participate in our programs; for nature and the physical world; and for the Jewish value of “tikkun olam” – repairing the world. Our team has taken many different paths to arrive at Tawonga, from growing up as campers at Camp to being brand new to working at a summer camp or even a nonprofit. We are a Jewish organization, and we welcome and are inclusive of all staff and community members, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. We are committed to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) and the ongoing reflection, learning and action required to be aligned with these values and create and sustain a race equity culture.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Camp Tawonga is an Equal Opportunity Employer, values diversity and is committed to being an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills, and to hiring people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and women. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and organizational need.
Job Purpose
The Jewish Education + Bay Area Programs Manager contributes to the mission of Tawonga by collaborating with the Bay Area Programming team to plan and implement all of our Bay Area programs. In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships, this position will support current and future Bay Area programs including Tawonga’s B*Mitzvah (Bar, Bat & B’nai Mitzvah) program, Tawonga Family School, Tot Shabbats, holiday programs, Tawonga Tikkun Days (volunteering/clean up days) and program expansion. This position will provide program development, coordination, administration and management of Tawonga’s B*Mitzvah Program (TBM) and Tawonga Family School (TFS). This position also supports the agency’s Bay Area based summer functions including support of Ruach Ride, and supporting communications and family relationships. This position reports directly to the Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships.
Values and Shared Expectations
Act as a representative of the organization and demonstrate its goals in a positive and professional manner to all. Demonstrate professionalism and accountability. Provide excellent customer service. Take initiative to analyze and solve problems, treat others with courtesy and respect, respond to program participant needs, maintain a high degree of ethics, integrity and confidentiality.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Supervise the lead Jewish Educators and Teaching Assistants for the B*Mitzvah Program and Tawonga Family School
Down the Mountain (Bay Area Programs)
Manage Tawonga B*Mitzvah program and Tawonga Family School
Collaborate with Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships on hiring and training of all program educators
Support Bay Area based summer functions including Ruach Ride (summer camp bus transport) and parent communication
Implement and/or collaborate on holiday programs co-sponsored by partner organizations, Jewish holiday programs, tot shabbats, family volunteer days, alumni programming, and other local events
Collaborate on innovation, growth, and cohesion of existing programs
Oversight of Tawonga Family School & B*Mitzvah Classes, Retreats and Other Gatherings
Manage B*Mitzvah (Bar, Bat & B’nai Mitzvah) program including organizing, planning and coordinating classes, retreats, Kabbalat Shabbat services, Hebrew Education, and adult learning
Manage the Tawonga Family School program, ensuring high-quality experiences for children, families, and teachers
With the support of the Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships, hire and train lead educators and teaching assistants
Supervise lead educators and teaching assistants, including observing weekend classes (~2 to 4 weekend days monthly) regularly, and providing support and feedback on classroom management, lessons and other issues that arise
Supervise and observe Kabbalat Shabbat Services (1 evening monthly) and adult education (1 evening monthly)
In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships, provide mentorship and support to the Jewish Educator team to create a collaborative group culture focused on providing quality educational experiences
Identify and assign substitute educators as needed
Act as an educator and/or substitute teacher in classes if needed
Create and implement program orientation, B*Mitzvah Program back to school night and other related program gatherings
Develop and adapt curriculum, build sample lesson plans, review lesson plans and activities with educators before classes, and act as Jewish education expert
Teach classes and education sessions on retreats and lead family education sessions
In partnership with the Assistant Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships, direct the B*Mitzvah Retreats (2 weekends per year)
Build and steward relationships with a diversity of families (including multiracial, interfaith, LGBTQ+, single parent families etc.) , manage challenging student situations, support families and provide customer service as needed
Organize program testimonials and photos for marketing, grants and evaluation
Oversight of Service Planning including B*Mitzvah Mentorship & Mitzvah Projects
Prepare service/song leaders to have a consistent outline and system for services
Support families in service date selection, service details and location selection
Manager mentorship program including recruitment of mentors, trainings and meetings, and matching mentors
Oversee the mitzvah project including researching organizations, pairing students with projects and overseeing their participation
Collaborate with Bay Area Programs Coordinator to ensure any materials needs/reservations are coordinated and that B*Mitzvah calendar and spreadsheet are up to date
Year Round Holiday & Partnership Programs
Oversee and implement “kid area programming” at High Holiday programs, including developing programmatic plan and determining staff assignments, in collaboration with Bay Area Programs team
Implement Tawonga Bay Area based Jewish holiday programs, partnering with other organizations when appropriate, such as Passover, Hanukkah, Sukkot, and Purim
Programmatic Marketing & Recruitment
Market and recruit for Tawonga B*Mitzvah Program including 2-3 information sessions and presentations at Camp Tawonga to recruit new families
Market and recruit for Tawonga Family School including 2-3 information sessions and presentations at Camp Tawonga to recruit new families
Enroll target registration numbers during each registration cycle (approximately 130 students per year for B*Mitzvah Program and 50 to 60 families for Tawonga Family School)
Build and nurture relationships and communicate regularly with students and families
Summer Camp
Attend and support Bay Area side of Ruach Ride preparations, airport logistics and day-of parking lot logistics, coordinating with Bay Area Programs team
Support San Francisco office team with parent calls, communications, alert lists, forms processing, and other needs; as part of this be on call as needed for some summer evening and weekend coverage, a shared role with the SF team
Support Incident Command function as assigned
Other Responsibilities
Collaborate on innovation of new programs as needed based on the above
Provide information to community on Camp Tawonga, via phone, email, mailings, outreach events, and others as assigned
Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs including but not limited to answering phones, email coverage, creating content for social media, working programs at Camp, and other administrative duties as assigned
Professional Development
Research and participate in relevant, ongoing, continuous professional development as it pertains to the role and/or business needs (e.g., training materials, coursework, webinars, etc.)
Training, Experience, Skills, and Qualities
Required
Experience as a Jewish educator
Minimum 3 years of relevant experience
Minimum 2 years of experience with program management
Minimum 2 years of experience managing and supervising staff
Proven ability to work with youth and communicate with parents
Commitment to supporting Tawonga’s efforts to promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all programs
Excellent and demonstrable interpersonal and customer service skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Google Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc.)
Preferred
Excellent supervision/managerial skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
Excellent educator (who could substitute teach in our classes and provide feedback to our educators)
Ability to take and implement feedback
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions in routine and emergency situations
Experience with innovation and program development
Supervision
This position reports to the Associate Director of Bay Area Programs & Partnerships
Software
This position will heavily use the following types of software:
Microsoft Office/Google Suite
Gmail and Google Calendar
CampMinder (camper/family database)
Physical Demands
The physical demands listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made that enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions:
Typing, writing, reading, hearing, and speaking
Use of hands and fingers to operate office equipment, especially a computer
Standing, walking, kneeling, and frequent sitting with some lifting up to 30 pounds
Worksite
This role is primarily based in the Bay Area.
Camp Tawonga will provide a company laptop, mouse, keyboard, and reasonable accommodations as needed to ensure the employee can work from home
Tawonga’s year round team currently works mostly remotely with a few days in the SF office per month and some trips to our Groveland site
Work Environment
Noise level is moderate if working at camp property in Groveland, CA or at a program retreat
Special requirements
May be asked to work at Groveland site for some weekend program(s) as needed
Willingness to work on evenings, weekends and some Jewish holidays as needed
Normal working hours
During the off-season, hours are flexible while completing tasks associated with job description, and while meeting deadlines; normal office hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
This role requires evening and weekend work, which can be swapped for days during the week as needed
During the summer, the Ruach Ride bus departures occur on Sunday mornings (~5/summer) and Friday afternoons (~6/summer) at a parking lot in the East Bay
Other duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties and/or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice based on the needs of Camp Tawonga.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt, year-round, and benefited position. The salary range for this position is $66,950 - $82,400 per year. Camp Tawonga offers a competitive compensation package which includes medical, dental, life insurance, retirement with company match and contribution, and paid sick and vacation leave.
To Apply
To ensure consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter explaining your qualifications for and interest in the position. Send applications to [email protected] with, “Jewish Education + Bay Area Programs Manager”, in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and Tawonga is seeking to hire for this position as soon as possible.