Director of Camp Community Experience

Director of Camp Community Experience

Herzl Camp was founded in 1946 - the mission has remained consistent over 75 years:

Herzl Camp is a welcoming, independent camp where young people become self-reliant, create lasting Jewish friendships, and develop a commitment and love for Judaism and Israel. Herzl Camp creates a vibrant Jewish community of future leaders.

Our Core Values: 

• We make connections and nurture our Herzl family.
• We are pluralistic in our Judaism; we embrace the people, the land, the State, and the story of Israel.
• We provide tools, training, and the opportunity to lead, transforming campers and staff into tomorrow’s passionate Jewish leaders.
• We celebrate individuality and inclusion, encouraging everyone to be part of something bigger than themselves.
• We embrace ongoing and intergenerational shared experiences – from the ridiculous to the sublime – to foster lasting friendships, build identity, community and a sense of belonging throughout our lives.

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Herzl Camp is seeking a full-time, year-round Director of Camp Community Experience. This position will play a vital role in ensuring the success of Herzl Camp, overseeing various aspects of the camp's operations throughout the year including - developing and executing strategies for camper recruitment, managing logistics, supporting health and wellness initiatives, enhancing the camper experience, leading family camp, and providing strong leadership during the summer camp season. The Director of Camp Community Experience will work in the Minneapolis, MN office most of the year, and live alongside beautiful Devil’s Lake in Webster, WI, during the summer. This position reports to the Director of Camp & Culture and is a member of the Leadership Team. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES - OFF-SEASON

Recruitment

• Develop and execute strategies that meet or exceed seasonal recruitment goals, driving year-over-year growth and engagement. 
• Develop a calendar for recruitment + retention events to engage campers and families throughout the off-season. 
• Staff and participate in the Outreach Committee to develop a comprehensive recruitment approach targeting un-connected families. 
• Lead the Family Ambassador program.  Identify, recruit, train, and support individuals to serve as ambassadors.
• Design and manage first-time family + camper experience from the first touchpoint through the end of the camp season.
• Create and collaborate on promotional content for recruitment events.
• Develop the year-round social media post calendar and weekly content. 

Camper Experience

• Communicate important messages regarding events and opportunities with camp families.
• Organize campers in appropriate cabins for each session.
• Effectively and efficiently respond to pre-camp questions + concerns from families. Collaborate on strategy to support individual families with special circumstances and accommodations.

Logistics

• Plan, schedule, and secure locations for out-of-camp trips, ensuring all pre-summer logistics are in place. 
• Develop a balanced scheduling model for staff days off, ensuring camp needs are met while accommodating staff preferences. 

Health + Wellness

• Support the Director of Health Services in recruiting and hiring medical staff.
• Collaborate with the Director of Health Services to recruit volunteer medical providers. 
• Review the health center manual, and make any recommendations for changes. 

Staff 

• Serve on the seasonal staff hiring team, participating in interviews and strategy sessions to determine the summer staffing model.
• Collaborate in the development of pre-camp staff orientation.

Family Camp

• Assess previous family camp programs and create innovative programming to enhance participant experience.
• Monitor enrollment to ensure space availability and maximize the number of participants.
• Manage communication with families and staff, addressing questions and providing updates. 
• Recruit and secure the appropriate number of seasonal staff to work both family camp weekends.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES - CAMP SEASON

Camper Experience

• Implement the new camp family plan to support first-time camper experience.
• Collaborate with the camper care team to develop and implement a support strategy for campers who are struggling to thrive at camp.

Logistics

• Coordinate out-of-camp trips, collaborating with program staff on all details (transportation, food, safety)
• Develop and communicate schedules for special days (first/last day of each session, trip days, etc.)
• Schedule and communicate programmatic staff days off, balancing the staffing needs of camp with staff availability and preferences.
• Collaborate with the Operations Manager to organize and facilitate camper transportation logistics for each session.

Health + Wellness

• Provide supervision and mentorship to the Director of Health Services, ensuring effective management of the health facility and adherence to health and safety regulations.

Staff 

• Provide strong leadership, supervision, and daily support to the Tzrif Zero (staff babysitting) team, ensure appropriate coverage daily, step in as needed.
• Provide strong leadership to the photography and social media team.
• Contribute to the team that provides leadership, guidance, and mentorship of seasonal staff. 

Summer Visitor Liaison

• Coordinate with operational and programmatic staff to arrange all visitor logistics (housing, activities, meals, etc.)
• Ensure all logistics (housing, activities, meals, etc) are in place prior to visitor arrival and any special accommodations are met.
• Act as point of contact for the duration of the visit.

Family Camp 

• Lead and facilitate Fall and Summer family camp.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 2+ years’ experience in residential camping field or related youth work
• 2+ years’ experience successfully supervising staff
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related area, such as education, social work, psychology, Jewish Communal work, youth and community development, or recreation management
• Exemplary problem-solving, communication, customer service, organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work on multiple projects at a time
• Knowledge/proficiency in computer software, Microsoft Office, Google platforms, experience with CampMinder a plus
• Exceptional oral and written skills, including experience with social media platforms
• Available for occasional evening and weekend events
• Able to travel locally, nationally, and internationally for conferences, camp fairs, and camper/staff recruitment
• Live on-site at camp June-August 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

• Competitive salary
• Exceptional paid time off policy 
• Generous paid holidays (Federal and Jewish)
• Dental & Medical Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Housing and meals all summer during camp
• Complimentary childcare/camp tuition during the summer camp season
• Professional development opportunities

To apply
Please send your resume and cover letter to Danya Kornblum,  Director of Camp & Culture, at [email protected].