Capital Camps & Retreat Center (CCRC) is seeking a full-time Assistant Camp Director.  The Assistant Camp Director is a key member of the Capital Camps' Year-Round Team and plays a critical role in shaping the overall Capital Camps experience, with a focus on strengthening summer staff culture and teen leadership development. This position serves as a trusted thought partner to the Camp Director, balancing operational oversight with relationship building, helping ensure that all campers and staff thrive in a vibrant, inclusive, and values-driven Jewish community. 

This is an outstanding opportunity to leverage previous professional experience and launch the next step of one's professional career. Central to this position’s success is the desire and drive to handle a variety of responsibilities, tackle a wide array of challenges, and participate in all aspects of camp planning, operations and implementation. The Assistant Camp Director will have the opportunity to shape the experience of hundreds of campers and staff each summer, in turn strengthening the future of Jewish community and leadership. 

About Capital Camps & Retreat Center 

Capital Camps & Retreat Center (CCRC) provides transformative Jewish overnight camp and retreat experiences for children, families, and communities across the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition to summer camp, the Retreat Center hosts year-round programs for organizations, families, and community groups, serving thousands of participants annually.  

Founded in 1987, Capital Camps is approaching an exciting milestone as we celebrate our 40th summer and look toward the organization’s next chapter of growth and impact. The agency’s administrative offices are located in North Bethesda, Maryland, with its camp and retreat center situated in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. 

What We’re Looking For 

The right person is an intentional leader who is passionate about Jewish camping, staff development, and teen leadership.  

You understand how to develop impactful systems, have experience mentoring & coaching others, and can partner effectively with team members to drive results. You bring exceptional communication, interpersonal, and organization skills, and have a serious interest in shaping the lives of teens and young adults.  

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES: 

September – May 

Summer Staff Recruitment, Retention, & Planning 

• Implement an established talent recruitment plan for summer staff, with a tremendous opportunity to creatively implement new ideas. 

• Manage the full-cycle recruitment of summer staff, including recruitment, retention, interviews, hiring, contracting, and onboarding. 

• Collaborate with multiple local and international agencies to recruit and retain strong seasonal staff. 

• Lead communication and engagement efforts with summer staff throughout the year (i.e. monthly newsletters, in-person reunions). 

• Partner with the Human Resources team to ensure all seasonal summer staff are in compliance with necessary forms, paperwork, and other employment requirements. 

• Organize and synthesize data to report to the agency’s Board of Directors and Camp Committee.  

• Prepare for a comprehensive staff training experience that equips staff to create exceptional, safe, inclusive, and meaningful camper experiences, drawing upon best practices in Jewish camping and the camping industry.  

• Lead the preparations for all operational aspects of the staff experience (i.e. international staff arrivals, housing, and day off logistics). 

Teen Leadership Programs 

• Create and implement intentional recruitment strategies for the three Capital Camps Leadership Programs: Macks Village for rising 10th graders, Leaders-In-Training (LIT) for rising 11th graders, and Counselors-In-Training (CIT) for rising 12th graders. 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Macks, LIT, and CIT teen leaders and parents throughout the year. 

• Manage the application process for LITs and CITs. 

• Develop teen curriculum and programmatic components, including specialty experiences 

• Partner with local and national organizations to deepen curriculum and plan safe, meaningful, and fun off-site trips for LITs and CITs.  

Overall Leadership 

• Thoughtfully contribute to and help lead regular planning sessions with the camp year-round team to identify and address ongoing areas of focus 

• Additional roles, as assigned by the Camp Director. 

June – August 

Overall Leadership 

• Directly supervise and mentor members of the summer leadership team, including Village Leaders of the Leadership Programs, supporting their journey as supervisors, program facilitators, and role models. 

• Reside on-site at Capital Camps during the summer season to provide hands-on, real-time support to campers and staff.  

• Develop meaningful relationships with staff members and campers. 

• Serve as a senior presence to the entire summer leadership team and summer staff. 

Summer Staff Training, Performance, and Experience 

• Partner with the Camp Director on delivering an impactful, smooth, and fun pre-camp Staff Training experience. 

• Oversee key aspects of staff placement and performance management, supporting summer supervisors to ensure staff are performing at or above expectations. 

• Lead all aspects of summer staff engagement, appreciation, and well-being initiatives including events, programs, and recognition.  

• Manage staff operations including transportation and off-site hosting.  

• Liaise with staff on individual needs such as non-camp related commitments, employment contract dates, and placement requests.  

• Partner with the Community Care Manager to support the well-being needs of staff. 

Teen Leadership Programs 

• Ensure Leadership Programs meet programmatic & curriculum goals, and work with assigned Yoetzot (Community Care Specialists) to address any individual camper’s mental, emotional, social, physical, or behavioral issues.  

• Communicate as needed with parents and external organizations to support individual needs and overall program experiences. 

• Respond promptly to unanticipated, complex changes to planned activities and programs. 

Camp life moves very quickly. The Assistant Camp Director can expect to be faced with a variety of complex situations simultaneously and must prioritize based on importance and urgency.   

Qualifications 

• 5-7 years of professional experience in Jewish overnight camping, Jewish experiential education, youth development, or other Jewish child and teen-serving settings 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher 

• Exceptional level of professionalism and accountability 

• Superior interpersonal and team-building skills 

• Outstanding reflective and creative thinking capacities  

• Ability to deliver high standards of customer service, problem solving, quality control, and evaluation 

• Commitment to Judaism and Jewish living & learning 

• Commitment to creating welcoming, inclusive environments where campers and staff of all backgrounds feel a sense of belonging. 

• Understanding and appreciation of child development 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Dedication to continued personal learning and development 

• Exemplary sense of ethics, integrity, and confidentiality 

• Well-organized with great attention to detail   

Work Environment & Schedule  

• Year-Round full-time position based in CCRC’s North Bethesda office during fall, winter and spring 

• On-site in Waynesboro during the full summer session 

• Occasional evening and weekend programs & meetings, including prospective camper family events, camper & staff information sessions and trainings, and summer staff gatherings 

• Collaborative, mission-driven team culture rooted in community  

• The Assistant Camp Director reports to the Camp Director 

Compensation & Benefits 

• Salary: $70,000 - $80,000 commensurate with experience.  

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, and pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for healthcare and transit expenses. 

• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match upon meeting eligibility requirements  

• Paid vacation, personal leave, and holidays (including Federal and Jewish holidays) 

• Professional development opportunities. 

• Camp tuition discounts for cabin-age campers, as well as access to a summer childcare program for children ages 0-6. 

• Full room, board, and laundry provided during the summer while working on the Waynesboro campus. 

If you are a compassionate, organized, and collaborative professional who is energized by supporting young people, partnering with families, and strengthening a vibrant Jewish camp community, we encourage you to apply. We welcome candidates who bring creativity, good judgment, warmth, and a deep commitment to camper and staff well-being. 

To Apply 

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter to jobs@capitalcamps.org describing your interest in the role and what excites you about joining the Capital Camps team.