Location: Remote (October-March) and Camp Chi (March-October)

For nearly a century – Camp Chi has transformed children’s summers. We unplug them from the stress and technology of their daily lives and plug them into life-changing moments. A soccer player takes the stage. An artist reaches the high ropes. Everyone becomes fluent in kindness and friendship. And the camp becomes a community as they celebrate Shabbat and discover the spirit of Israel has a home in Lake Delton, Wisconsin.

The Outdoor and Retreats Manager works with the JCC Camp Chi management team in creating the vision for and the development and implementation of the Outpost Village Program, Camp Chi’s outdoor adventure specialty camp, and the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Outdoor Adventure Trip. The Manager is also responsible for the overall Outdoor Adventure program at camp. This includes managing the specialists that run overnight camping trips for Camp Chi Villages. Under the oversight of the Camp Chi Associate Director, the Manager will also be responsible for the Perlstein Retreat center. This includes every interaction with clients from finding new groups, to providing an intake, working with potential groups to find a package that works for them, and working with the Chi team to manage the group onsite. This position is also in charge of the Perlstein budget and working to take care of the existing property while providing a standard of care and improvement over time. They will work with the maintenance and housekeeping teams on site to insure a standard level of cleanliness and comfort.

Key Responsibilities:

Primary Areas of Focus

Camp Chi

• Work with Associate Director to oversee and improve Outpost Village program. This includes strategy for marketing and recruitment for both campers and staff, program development, staff training and other elements of running a new program.
• Planning, development, and management of the Camp Chi Pacific Northwest teen travel trip.
• Supervision of staff hired for PNW, Outpost Village and Outdoor Adventure/Overnight camping, and Ropes at Camp Chi

Summer Responsibilities

• General oversight of Staff Care and Staff Rec.
• Develop curriculum to implement outdoor based program and activities.
• Work with supervisor and supervisees to determine proper course of action and communication regarding camper behavior management.
• Supervise Outdoor Adventure and overnight camping trips.
• Work collaboratively with Camp Chi management team to help design and implement staff training and staff development for summer staff.
• Provide supervision and feedback (both formal and informal evaluations) to summer staff.
• Create appropriate program adaptations and/or identify opportunities for program growth.
• Actively solicit program feedback; work with supervisor to address participant feedback and incorporate into program improvement.
• Develop schedules, including booking of field trips and educators.
• Schedule day-to-day activities, logistics, space usage, transportation, etc for Outpost Village.

Year-Round Responsibilities

• Plan and develop concepts, activities, programming, and trips for Outpost Village.
• Be cognizant of changing trends and methods of Outdoor Education, Environmental Education and Youth Outdoor activities.
• Formulate and execute grassroots recruitment events, activities and programs and implement follow up systems and leads management that results in program registration.
• Work with Associate Director, with assistance from Teen Coordinator to plan and prepare for PNW program. Includes campsite reservations, route planning, staff recruitment.
• As a member of the Camp Chi Leadership Team, work with others to facilitate camper recruitment & sales presentations in Chicago & other cities (approx. 6-8 presentations per year).
• Work with supervisor to understand the budget development, implementation, and compliance process. Ensure compliance of programming budgets for areas supervised.
• Serve as onsite staff for Perlstein programs (ie: Family Vacation) and rental groups at the Perlstein Retreat Center.
• Assist Chi management team with staff recruitment and hiring.
• Develop and maintain regular communications with key summer staff; solicit feedback and gain buy in for upcoming summer planning.
• Communicate positively and effectively with parents around registration for camp and events as well as inquiries about summer camp.
• Work with supervisor to establish and implement the highest quality communication to all camp families already registered as well as prospective camp families.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with agency program/product staff for the purpose of identifying strategic opportunities, create programming with a Jewish lens across the agency, address challenges and develop effective plans to increase JCC impact to those we serve.
• Work collaboratively with JCC Marketing & Communications team in creating and managing marketing plan and social media strategy and implementation.
• Establish and maintain relationships within the greater Jewish community that allow for collaborative programming efforts.
• Actively participate in agency events.

Perlstein

Physical

• Coach housekeeping staff in the responsibilities of the job and how to perform all tasks including the preparation of guest rooms to our expectations.
• Regularly inspect staff work to ensure the highest standards are met.
• Keep Property Manager informed of potential staffing or concerns on property.
• Proactively review the facilities, identify potential areas of concern (ie: presence of loose pieces of carpet or liquid spills that may develop as a fall hazard) and address immediately.

Rental Group Management

• Work directly with rental group leaders to coordinate and manage all logistics including schedules, special needs, invoices, etc.
• Work with Camp Chi Director and group leader to create and communicate about menu options
• Serve as main contact for all groups and programs.
• Establish and implement the highest quality communication with customers as well as with prospective customers.
• Work with staff to ensure their understanding and follow through of customer service expectations
• Create and implement plan for ongoing connection and relationship building with existing Perlstein customers.

Selling of Perlstein

• Find new groups each year to insure that Perlstein is filled during all available weeks.
• Focus on strategy to find creative ways to bring in new types of groups.
• Build plan to bring in more weddings and adapt our space to make it a wedding destination.
• Ensure that Perlstein is being marketed in the appropriate forums for outdoor adventure sites, wedding and retreat pages, and more.

Essential Job Duties/Physical Requirements:

• Lift/move children up to 40 lbs.
• Demonstrate physical stamina and agility required to be mobile for long periods throughout the day.
• Stand for long periods of time and be able to run and actively engage physically with children.
• React with physical and mental alertness in emergency situations.
• Use hands for grasping equipment and play material.
• Supervise children by sight and sound.
• Must be able to rotate head side to side to scan the environment.
• Ability to demonstrate, motivate and communicate with children, teens, and adults.
• Ability to speak clearly and articulately with a loud tone of voice.
• Mental alertness; sustain concentration for long periods of time.
• Willingness and ability to live in a camp setting and work irregular hours with limited or simple equipment and facilities, with daily exposure to the sun, heat, and animals such as bugs, bats, etc.

Compensation:

JCC Chicago’s competitive salary, comprehensive healthcare plans, generous time off, program discounts and retirement plans are just the start!

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Communications, Marketing or Management or related required
• 5+ year’s previous administrative experience including process & procedure development and implementation.
• Demonstrated success managing business operations (bookkeeping, budgets and business process & procedure).
• Experience working in a highly customer-focused environment required; experience in a camping environment preferred.
• Previous supervisory experience in a highly customer-focused environment; experience within a camping environment highly preferred
• Ability to demonstrate and lead with JCC Chicago’s Four Core Values: Self-Leadership and Accountability, Creativity and Innovation, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Customer Service.
• Intermediate proficiency in MS Word, Excel and databases with the ability to learn other technology as needed; proficiency with CampMinder and /or Salesforce preferred.
• Experience managing and reporting out of databases.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with various members of the community in a friendly, courteous manner.
• A strong team player with the willingness and ability to go above and beyond.
• Must have strong ability for follow up and follow through.
• Must be HIGHLY organized and detail oriented.
• Ability and willingness to travel to various JCC locations and be at Camp Chi for the summer.
• Must have reliable transportation, valid driver’s license for at least 24 months, proof of auto insurance (with a minimum $250,000 liability).