Director of Programs

Job Description

Job Description

Reports to: Executive Director
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday (occasional nights & weekends)
Location: Dedham Community House, Dedham, Massachusetts
Compensation: $65,000 to $70,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications, with opportunities for merit-based bonuses and performance-based salary increases.

About Dedham Community House

Dedham Community House (DCH) is a nonprofit community organization serving children, families, and adults through programs, recreation, education, events, and gathering spaces. Our 7.5-acre campus includes Haven House, a gymnasium, athletic field, outdoor pool, preschool, and spaces for community programs and events.

Our goal is simple: create high-quality experiences that bring people together and help people find their community.

Position Summary

The Director of Programs leads DCH's recreational and enrichment programming, with primary responsibility for three major areas: summer camp, year-round programs, and seasonal aquatics.

This is a hands-on leadership position. The Director supervises program leaders and seasonal teams while remaining closely involved in the work required to keep programs running well. Responsibilities range from developing new programs and recruiting seasonal staff to reviewing enrollment, managing registrations and rosters, solving operational issues, and being visible with participants, families, and staff.

The Director supervises the Camp Director and Aquatics Director. During the summer, those positions manage day-to-day operations of their respective programs, while the Director of Programs provides active leadership, support, oversight, and problem-solving. During camp season, the Director should expect to spend approximately 50% of their time visible and engaged in camp operations.

The Director also leads or supports several DCH-wide community events, including the annual Fall Family Festival and Tree Sale, and works with colleagues to increase DCH's visibility throughout the community.

Key ResponsibilitiesSummer Camp & Aquatics

• Provide year-round oversight of DCH's summer camp and seasonal aquatics programs.
• Supervise and support the Camp Director and Aquatics Director.
• Lead seasonal recruitment and hiring for camp and aquatics staff.
• Support seasonal planning, staff training, scheduling, operations, and evaluation.
• Maintain a strong on-site presence during the summer, including spending approximately 50% of working time visible and engaged with camp.
• Monitor enrollment, staffing, safety, participant experience, and operational needs.
• Work with seasonal directors to address staff, camper, family, and operational issues.
• Lead post-season evaluation and planning for the following year.

Year-Round Programs

• Develop and manage recreational, enrichment, sports, and wellness programs for children and adults.
• Identify opportunities for new programs based on community interest, enrollment trends, available facilities, and financial performance.
• Recruit and manage instructors, coaches, vendors, and program partners.
• Manage registrations, rosters, waitlists, schedules, participant communications, and program records.
• Monitor enrollment and program performance and recommend when programs should expand, change, or end.
• Provide responsive service to participants and families.

Staff, Administration & Financial Management

• Recruit, interview, onboard, supervise, and support seasonal and part-time program staff.
• Develop relationships with schools, colleges, and community organizations to strengthen seasonal recruitment.
• Maintain accurate program, staffing, registration, and operational records.
• Develop program budgets with the Executive Director and Finance staff.
• Monitor revenue, expenses, enrollment, staffing costs, and other program performance measures.
• Maintain program information within DCH's registration and administrative systems.

Community Engagement & Events

• Lead program operations for major DCH events, including the Fall Family Festival and Tree Sale.
• Coordinate staff, volunteers, vendors, activities, and program logistics.
• Represent DCH at community events, expos, conferences, recruitment events, and other opportunities to increase awareness and participation.
• Partner with Marketing to promote programs, camp, aquatics, and events.
• Build relationships with schools, community organizations, vendors, and other potential partners.
• Provide occasional support across other DCH programs and organization-wide initiatives.

What Success Looks Like

The Director of Programs builds safe, organized, welcoming programs that people want to attend and staff want to return to. Success includes strong enrollment, effective seasonal recruitment, well-supported program leaders, accurate administration, sound financial performance, and positive experiences for participants and families.

The successful Director is equally comfortable planning for the next season, reviewing enrollment data, interviewing a camp counselor, solving an operational problem, working with a family, or being outside at camp seeing firsthand how programs are running.

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of relevant experience in summer camp, recreation, youth development, sports, education, community programming, or a related field.
• Previous supervisory experience, preferably involving seasonal or part-time staff.
• Experience with summer camp or youth programming strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in recreation management, education, youth development, sports management, nonprofit management, human services, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Strong organizational, communication, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort working with registration systems, spreadsheets, databases, rosters, and program data.
• Ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines while remaining accessible to staff and participants.
• Ability to work primarily on-site with occasional evening and weekend responsibilities.
• Aquatics certifications are not required. DCH will support appropriate training or certification when needed.

Background & Safety Requirements

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of all background checks required by DCH and applicable Massachusetts regulations, including CORI, SORI, fingerprint-based checks, and applicable EEC Background Record Check requirements.

The Director must complete required child-safety, mandated-reporter, emergency preparedness, and related training.

Equal Opportunity

Dedham Community House is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements, qualifications, and individual merit.