Assistant Director of Teen Programs & Specialty Areas

Assistant Director, Teen Programs and Specialty Areas

Job Title: Assistant Director, Teen Programs and Specialty Areas
Department: Program
Reports to: Summer Camp Director
Salary Range: $75,000 – $80,000
Location: San Francisco / Groveland

About Tawonga

Tawonga’s mission is to provide educational and recreational programs for children, adults and families that foster self-esteem, inclusive community, connections with nature, a commitment to justice, and a positive Jewish identity. 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 to being brand new to working at a summer camp, and more. We are a Jewish organization, and we welcome and are inclusive of all staff and community members, Jewish and non-Jewish. We are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion – and the ongoing reflection, learning, and action required to be aligned with these values.

Job Purpose and Description

The Assistant Director, Teen Programs and Specialty Areas is a key part of Camp Tawonga’s camp leadership team. This position contributes to the mission of Camp Tawonga by directing all aspects of our Teen Programs including the Teen Leadership Institute, Specialists/Counselors-in-Training program, and year-round teen programs like the Teen Winter Retreat. In addition, during the year this director plans and hires for our speciality department areas at Camp such as Arts & Crafts, Waterfront, Jewish Programming, Sports, Drama, Dance, and Music. The Assistant Director as an at-camp Director during summer season, travels with the teens on the Teen Leadership Institute trip, and partners with other key program staff members to co-direct our weekend family camps and adult retreats and to support our “Down the Mountain” Bay Area programs as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Train and supervise seasonal program staff while at camp and on the road
• Recruit, hire, and train summer staff
• Help plan and lead supervisor and staff training

Teen Leadership Institute (TLI) and Specialist and Counselor-in-Training Program (SCIT)

• Plan, develop, implement, and evaluate summer programs for teens ensuring high-quality programming
• Recruit and select teens for participation, managing processes for applications, interviews and reference checking
• Recruit, interview, and hire staff for programs, managing processes for applications, interviews and reference checking
• Design and implement staff training
• Supervise program staff and manage camper issues within the program
• Lead trainings and programming for teens
• Travel with the teens during off-site trips as the most senior leader on the trip
• Responsible for the day-to-day management and leadership of teen programs

Oversight of Year-Round Tawonga Teen Programs

• Design and implement programs to engage teens year-round
• Create and oversee year-round programming for teens
• Recruit teens to participate in programs
• Collaborate with other staff to best integrate teens into existing programs
• Participate in grants related to teen engagement and programs
• Collaborate with hiring team to recruit teens who have completed our SCIT programs to work as staff for Tawonga programs

Oversee Speciality Departments

• Evaluate and innovate the speciality areas at camp
• Create vision and resources for strengthening Jewish programming, arts & crafts, waterfront, music, drama, dance and sports programming
• Hire and train staff to lead specialty departments
• Recruit guest educators to visit Camp during the summer and enhance specialty program offerings
• Innovate and add new programs to improve and grow Tawonga’s offerings for children, young adults and families.
• Plan staff training and update staff training materials, manuals and handbooks
• Order all program supplies for specialty areas
• Oversee kiln maintenance
• Oversee A/V at Camp for music department, campfire programs, and meals

Summer Camp & Family Camp Hiring

• As part of the hiring team with other directors, ensure we recruit and hire outstanding staff:
  • Source and recruit staff applicants, conduct interviews, and check references
  • Select and hire seasonal staff
  • Partner with Human Resources to ensure timely completion of new hire paperwork, contracts, and other required staff forms

At-Camp Director

• Spend summers at Camp as a key part of the at-Camp director team, sharing responsibility for camper management, staff management, parent communication, overall tone-setting, and leadership
• Serve as a positive and responsible role model for campers and staff at all times
• Meet daily during the summer, and bi-weekly during the year, with other directors to manage camper and staff issues, program plans, safety and logistics
• Manage Camp logistics as assigned
• Co-direct 2-3 weekend programs per year

Other Responsibilities

• Bring a justice and equity lens to all the work outlined above
• Collaborate with grant writer, communications and development teams to secure funding and thank donors as needed
• Communicate with families on a regular basis, with support as needed from the Camp Director
• Other projects as assigned, including administrative help to the rest of the At-Camp Team

Professional Development

• Research and participate in relevant, ongoing, continuous professional development as it pertains to the role and/or business needs (e.g., executive assistant best-practice trainings, Nonprofit board governance support, Google Workspace admin learning, and more).

Training, Experience, Skills, and Qualities

Required

• Minimum 3 years of experience working with teens in a professional setting and related field, including planning and supervising activities based on the developmental needs of young people
• Minimum 2 years of experience supervising staff
• Proven ability to work with youth and communicate with parents
• Experience supporting, troubleshooting, and managing families and/or other stakeholders
• Excellent and demonstrable written and verbal communication skills in English
• Excellent and demonstrable interpersonal and customer service skills
• Familiar with best practices for youth and teen development
• Commitment to supporting Tawonga’s efforts to promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all programs
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Google Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms, etc.)

Preferred

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to take and implement feedback
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions in routine situations
• Experience with social justice education
• Experience as senior leader in travel program

Supervision

• This position reports directly to the Camp Director.

Software

This position will heavily use the following types of software:

• 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.
• This role is a hybrid position.
• This position is expected to relocate to Camp Tawonga’s secondary location in Groveland, CA to work on-site during the Summer. They may also need to be on site for some other times of year as needed (see Special Requirements below).
• Camp Tawonga will provide a company laptop, mouse, keyboard, and reasonable accommodations as needed to ensure the employee can work from home during the off season
• Tawonga’s year round team currently works mostly remotely with a few days in the SF office per month and frequent trips to our Groveland site. We may be returning to the office for more in-person days per month in the future.
• During the summer months, while your work requires you to live at Camp, Tawonga will provide housing, meals, and childcare
• Noise level is moderate if working at camp property in Groveland, CA
• Noise level is moderate if working in Tawonga’s Bay Area office

Special requirements

• Must be able to relocate to Groveland site June – August
• May be required to relocate to Groveland site for other weekend program(s) as needed
• Willingness to work on evenings, weekends and holidays as needed
• 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. During the summer, the camp programmatic day runs from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., and sometimes longer.

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 pay range for this position is $75,000 – $80,000 , DOE. 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.

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.

To Apply

To ensure consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter explaining your qualifications for and interest in the position. Send applications to View email address on click.appcast.io with “Assistant Director, Teen Programs and Specialty Areas” 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.