Summer Center Director- Northridge, CA

The Center Director position is the primary on-site leadership role in our summer program at Brook Hill. As the director of the summer program site, the Center Director is responsible for successful execution of our program and for setting the tone for an engaging, organized, and inspiring experience for our staff and students!

Could you be a fit for the Center Director position? Are you…

• Equally as comfortable with spreadsheets and administrative tasks as you are engaging face-to-face with students, chaperones, and staff members?
• Highly detail-oriented and organized, but also able to prioritize and delegate when necessary?
• Excited and willing to adapt to various software and digital tools for efficient management?
• A leader who can encourage and maintain a positive, welcoming environment for a diverse staff in a dynamic work environment?
• Comfortable in high-pressure situations and able to make quick, effective decisions to resolve unexpected challenges?
• Skilled in conflict resolution and able to handle disputes with diplomacy and professionalism?
• A strong verbal and written communicator, comfortable with liaising across departments and with external vendors?

If this sounds like you, we think you would enjoy and succeed in the Center Director role!

This is a seasonal, full-time, salaried, and in-person position that is integral to the success of our international programs. The Center Director is responsible for overseeing all on-campus and off-campus operations for Brook Hill participants, including: activities, excursions, housing, and dining for each group. The Center Director works closely with the Brook Hill Head Office Team to problem-solve issues that arise and deal with emergency situations. The Center Director directly manages the Activity Manager and oversees a team of Activity Coordinators. Full room and board is provided for the duration of employment.  Residing on campus is a requirement of the position.

About Us:
At The Brook Hill Alliance (formerly PLUS), we operate a variety of international education programs including Brook Hill Study Tours, our English language study and travel program for international high school students across North America. Our students have the opportunity to take English classes and explore the surrounding regions while staying at North American colleges and universities. At Brook Hill, we are dedicated to creating vibrant, inclusive, and safe opportunities for students to grow academically, culturally, and personally.

Time Commitment:

• The employment period for the Center Director position is generally 6-8 weeks during the summer (mid-June to early August), depending on the program dates. The Center Director is responsible for opening the campus at the beginning of the program and seeing the program through to completion. In the application, there is space to indicate and explain your availability during the summer months.
• This position requires irregular and significant working hours that fluctuate to meet the demands of a dynamic workday. No day is the same, and sometimes no hour is the same.
• This position will typically include a day each week with minimal work commitments, complemented by varying blocks of free time based on program needs.
• Peak student enrollment takes place during approximately the last two weeks in July. It is highly likely that your employment period will include this timeframe.
• The Center Director is expected to work a flexible schedule. Night and weekend work is expected to meet the demands of the program and no vacation time can be honored during the employment period for this position.
• Approximately 25 hours of paid online training must be attended/completed before arrival to the program site and usually occurs end of May/beginning of June.
• If available, there is a possibility for part-time (<6 hours per week) remote work in support of program logistics in the 4-6 weeks before the program start date.

 
Travel:

• Regional travel is required - all work-related travel during the employment period will be provided and covered by Brook Hill
• Residential employees are responsible for all travel costs to and from campus location prior to and at the conclusion of their employment period. If you choose to bring a car to campus, any costs related to parking may not be included

 
Compensation:

• Wages are between $1,352 and $1,580 per week
• Housing for duration of the employment period
• Meals (full board) for the duration of the employment period

 
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
The following is expected of the Center Director:

• Standard Expectations
  • You will be responsible for understanding, adhering to, and enforcing all Brook Hill/campus policies and procedures, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • Interacting with groups of international high school students and their group leaders in a professional, enthusiastic, and customer service-oriented manner
    • Ensuring the safety of all participants and practicing appropriate emergency preparedness and response under Brook Hill protocols
    • Maintaining frequent communication and reporting with Brook Hill head office staff
    • Communicating Brook Hill policies and procedures to participants with clarity, empathy, and respect
    • Acting with discretion regarding participants’ sensitive or personal information, incidents, and concerns
    • Being on call every night for the duration of the program
    • Assisting in duties other than the aforementioned and the following, as assigned and as they arise
• Staff Supervision
  • You will be responsible for supervising the Activity Manager and overseeing the Activity Coordinators and (if applicable) Summer Counselors and will be expected to manage all logistical and interpersonal responsibilities, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, creating a weekly schedule for Activity team members
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, holding daily staff meetings to ensure that all program and position needs are met
    • Conducting regular performance evaluations of the Activity Manager
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, conducting regular performance evaluations of the Activity Coordinators and (if applicable) Summer Counselors
    • Motivating the Activity Manager, Activity Coordinators, and Counselors throughout the duration of the program
• University Liaison
  • You will serve as primary point of contact for all on-campus university departments and will be responsible for the following Housing, Campus Facilities, and Dining responsibilities:
  • Housing
    • Coordinating all groups’ check-in and check-out from campus with the host institution
    • Coordinating weekly room and bathroom cleanings and linen exchanges with host university and/or cleaning company, as needed
    • Creating rooming lists for each session, and communicating changes to rooming lists to University and Brook Hill Head Office, as needed
    • Coordinating the collection, organization, distribution, and replacement of room keys
    • Communicating with Facilities/Maintenance to fix any problems that arise in the residence halls
  • Campus Facilities
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, coordinating bookings for all on-campus facilities for Brook Hill activities (i.e. multipurpose rooms, fields, courts, theaters, pools, etc.) and communicate any changes to the Brook Hill Head Office
    • Communicating any technology requirements for events to the host institution
    • In conjunction with the Academic Supervisor, confirming all classroom bookings with host institution and communicating any changes to the Brook Hill Head Office
  • Dining
    • Regularly updating on-campus meal spreadsheet in accordance with staff and student schedules and submitting to host institution on a weekly basis
    • Confirming on a daily basis all on-campus meals and boxed meals, including numbers, meal times and pick-up times (for boxed meals) with dining hall on campus
    • Providing dining hall with a list of food allergies for each meal; ensuring all food allergy requests are met for on-campus and boxed meals
    • Coordinating the distribution of boxed meals prior to participants’ departure from campus
• On-Campus Activities
  • You will oversee the planning, coordination, and proper execution of all on-campus activities, events, and recreation, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • In conjunction with managers, conducting a “Welcome Night” presentation that orients students to the Brook Hill program
    • Attending and participating in talent shows and graduation ceremonies
• Off-Campus Operations
  • You will oversee the coordination of all off-campus excursions for Brook Hill students and group leaders, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, communicating regularly with transportation companies to ensure all transportation needs are confirmed and met for Brook Hill excursions and airport transfers
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, confirming all excursion-related bookings with ticket vendors and off-campus meal providers
    • In conjunction with the Activity Manager, coordinating all airport arrival and departure schedules; assisting in the execution of participant arrival and departure days
    • Coordinating rooming lists for hotels for any overnight excursions
    • Attending and participating in excursions and overnight trips.
• Customer Service
  • You will be responsible for contributing to the delivery of a high-quality international education experience for our clients, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • Being readily available and present when participants are on campus to speak with group leaders and students, including holding scheduled office hours
    • In conjunction with the other manager(s), conducting group leader meetings at the beginning of each session, welcoming them and providing an overview of the program
    • Liaising with Academic Supervisor to ensure all students are assigned a teacher and classroom; providing group leaders with a list of their students’ classrooms and teachers
    • Facilitating group leader meetings with the Academic Supervisor, as needed and as requested
• Office & Miscellaneous
  • You will be responsible for determining and supporting the logistical and organizational needs of the campus in conjunction with the management team, with tasks including but not limited to:
    • Managing the distribution, tracking, and reconciliation of all participant per diems and/or gift cards
    • Tracking Company spending; reconciling team’s spending against weekly bank statements
    • Collecting, recording, and depositing all fees for lost keys, room damages, extra excursions, etc.
    • Being responsible for appropriate use and documentation of Company card
    • Ensuring the safekeeping of all participant passports and all money collected for lost keys, room damages, extra excursions, etc.
    • Utilizing the Brook Hill Master Program to properly understand participants’ arrivals and departures from the program
    • Participating in weekly meeting with the Brook Hill Head Office and other managers
    • Reviewing and escalating campus-specific incident reports

 
Qualifications and Desired Skills:

• Authorization to work in the U.S. required
• Must be 18 years or older
• Bachelor’s degree required (at the time of start date)
• Logistics coordination experience required
• Customer service experience required
• Command of Microsoft Excel and Google Drive required
• Prior supervisory experience required
• Administrative experience strongly preferred
• Experience in the hospitality and tourism industry strongly preferred
• Experience with summer or study travel programs strongly preferred
• International and intercultural experience strongly preferred

 
The successful Center Director candidate will have strong coordination and organizational skills and be able to work with diverse groups of people in a high-pressure environment. They will be detail-oriented, self-motivated, adaptable, professional, enthusiastic, and always have a positive attitude. The successful candidate will also have strong problem-solving, customer service, multi-tasking, communication, management, and interpersonal skills. A cover letter expressing your interest in the role and outlining your strengths for the position is strongly preferred.

Physical Demands:

• Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes, 25 lbs.
• Do the essential functions of this job require standing? Yes
• Do the essential functions of this job require walking up stairs? Yes
• Do the essential functions of this job require stretching? Yes
• Do the essential functions of this job require bending? Yes