Program Director
Ramah Day Camp LA – Los Angeles, CA
Full-Time | Exempt | Year-Round Position
About Ramah Day Camp LA:
Ramah Day Camp LA offers a dynamic, fun, and enriching Jewish summer experience for children entering Kindergarten through 5th grade. Our program combines joyful Jewish experiences, creative learning, and community building. We are seeking a passionate, organized, and visionary Program Director to lead the creation and implementation of an engaging and meaningful camp experience for our campers and families.
Position Overview:
The Ramah Day Camp LA Program Director works closely with the Day Camp Director and the Ramah year-round professional team to lead and implement all aspects of our summer program. The Program Director oversees program planning; summer staff hiring, training, and supervision; camper and staff recruitment; and year-round camp communications. We are looking for a leader who is innovative, collaborative, deeply committed to Jewish education, and thrives in a high-energy, mission-driven environment.
Responsibilities:
- Creation, organization, and implementation of the summer programmatic calendar:
- Build, execute, and monitor daily calendar and schedule
- Develop and implement programming for all special theme days and trips
- Ensure all programs and activities are developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and infused with Jewish values and rituals
- Continue to advance the arc of experience for campers by adding new programmatic activities and opportunities as camp grows, including but not limited to specialist areas, trips, guest educators, and other national Ramah day camp initiatives
- Oversee program supply purchasing and maintain program-related budgets
- Manage staff recruitment, hiring, training, and supervision:
- Lead recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of summer staff, including counselors, unit heads, specialists, and mishlachat (Israeli emissaries)
- Create marketing strategies and materials to be used in staff recruitment
- Directly supervise Ramah interns/fellows during the off-season
- Directly supervise unit heads, counselors, and summer specialists
- Assist the Day Camp Director with supervision of Tikvah (inclusion) staff
- Plan and execute Staff Week schedule and training, with year-round team support
- Coordinate ongoing staff development throughout the summer
- Coordinate end-of-summer staff evaluations and surveys
- Manage camper recruitment process including:
- Develop and manage a comprehensive camper recruitment calendar and outreach plan
- Represent Ramah Day Camp LA at local schools, synagogues, and community camp fairs/open houses/partnership programs
- Work with Ramah year round team to maximize cross-departmental recruitment strategies
- Create marketing strategies and materials to be used in camper recruitment
- Grow organizational partnerships to strengthen enrollment pipelines
- Coordinate communications with staff and families in partnership with Ramah year round team
- Manage social media channels
- Create content for year-round digital communications
- Ensure all communications lists are accurate and up to date
- Work with year round team to ensure timely delivery of communications to families and staff
- Support enrollment efforts in partnership with Day Camp Director and Ramah year round team including forms review and camper intake
- Create, implement, and staff innovative year-round family programming (e.g. havdalah, Kabbalat Shabbat, family camp, etc) in collaboration with local partners.
- Administrative tasks as necessary
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required; background in education, Jewish studies, outdoor education, nonprofit management, or related fields preferred
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience in program development, camp leadership, or youth education
- Proven leadership, organizational, and supervisory skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, especially with young adults and children
- Ability to be a self-starter with strong work ethic and excellent multitasking skills
- Comfort in working on multiple technology platforms, including social media platforms, as well as ability to quickly learn new technology applications
- Passion for Jewish life and Jewish values,
- History of participation in the Ramah camping movement and basic Hebrew knowledge is a plus
- Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends, and to be present for the full summer season.
Candidates must:
- Be fingerprinted and undergo background check once hired
- Be certified (or willing to become certified) in CPR Pro and Advanced First Aid
Salary and Benefits:
- $68,000-75,000; commensurate with experience
- Competitive and comprehensive compensation package, including: 403b, group health coverage, life insurance and LTD, and sick and vacation time.
- Warm, mission-driven work environment
To apply:
Please send your resume and cover letter to Jesse Zilberstein, Ramah Day Camp LA Director, at [email protected]. Tell us why you’re interested in working with Ramah Day Camp LA, a little about yourself, and the skills you’ll bring to camp. (Video cover letters are also welcome, if that’s more your speed.) Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; we anticipate a start date no later than September 15, 2025.
Ramah is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
Location
Camp Ramah in California is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA where we have our administrative office, on over 400 acres in Ojai, CA, where our residential summer camp has operated for nearly seventy years, and in West Hills, CA where our day camp operates. Please note that being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.
Camp Ramah is an American Camp Association accredited, coeducational, residential summer camp affiliated with the Conservative Movement and National Ramah Commission and operates under the educational auspices of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University.