Camp Director, Camp Airy

CampHire Recruiting & Executive Search; Maryland; On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement contributions

Onsite Director residence

Meals during camp months

Phone, laptop, travel allowances

Job summary

Camp Airy seeks a seasoned Director to guide its year-round leadership, recruit and retain campers, and oversee staff development and programming. The role requires living onsite during the summer and coordinating with Camp Louise for shared policies and fundraising efforts.

The Director will drive enrollment, shape programming, ensure safety and compliance, and lead a values-based culture in a large, historic camp environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a leadership role at a camp, youth program, or educational setting.
• Demonstrated track record building relationships, leading teams, and communicating clearly with staff and families.
• Strong operational judgment across staffing, programming, safety, and the day-to-day of running a large camp.
• Genuine appreciation for Jewish tradition and values, and comfort leading in a pluralistic Jewish community.
• Ability to live onsite at Camp Airy each summer and to be based within the camp's Mid-Atlantic recruitment region, with monthly travel to Baltimore.
• Ability to travel regionally for recruitment events and camp conferences, and flexibility to work irregular hours during the season.
• Familiarity with camp management systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment and retention for new and returning families, building the relationships and word of mouth that drive enrollment.
• Lead camp tours, attend fairs, and represent Camp Airy at recruitment events and conferences across the region throughout the year.
• Build deep, lasting relationships with families and deliver a consistently high level of care and service.
• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise seasonal and year-round staff with a focus on excellence, mentorship, and inclusion.
• Design and lead engaging pre-camp and in-season staff training.
• Build a staff culture rooted in accountability, belonging, and Jewish values, and serve as a present, trusted leader for campers, staff, and families.
• Oversee the full camp operation, including facilities and maintenance, the dining hall and food service, transportation, and logistics.
• Lead health, safety, and risk management in partnership with the camp's medical and security teams, and maintain compliance with state, local, and American Camp Association standards.
• Care for a historic property, partnering with the year-round team on facility needs as they arise.
• Guide and oversee experienced program leadership, keeping the camper experience creative, engaging, and fresh.
• Ensure Jewish values are woven into camp life in meaningful, age-appropriate ways.
• Evaluate programs through camper and staff feedback and continued innovation.
• Partner with the Co-Executive Directors and coordinate with Camp Louise on shared policies and direction.
• Be a visible, engaged presence at alumni and community events.
• Support fundraising as a partner, building relationships and making introductions in support of the Awesome Fund and the broader Airy & Louise community.

Job description

Thurmont, MD (summer) and Mid-Atlantic area (year-round)

About Camp Airy

Founded in 1924 and 1922 respectively, Camp Airy (for boys) and Camp Louise (for girls) have served generations of campers as two of the leading Jewish overnight camps in the country. Steeped in tradition and guided by Jewish values, Camps Airy & Louise have provided unforgettable summers for thousands of children, helping them grow into confident, compassionate, and community-minded individuals.

For over a century, our camps have been places where young people forge lifelong friendships, embrace independence, and discover what it means to live in a joyful, inclusive Jewish environment. As brother-sister camps with shared values, Camps Airy & Louise operate on separate campuses that are 20 minutes apart with coordinated activities and a shared mission.

Camp Airy sits on 450 acres in the mountains of Thurmont, Maryland, bordering Catoctin Mountain Park. It is home to about 350 campers each session.

Camps Airy & Louise is a nonprofit organization, founded on the belief that every Jewish child should have a summer at camp regardless of a family's ability to pay. That mission still runs through the organization a century later through the Awesome Fund and its campership program which supports about 15% of camper families.

Jewish Life at Camp Airy

For 100 years, Camp Airy has been a place where Jewish children explore what it means to them to be Jewish. Airy welcomes Jewish families from all backgrounds and denominations.

Each Friday evening, campers wear white to usher in Shabbat with song and Israeli dancing. Services continue Saturday morning, and Shabbat closes with Havdalah. Camp celebrates its Jewish values through middot, Tikkun Olam, and the honoring of Shabbat. The dining hall is not certified kosher, but all meals are served kosher-style.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Co-Executive Directors of Camps Airy & Louise, the Director of Camp Airy is the year-round leader and visionary responsible for advancing the Camp’s mission and operational success.

The Director's primary responsibilities are camper recruitment and retention, hiring and developing a strong staff, overseeing programming and the full camp operation, and fostering a values-based culture. In addition, this role coordinates with Camp Louise on shared policies and partners on fundraising by building relationships across the Airy & Louise community. The Director of Camp Airy is expected to live at camp during the summer and to be an active and visible part of the camp community throughout the year.

Compensation is $100,000 to $120,000 plus benefits and summer housing at camp.

Team Structure

The Director of Camp Airy oversees a year-round Assistant Director and a seasonal staff of roughly 300 each summer. Reporting to the Co-Executive Directors of Camps Airy & Louise, the Director of Camp Airy also partners closely with the Camp Louise leadership and a central team of year-round staff spanning operations, finance, development, marketing, and camper care. The team gathers in person in Baltimore each month for planning sessions.

Responsibilities

Camper Recruitment and Retention

• Lead recruitment and retention for new and returning families, building the relationships and word of mouth that drive enrollment.
• Lead camp tours, attend fairs, and represent Camp Airy at recruitment events and conferences across the region throughout the year.
• Build deep, lasting relationships with families and deliver a consistently high level of care and service.

Staffing and Community Leadership

• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise seasonal and year-round staff with a focus on excellence, mentorship, and inclusion.
• Design and lead engaging pre-camp and in-season staff training.
• Build a staff culture rooted in accountability, belonging, and Jewish values, and serve as a present, trusted leader for campers, staff, and families.

Camp Operations and Risk Management

• Oversee the full camp operation, including facilities and maintenance, the dining hall and food service, transportation, and logistics.
• Lead health, safety, and risk management in partnership with the camp's medical and security teams, and maintain compliance with state, local, and American Camp Association standards.
• Care for a historic property, partnering with the year-round team on facility needs as they arise.

Program Development

• Guide and oversee experienced program leadership, keeping the camper experience creative, engaging, and fresh.
• Ensure Jewish values are woven into camp life in meaningful, age-appropriate ways.
• Evaluate programs through camper and staff feedback and continued innovation.

Partnership and Fundraising

• Partner with the Co-Executive Directors and coordinate with Camp Louise on shared policies and direction.
• Be a visible, engaged presence at alumni and community events.
• Support fundraising as a partner, building relationships and making introductions in support of the Awesome Fund and the broader Airy & Louise community.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a leadership role at a camp, youth program, or educational setting.
• Demonstrated track record building relationships, leading teams, and communicating clearly with staff and families.
• Strong operational judgment across staffing, programming, safety, and the day-to-day of running a large camp.
• Genuine appreciation for Jewish tradition and values, and comfort leading in a pluralistic Jewish community.
• Ability to live onsite at Camp Airy each summer and to be based within the camp's Mid-Atlantic recruitment region, with monthly travel to Baltimore.
• Ability to travel regionally for recruitment events and camp conferences, and flexibility to work irregular hours during the season.
• Familiarity with camp management systems preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is $100,000 to $120,000, with a generous benefits package that includes health insurance, retirement contributions, and allowances for phone, laptop, and travel. Camp also provides a Director's residence onsite for the summer season, along with meals during the camp months. Camp Airy is family-friendly, welcoming spouses, children, and pets at camp in the summer.