Position and Site Description:
Sound View Camp and Retreat Center is set on 100 wooded acres in the Pacific Northwest. The camp is owned by the , a Christian denomination with a strong focus on social and environmental justice. Sound View sweeps down to half a mile of beautiful waterfront acreage on Puget Sound. The grounds contain a large teaching garden, farm animals, nature trails through a mature forest and a biodiverse shoreline. Some of the activities offered are boating, a ropes course, archery, arts and crafts and gaga ball. Located forty minutes from the town of Gig Harbor, Washington, this would be considered a relatively remote, peaceful location.
The camp has a few main areas of focus: outdoor environmental education (with primarily school groups), family camping and retreats, and Presbyterian summer camping. Sound View will be converting to a 501(c)(3) in the next year and experiencing other shifts in governance structure and partnerships. As this new structure is implemented, it is expected that the Camp Director will live off-site and work part time, while Sound View will have full time Outdoor Environmental Education and Program Directors who are responsible, respectively, for school groups and other guest groups, including summer campers.
This is a full time, year-round position. The Program Director position varies from season to season. In the summer, the Program Director will have lead responsibility for the Presbyterian summer camp season (1 month currently) and for other guest groups who use the space for their own programs. The OEE Director will support these summer activities.
In Spring and Fall the Program Director will be primarily responsible for weekend groups and will support the OEE Director in working with school groups.
In Winter, the Program Director will conduct family camps, help with winter maintenance, supervise AmeriCorps NCCC teams, and plan for summer.
Annual Salary and Benefits:
- Cash salary of $48,000-52,000, depending on experience or qualifications
- An additional amount equal to 15% of the salary will be deposited either into a pre-tax retirement account, paid for health insurance, or a combination of the two (equalling 15%)
- On-site housing
- Meals when food service is provided to guests
- Applicant’s choice of the entire month of December or January off (paid) plus 10 more days of paid vacation (must alternate month off with the OEE Director)
- Paid holidays and sick leave
Reports to: Camp Director
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Offers a positive attitude and welcoming atmosphere for diverse guests of all ages. Goes above and beyond to provide hospitality.
- Plans, creates, facilitates and teaches quality programming for summer campers.
- Recruits and retains campers for traditional summer residential camps.
- Recruits and serves as the main contact for non-school groups seeking to rent Sound View facilities and utilize its programs, including assistance choosing dates, selecting activities and lodging, and sending invoices.
- Uses camp management software for summer camp and retreat sign-ups.
- Participates in staff meetings and leads them as needed.
- Recruits, interviews, trains, supervises and manages summer staff, winter Americorps team, and other volunteers.
- Creates staff schedules for summer staff.
- Assist with implementation of American Camping Association standards.
- Supervises check-in and dismissal of campers and collects paperwork and allergy lists and communicates with the Food Service Manager. Conducts group satisfaction surveys.
- Plans and advertises other special non-school camps, possibly including family camps, spring break camps, holiday camps, work weekend volunteer camps, and winter camps.
- Supervises program activities as needed, including archery, arts and crafts, ropes course, waterfront, field games, and farm.
- Supervises upkeep of program areas, such as trails, supplies, orienteering courses, archery, ropes course, and Arts and Crafts room.
- Creates and distributes marketing materials (emails, flyers, posters) and updates SV social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram).
- Maintains and develops new collaborative relationships with churches in the Puget Sound area and other potential users.
- Seeks and applies for grants for programs as available. This includes an annual AmeriCorps NCCC application for a winter team.
- Attends at least two Olympia Presbytery and at least two Seattle Presbytery meetings annually to distribute marketing materials.
- Actively participates as a member of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA).
- Other duties as assigned by the Camp Director.
Required Qualifications:
- At least 25 years old to meet ACA requirements as onsite director.
- Bachelor’s degree in education, outdoor recreation, or other relevant field (or equivalent experience in education and outdoor recreation)
- Previous experience managing and supervising staff in camp environment
- At least two prior seasons of experience in a leadership/supervisory position at a residential camp which includes faith-based camping sessions
- At least five years experience working with diverse groups of children and adults
- Strong organizational and management skills
- Excellent oral and written communication and collaboration skills
- Flexibility and adaptability for upcoming changes at camp
- Experience with marketing (making promotional materials) and communications (Facebook, Instagram, emails)
- Experience or willingness to learn use of a variety of technologies, including Google Drive, UltraCamp, Cognito Forms, and Firefly Campground Management.
- Support Sound View’s plan to expand our summer camp programs, and commitment to the
- Access to a car, as site has no access to public transportation, and some tasks will involve driving to events and meetings (gas mileage for work-related driving will be reimbursed)
- Ability to lift 40 pounds and walk ~five miles a day while camp is in session
- Current First Aid, CPR, and food handling certifications (can complete after hiring)
- Must be able to pass background check and participate in child safety trainings
- Must be able to comply with and maintain a smoke-free and drug-free camp environment
Desired Qualifications:
- Background in a Reformed faith tradition and commitment to camping as a spiritual ministry (important for faith based summer camp programming).
- Experience as a Ropes Course Facilitator or willingness to be trained and comfortable with climbing to heights of 40 feet or more.
- Lifeguarding certification
- Specialized training and experience in archery or boating
- Bilingual skills are a plus, but not required
- Familiarity with American Camp Association standards
Sound View Camp is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, age, political ideology, national or ethnic origin, disability, actual or perceived medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Application Requirements:
Please email resume to . We will reply within a few weeks and possibly invite you to submit a cover letter and references. This is to minimize the need to write a cover letter to only those who meet our minimum qualifications. All interviews will happen after the application deadline.
Application Deadline: March 20, 2024
Anticipated Start Date: ~May 1, 2024
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $48,000.00 - $52,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible spending account
- Paid time off
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed
Ability to Relocate:
- Longbranch, WA 98351: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person