Assistant Director for Pathways 3:1 (Special Needs) Program, Camp Grossman

Do you have a sense of humor, patience, empathy, and compassion? Are you flexible and adaptable? Do you enjoy teaching others how to support children with special needs? Would you like to help children with special needs develop a love of summer camp, and see them find success outside of the school classroom? Pathways is Camp Grossman's inclusion program, which enables children with a broad range of developmental and/or cognitive disabilities and/or mental health challenges to successfully access camp with varying levels of support. As an Assistant Director for the program, you will work in collaboration with other professionals to create enriching, supportive, and memorable experiences for children enrolled in Pathways "3:1" (ratio of campers to staff) bunks, for campers needing the highest level of support. Working with the Pathways Director, the Assistant Director supports the front-line counselors to ensure our campers with disabilities are able to successfully access our camp program, including lakefront swimming, fishing, boating, arts, drama, sports, games, and more. Are you ready to make a real difference in the lives of Special Needs children? Join our growing team and celebrated program serving Special Needs campers from all across Greater Boston.

JCC Greater Boston is deeply committed to valuing and celebrating the uniqueness of each constituent. We welcome staff and participants from diverse backgrounds. While being proudly Jewish, we strive in every way to provide an open and welcoming setting for all, irrespective of personal practices, beliefs, or background. We are guided by JCC Greater Boston’s core values - Belonging, Joyfulness, Collaboration, and Transformation - which resonate with many who do not identify as Jewish. 

Primary responsibilities include, and are not limited to:  

• Collaborate closely with supervisors to meet program objectives
• Assist the Pathways Director in training staff to work effectively with all campers, including those with special needs
• Provide clear, supportive communication with parents, ensuring that the unique needs of Pathways campers are met, and key information is shared effectively
• Model professionalism and patience in all interactions with campers, parents and staff
• Offer hands-on support to Pathways campers, enabling them to participate fully in daily activities and meet their individual needs
• Provide guidance to staff and troubleshoot challenges to ensure successful camper experiences
• Prioritize the safety and well-being of campers at all times
• Partner with peers and leadership to foster a joyful and inclusive environment for campers and staff
• Assist in supervising a team of approximately 20 front-line Pathways counselors, as needed
• Join all staff in the parking lot in the morning and afternoon to welcome the safe arrival and departure of campers. 

 
Standard staff expectations include and are not limited to:

• Actively create a welcoming dynamic that contributes to an environment where everyone is valued and respected
• Actively participate as an essential team member and attend all staff meetings during or after camp as required
• Support JCC Greater Boston’s mission, vision, and values of belonging, joyfulness, collaboration, and transformation, including through role modeling
• Enthusiastically represent the organization, modeling excellence and achievement
• Complete all staff payroll and onboarding on time and before Orientation begins.
• Complete all pre-camp asynchronous on-line training modules and attend all pre-camp in-person orientation sessions.
• Other duties as assigned 

This is a great chance to join JCC Greater Boston's respected and valued, people-orientated workplace of diverse community services providers, which is rapidly growing!   
 

JOB DETAILS: We are an outdoor camp, located at Hale Reservation in Dover, MA.  This is an hourly position, Monday - Friday, for the camp season*. The regular Camp day runs from 8:15 - 4:15. In addition, the Assistant Directors for Pathways are expected to attend 3 or 4 staff meetings on Monday evenings at JCC Greater Boston. Assistant Director for Pathways also work between 4 and 8 additional evenings when Units with Pathways 3:1 bunks have Family Nights or Late Night programming over the course of the summer. Offering great perks, including JCC Health & Fitness center access, a supportive, vibrant in-person work environment, and a competitive starting pay rate of $19 per hour. The pay rate offered will ultimately be determined by relevant qualifications, experience and JCC's internal equity.

The regular Camp season begins June 23 and ends August 15 (with the option to also work the following "9th Week" as well). Orientation takes place (in-person and with different hours) the week of June 16th and ends with Visiting Day (a pre-camp visit for all campers and families to meet staff) on Sunday, June 22. While we prefer staff who can start Orientation Week and work the entire regular season, we are happy to consider quality candidates who may have conflicting obligations. 

About JCC Greater Boston 

Since opening its doors in 1983, JCC Greater Boston has been committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive, diverse community by nurturing meaningful, lasting relationships. Through our network of early learning centers, day camps, regional teen and family programs, health and wellness offerings, and adult arts and ideas classes, JCC Greater Boston provides highly valued connections, learning, and experiences for the Jewish community and friends. 

JCC Greater Boston staff enjoy working in an innovative, friendly, and welcoming environment where their talents and contributions are appreciated. In our recent employee survey, staff rated their direct management and organizational alignment experiences close to 90% positive. If you want to upgrade your working experience and have a better work-life balance, we encourage you to explore becoming part of the JCC team! 

To learn more about what makes JCC Greater Boston a wonderful place to work, please visit our careers page at https://www.bostonjcc.org/careers/ 

JCC Greater Boston is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich a diverse environment, we actively encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. 

Education and Experience:  

• Bachelorʼs Degree in Psychology or (Special) Education or a related field
• 1-2 years of professional experience working with young children.
• Experience supervising a small team of staff and experience working with children with special needs is preferred.
• Experience working in and/or attending summer camp is a plus 

 *An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted at the JCC’s discretion to meet minimum criteria.  

 Skills and Abilities:

• Enjoys working with children
• Models maturity and reliability with the ability to stay playful – exhibiting flexibility, patience, innovative problem solving and collaboration
• Shares Camp’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Possesses ability to manage situations calmly, effectively, and diplomatically
• Has a strong desire to make a difference every single day
• Possesses the ability to work independently and as part of a team, with strong relationship-building skills, fostering positive connections with campers, co-workers, and camp leadership
• Demonstrates excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and/or competing priorities
• Committed to ensuring the safety, well-being, and inclusion of all campers
• Positive, proactive, and compassionate approach, focused on creating a safe and enjoyable camp experience for children
• Must be a self-starter who takes initiative
• Demonstrates a history of superb interpersonal and active listening skills 
  

Physical Requirements:  

• Must be able to work in-person, on-site in Dover, Massachusetts
• Must be able to navigate 70 acres of rugged, uneven and rustic campgrounds independently
• Comfortable working all or most of the day outdoors or inside without air conditioning
• Able to work well in a busy, dynamic and sometimes noisy environment involving multiple tasks and priorities
• Able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 30-40 pounds (boxes of supplies, children’s backpacks etc.)
• Able to sit and kneel; getting down at eye level with children regularly. 

 
ADA Statement: Individuals must possess these criteria for knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation and using some other combination of skills and abilities. 

In addition to offering rewarding work and great career opportunities within our mission-driven, values-driven, and family-centric environment, JCC Greater Boston proudly offers employees the generous benefits listed below. 

JCCGB Perks! Each seasonal employee is eligible for access to JCC Greater Boston's top-class fitness, recreation, and wellness facility in Newton! Seasonal access to the JCC Fitness Center includes: 

• Use of the Fitness Center at Leventhal-Sidman JCC during active seasonal employment
• Free or discounted Camp Grossman enrollment for camp employees' children during the weeks worked.  Discount prorated based on number of regularly scheduled hours. 

 Benefits are subject to review and change by the Organization, and plan documents are the primary determinant. 

 
A Great Place to Work! JCC Greater Boston is consciously evolving as a great place to work! In our recent 2023 employee engagement survey, at least 88% of our staff gave us top ratings on: 

• Supportive colleagues
• Team camaraderie
• How their managers treat them
• Individual autonomy
• Knowing what their work contributes to and how it impacts others
• Pride in working for the JCC
• Program and service quality
• Holding ourselves accountable      

Our staff and leadership bring experience, excellence, and commitment to everything we offer, and we are dedicated to a culture where all our employees may thrive. Our culture is built on our values, driven by our mission, and nurtured through the expert contributions of our professionals.