Careers

SUMMER DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, URJ CAMP HARLAM
Location:  Remote during the academic year; in residence at URJ Camp Harlam during the summer
Organization: Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)
Department: Camps & Immersives 
Employment Type: Seasonal Leadership Role with Year-Round Responsibilities
Reporting to: Associate Camp Director 
Start Date: ASAP 
Salary Range: $12,000

THE ROLE
URJ Camp Harlam seeks a Summer Department Director to serve as a senior seasonal leader responsible for supervising, executing, and continuously strengthening multiple program departments. This role includes academic-year planning and hiring responsibilities, followed by full-time, in-residence leadership during the summer season.

As a member of the Professional Staff team, the Summer Department Director plays a central role in ensuring high-quality, safe, and mission-aligned program delivery across camp. Camp Harlam provides immersive Jewish camp experiences for young people from diverse backgrounds and is committed to fostering an environment where all campers and staff feel safe, supported, and able to participate fully.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

LEAD & INSPIRE CAMP LIFE
Function as a core member of the Professional Staff (“pro staff”) team. Collaborate closely with Pro Staff team members to support shared goals and operational planning, and to execute an excellent summer experience. Engage in ongoing evaluation, reflection and improvement alongside pro staff. 
•    Academic Year: Attend meetings for assigned areas of responsibility, align planning work to overall team strategy, participate in seasonal hiring process
•    Summer: Fulfill all responsibilities of the position and represent the professional staff team in terms of approach and accountability throughout camp; attend all pro staff meetings and fulfill pro staff responsibilities  \

DEPARTMENT SUPERVISION
Supervision of the staff, program, and operation of the following departments of camp: Adventure, Arts, Athletics, Programming, Teva (Nature), and Waterfront including the hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating the seasonal department leadership. Summer Department Director will support the programmatic and budgetary aspects of the department areas, as well as the management of the physical facilities and equipment, including ordering new replacement supplies, as needed. Ensure all Department areas plan and implement programming with defined goals and objectives, that serve to allow campers both recreational and skill-building experiences. 

ALL-CAMP PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Implement and create camp-wide programming, including but not limited to carnivals, Maccabiah (color war), all-camp evening programs. Will also be responsible to ensure that we are creating an aspirational arc – with exclusive programmatic opportunities built into every age and stage for our campers. 

WHO YOU ARE
You are a strategic and creative leader who believes in the transformative power of camp. You excel at storytelling, marketing, and building community, and you bring energy, collaboration, and adaptability to every challenge. You enjoy mentoring staff, supporting families, and advancing initiatives that make camp experiences inclusive, meaningful, and fun.

KEYS TO SUCCESS (THE MUST-HAVES)
•    Relationship Building: You build strong relationships and communicate with warmth and clarity, earning trust with families, staff, campers, and partners. You mentor and coach staff with accountability and encouragement, fostering growth and shared leadership.
•    Creativity & Innovation: You bring fresh ideas to enhance engagement, strengthen operations, and improve outreach efforts and participant experiences.
•    Adaptability & Initiative: You thrive in a fast-paced, seasonal environment and manage multiple priorities while maintaining high standards. You manage details, systems, and logistics with consistency and follow-through, creating structures that supports excellence. 
•    Mission Alignment: You lead with values and are inspired by URJ’s vision, mission and commitment to inclusion, belonging, and Jewish life.

QUALIFICATIONS
•    Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in education, youth development, nonprofit leadership, communications, or a related field. Leadership experience working in residential summer camps or immersive environments is strongly preferred.
•    Ability to work a 10-15 hour schedule during the program year and full-time, on-site during the summer season. 
•    Strong organizational and project management skills
•    Ability for occasional travel to camp during the off-season for professional development, or staff programs.
•    Ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

ABOUT US
Every team member at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) plays an essential role in our mission to create a whole, just, and compassionate world. Our team is creative, thoughtful, and innovative. Each member of the team is empowered to make meaningful contributions to achieving our shared goals. Our diverse team is made up of individuals with different skills and backgrounds and every team member is willing to take risks as well as take action to develop and create big ideas for the future of the Reform Movement. While this position focuses on a particular area of work, every team member is a vital part of our overall success.  

The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) provides vision and voice to build strong communities that, together, transform the way people connect to Judaism and change the world. We acknowledge that due to racism, ableism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression, that our communities are not whole until everyone experiences a sense of belonging within the Jewish community. As the largest Jewish movement in North America, we stand for a Judaism that is inclusive and reflective of a wide range of identities and accept the responsibility of dismantling oppression both inside and outside of our communities. Through camping, youth experiences, programs, information sharing, and networking opportunities, our over 850 congregations and 14 residential camps create opportunities for our communities to enhance their capacity to build and expand community, engage in meaningful and authentic Jewish life, deepen Jewish learning, energize worship, pursue social justice and develop inspired leadership. Together, our employees and stakeholders, are creating Reform Judaism of today.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply online and submit the following documents with your application. Please upload all documents as a single combined PDF document. You may need to log back into the candidate profile to upload the documents outlined below.
1.    A resume, highlighting your relevant experience.
2.    A brief statement of interest (250 words or fewer) outlining your skills and experience and how you meet the essential functions and qualifications of the position. 
3.    Answers to the following questions:
a.    Being a member of our professional staff is being a member of a team. Using any experiences from your work or life as examples, in what way do you feel that you might be an asset to that team? What do you think you bring that is most valuable, most unique and/or most integral to the team’s success?
b.    Tell us about the best team that you have ever worked with: what made the team work so well together to achieve your shared goals? What did you learn that you would bring to this role? Describe your approach to supervising and supporting department leaders. How would you help strong staff grow while also ensuring accountability and high program standards?
c.    After reviewing the job description for the position, please list the top 2 areas of responsibility where you think you might excel most AND top 2 areas of potential responsibility that you think you might need the most help and time to learn.
d.    Tell us about a mistake you made in your last position or in current position. Explain how you handled it and what you learned from the experience.
The URJ strives to be a welcoming and inclusive environment that acknowledges diversity as a critical strength. We promote strenuous policies and practices of equal opportunity and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals including those of any race, color, religion, gender, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations. The URJ encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, and other often underrepresented groups.