Executive Director

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Reports to: Board of Directors

Organization Website: https://www.campgilboa.org/

Who We Are:

Camp Gilboa is a progressive summer camp and year-round community creating vibrant Jewish life for children ages 7-18. Our programs ignite passion for justice, foster critical thinking, and empower youth to be active in their communities. Our youth-led model mirrors the kibbutz environment, where both campers and counselors take ownership of camp activities and nurture an inclusive, social-justice-oriented community. We support this unique model through creative programs, thoughtful mentorship, and the trust and support of alumni, parents, and the greater community.

Our camp is located in Big Bear Lake, CA, and our year-round community is active in Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area. Gilboa is one of six summer camps in the U.S. and Canada that are part of Habonim Dror North America, a youth movement with a legacy in the progressive labor Zionist community.

Executive Director - Summary:

The Executive Director (ED) is Gilboa’s primary organizational leader, reporting to the Board. The ED oversees and directs mission alignment, fiscal and operational health, staff development, safety, fundraising, and partnerships. A successful ED will mentor and empower young leaders while establishing clear guardrails to ensure safety, equity, and the achievement of our educational goals. The ED nurtures and guides our young adult staff to make safe, thoughtful—and sometimes delightfully silly—choices that shape campers’ every experience, while overseeing the operational management of camp and year-round programs. The ED is responsible for ensuring the year-round staff team is prepared to manage camper well-being, on-site facilities maintenance, organizational growth and recruitment, and strong relationships with parents and community members.

The ED represents Gilboa within Habonim Dror North America (HDNA), the wider camp field, the West Coast Jewish community, and the Big Bear region. A successful candidate should know and love summer camps and thrive in developing relationships with community members. It should be someone who is eager to engage with alumni from the 1950s, passionate college students, and wily third graders. They should be creative and ambitious, and be able to support Gilboa in its growth and impact. As a small and nimble organization, Gilboa’s success requires senior management to be deeply involved in day-to-day operations.

Principal Responsibilities:

Mission, Program, & Community

• Infuse joy, community, and justice across Camp and year-round programs.
• Coach youth leadership by setting expectations, providing feedback, and supporting their decision-making and leadership development.
• Oversee year-round recruitment and retention of campers and counselors.
• Steward relationships with alumni and families.
• Initiate new partnerships, programs, and other opportunities in Jewish and social justice-oriented communities in California to support Gilboa’s growth and impact.
• Collaborate with the Foundation for Jewish Camp, local Federations, JCamp180, Habonim Dror Camp Association (HDCA) network, and other communal organizations to stay abreast of trends and development opportunities and ensure the adoption and implementation of best practices

Operations, Risk, & Compliance

• Ensure camper health and safety, including hiring and managing on-site medics.
• Train, supervise, and manage year-round and summer staff.
• Provide 24/7 on-site oversight from mid-June to mid-August, with the support of Assistant Directors and a facilities manager.
• Oversee year-round operations: HR, payroll, taxes, vendors/contracts, and compliance.

Planning, Governance, & Finance

• Lead strategic planning with the Board; support Board and committee work.
• Oversee fund development, including donor stewardship, fundraising campaigns, and grant writing, in collaboration with board leadership.
• Lead annual budget process; manage the annual budget; work with a bookkeeper and the finance committee to produce clear financial reporting.

Desired Qualifications:

• 5-7+ years in camp, nonprofit, or educational leadership with staff supervision (adults+youth), Board/volunteer coordination, budgeting, and fundraising.
• Knowledge, or willingness to learn about progressive Jewish communities in the US and Israel/Palestine; commitment to youth leadership and social justice.
• Experience working with children and teens, preferably in a summer camp setting.
• Able to live at camp during the summer session.
• Able to act decisively in emergencies.
• Experience with membership/registration systems, Google Workspace, and QuickBooks.
• Ability to work in a high-altitude, physically demanding outdoor environment.
• Ability to travel throughout California periodically for outreach and to supervise year-round events in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
• Flexibility to work irregular hours, including frequent weekend hours.
• A relevant master's degree is preferred.

Work Conditions and Benefits:

• Location: Los Angeles (hybrid in off-season); full-time residence at off-grid Big Bear site during summer.
• Office: Year-round office at the J LA (formerly the Westside JCC).
• Benefits: Healthcare (including dental and vision), PTO, flexible off-season hours, 401(k) retirement plan, and free camp tuition for eligible-age children
• In addition to PTO, federal holidays, and major Jewish holidays, the office is closed for two weeks after the summer for staff to recharge after a busy camp season.

Salary:

$100,000 - $150,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits

To apply, please email your cover letter and resume to GilboaEDSearch@campgilboa.org

Applications received by October 31 will receive full consideration. While we encourage early applications, we will continue to review candidates after that date until the position is filled.

Healthcare (including dental and vision), PTO, flexible off-season hours, 401(k) retirement plan, and free camp tuition for eligible-age children

In addition to PTO, federal holidays, and major Jewish holidays, the office is closed for two weeks after the summer for staff to recharge after a busy camp season.