Senior Program Director

BRANCH:
Camp Bernie

LOCATION:

Port Murray, NJ

REPORTS TO:

SVP of Childcare and Camps
POSITION TYPE:
Full-Time Exempt
PAY RATE: $60,000-$70,000 Annually

OUR CULTURE:
At the Ridgewood Y, our mission and core values come to life through our culture. Guided by our four pillars—caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility—we live our cause of strengthening communities with purpose and intentionality every day. As a nonprofit charitable organization, we have been committed to serving youth, adults, and families across Northern New Jersey and the Camp Bernie area since 1902, as part of the worldwide YMCA movement.

Through programs focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, we create meaningful connections that build spirit, mind, and body for all. Our team is dependable, hardworking, and always ready to roll up our sleeves to get the job done. We believe in the power of diversity, collaboration, and showing up for one another—because together, we are stronger. If you’re looking to make a difference and be part of a mission-driven team, the Ridgewood Y is the place for you!

The Ridgewood YMCA is an equal opportunity employer. We believe our strength lies in our diversity and are committed to being an inclusive organization. We welcome applicants from any and all walks of life.

BENEFITS:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Paid vacation, sick, and bereavement days
• Retirement Savings & 403(b) Smart Account after eligibility requirements are met.
• On-site Housing

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Program Director provides senior-level leadership for YMCA Camp Bernie’s Outdoor Education programs, serving as the primary leader responsible for curriculum quality, instructional delivery, school partnerships, staff development, and participant experience. In addition to leading Outdoor Education, this position oversees summer camp operations, year-round programs, groups, retreats, and related camp experiences to ensure consistent quality, safety, mission alignment, and operational excellence across all program areas.

Reporting directly to the SVP of Childcare and Camps, and serving as second in command, this role serves as a trusted strategic and operational partner, supporting executive decision-making, departmental planning, budget management, staff leadership, risk management, and cross-functional coordination across camp operations.

JOB FUNCTION:

• Outdoor Education Leadership: Lead the vision, planning, delivery, and continuous improvement of Camp Bernie’s Outdoor Education programs as the primary focus of the position. Develop and refine curriculum, instructional standards, schedules, staff training, and program systems that support high-quality school, youth, and community experiences. Ensure Outdoor Education programs are mission-centered, age-appropriate, engaging, safe, and aligned with YMCA values and educational outcomes.
• Summer Camp and Program Oversight: Provide senior oversight for summer camp, year-round camp programs, groups, retreats, and special program experiences. Partner with program leaders to ensure consistent standards for staffing, supervision, schedules, participant care, program quality, and family or client communication. Support planning and execution across seasons to strengthen program continuity, camper and participant retention, and overall camp impact.
• Senior Operational Leadership: Serve as the number two operational leader to the SVP of Childcare and Camps for YMCA Camp Bernie. Support executive leadership with day-to-day decision-making, annual planning, budget development, revenue and expense monitoring, staff structure, compliance, risk management, and implementation of strategic priorities. Provide leadership coverage and direction when the SVP is unavailable or when delegated.
• Staff Leadership and Cross-Functional Coordination: Recruit, hire, train, supervise, coach, and evaluate Outdoor Education and program staff while supporting seasonal leadership teams. Coordinate closely with facilities, food service, registration, marketing, finance, and other YMCA departments to ensure programs are well-planned, adequately staffed, properly resourced, and delivered…