La Jolla Country Day School (LJCDS) is seeking an entrepreneurial, energetic, and highly motivated Director of Summer and After School Experiences to lead and grow our summer, extended-day, and after school programs.
The Director will own these programs end-to-end-from developing the vision and program portfolio, to driving enrollment, managing the business, hiring and leading staff, and ensuring an exceptional experience for every child and family.
What You'll Do- Program Strategy & Growth
- Develop and execute a vision and strategy for Country Day's enrichment programs, to include summer, after school, and extended day
- Assess the needs of LJCDS families and the broader San Diego community to identify new offerings, partnerships, and growth opportunities
- Develop and manage the annual program portfolio, including offerings, schedules, capacities, pricing, and requirements
- Evaluate enrollment, family feedback, and market trends to continuously strengthen programs
- Enrollment, Marketing & Community Outreach
- Own enrollment goals and develop strategies to drive participation, retention, and growth
- Develop effective digital marketing, communications, and community outreach strategies, in partnership with the Marketing and Communications team
- Build relationships with community organizations and represent LJCDS at relevant events and outreach opportunities
- Ensure timely, clear communication with families throughout the registration and program experience
- Business & Financial Management
- Develop and manage annual program budgets, pricing, enrollment targets, revenue projections, and expenses
- Monitor financial and enrollment performance and use data to inform decisions that support program quality and revenue goals
- Oversee registration and billing processes to ensure an efficient, user-friendly experience for families
- Team Leadership
- Recruit, hire, train, schedule, supervise, and retain exceptional seasonal staff, with clear roles, expectations, and performance standards
- Build a team culture centered on safety, service, professionalism, inclusion, and a genuine commitment to children
- Coach and develop staff and cultivate future program leaders
- Operations & Execution
- Oversee day-to-day operations across all programs, ensuring high-quality and consistent program delivery
- Coordinate staffing, schedules, facilities, registration systems, communications, supplies, and other operational needs
- Manage campus space and vendor relationships to support successful program delivery
- Anticipate and resolve operational challenges while keeping appropriate stakeholders informed
- Make the physical and emotional safety of every child the highest priority
- Establish and reinforce safety protocols, emergency procedures, supervision standards, and risk-management practices
- Plan programming for students of faculty and staff on non-class days during the school year
Who You Are- Entrepreneurial Builder: You are energized by the opportunity to create and grow something and naturally look for possibilities rather than limitations.
- Business-Minded: You are comfortable with budgets, pricing, enrollment data, revenue goals, and the financial realities of running a successful program.
- Strong Team Leader: You know that exceptional programs depend on exceptional people and have a track record of recruiting, developing, and retaining strong teams.
- Exceptional Operator: You can move comfortably between big-picture strategy and the details required to execute multiple programs successfully.
- Experience-Focused: You understand what families value and are committed to creating experiences that earn their trust and bring them back.
- Solutions-Oriented: You are curious, optimistic, resourceful, and resilient. When you identify a problem, your instinct is to find a path forward.
- Collaborative & Community-Minded: You build strong relationships with children, families, educators, colleagues, vendors, and community partners and value creating an environment where every child feels safe, known, included, and valued.
Qualifications- Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; relevant degree in education, business, recreation, child development, hospitality, nonprofit management, or a related field preferred
- 3+ years of progressively responsible experience leading camps, auxiliary programs, youth organizations, enrichment programs, or related operations
- Experience working with children and families and leading seasonal or part-time teams
- Program & Business Leadership
- Proven experience developing and managing programs, including budgeting, enrollment, staffing, and operations
- Strong business acumen, including pricing, revenue forecasting, and financial analysis
- Experience with marketing, enrollment growth, customer engagement, or community outreach preferred
- Knowledge of child development, age-appropriate programming, supervision, and positive behavior management
- Technology & Other Requirements
- Proficiency with registration platforms, databases, and program-management systems; working knowledge of Google Workspace
- Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, extended hours, and peak seasonal periods
Work Environment & Physical Requirements- Full-time, in-person, campus-based role requiring regular physical presence on campus
- Work takes place in office, classroom, and outdoor campus environments
- Work hours may vary throughout the year based on program needs, with particularly demanding schedules during peak programming periods
- Requires sitting, standing, walking, and movement throughout campus
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 lbs.
- Ability to work at a desk and computer for extended periods
- Ability to bend, turn, reach, and move independently throughout campus
Salary Range$75,000-$95,000. The salary offer to a successful candidate will depend on factors including experience, education, training, and relevant skills.
This position may also be eligible for a performance-based incentive tied to program goals.
To be considered, please submit:- A current resume/CV
- A cover letter expressing your interest in joining the LJCDS community and describing your relevant experience in program leadership, business operations, team building, and/or youth programming
We value authenticity in the application process and ask candidates to refrain from using AI tools to generate their application materials.
