Executive Director Camp Kanata

About the Role

The Overnight Camp Executive Director of Camp Kanata serves as the strategic and operational leader of a premier YMCA overnight camp, driving community engagement, staff development, and program excellence. This role is responsible for cultivating strong community partnerships, leading high-performing teams, and ensuring alignment with the YMCA of the Triangle’s mission and strategic goals. The Executive Director oversees camp year-round operations, summer overnight programming, staff development, financial performance, philanthropic growth, and facility management while fostering a culture of innovation, inclusion, and impact. As a visible ambassador of the YMCA, the Executive Director champions the organization’s values and advances its presence and influence within the community.

Responsibilities

• Drives Strategic Community Engagement: Serves as a leading and public-facing voice and presence in the community, cultivating strategic partnerships with local organizations, chambers of commerce, businesses, schools, and governments to strengthen the Y’s community connection and mission alignment.
• Leads and Empowers High-Performing Teams: Provides visionary strategic and tactical leadership to the Overnight Camp Leadership Team and broader camp staff, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach to decision-making and team development.
• Stewards an Engaged and Diverse Advisory Board: Leads the development and engagement of the Overnight Camp Advisory Board, recruiting mission-aligned members and partnering with the Association Resource Center to guide board-driven initiatives.
• Champions Talent Development and Growth: Recruits, develops, and retains exceptional, diverse staff teams through intentional onboarding, coaching, and performance development.
• Ensures Operational Collaboration and Alignment: Collaborates with YMCA of the Triangle subject matter experts, enterprise-wide departments, and other branches to design, deliver, evaluate, and innovate overnight camp programs.
• Leads Philanthropic Growth and Volunteer Engagement: Partners with the Philanthropy Department to drive fundraising efforts, including the Annual Campaign, major donor cultivation, and stewardship of key relationships.
• Drives Fiscal Stewardship and Performance: Oversees financial planning, budget management, and critical decision-making to ensure strong financial health and sustainable growth.
• Ensures Effective and High-Quality Programs and Engagement: Supports the design and execution of high-quality, innovative programs that advance association-wide priorities and address community needs.
• Guides Annual Planning and Execution: Directs the development and implementation of the camp’s annual operating plan, ensuring alignment with association strategies and measurable outcomes.
• Fosters a Culture of Innovation and Impact: Cultivates a forward-thinking culture that encourages creativity, continuous improvement, and a focus on the member experience.
• Ensures Operational Excellence in Programs and Facilities: Oversees all overnight camp facilities, assets, and equipment to ensure safety, cleanliness, and functionality for a best-in-class YMCA experience.
• Stewards, Protects, and Champions the YMCA’s Brand: Strategically advances and protects the YMCA of the Triangle’s brand, ensuring alignment with national standards and reinforcing brand integrity.
• Acts as a Visible Ambassador: Serves as the face of overnight camp, ensuring professional and mission-aligned communications with stakeholders such as parents, campers, staff, alumni, volunteers, board members, and donors.
• Contributes to Enterprise-Wide Leadership: Actively participates in association-wide leadership initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration and advancing the YMCA’s strategic direction.
• Exemplifies Mission-Driven Leadership: Demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the YMCA’s mission and community impact through agile and resilient leadership.
• Maintains Professional Engagement: Ensures accreditation through the American Camp Association (ACA) and participates in industry networks, including ACA and Y-USA conferences and committees. Completes all required annual trainings related to safety, compliance, and child protection.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, human services, or a related field required.
• Minimum of eight years of progressive management experience, preferably in the nonprofit sector, with a strong background in strategic planning, board and volunteer engagement, fundraising, and overseeing multi-site operations.
• Experience in overnight camping programs is a plus.
• Proven ability to lead complex operations in collaboration with corporate offices and subject matter experts through staff and community engagement, volunteer development, philanthropy, and program delivery.
• Strong financial acumen and management skills, with the ability to develop, implement, and manage complex budgets and evaluate financial performance.
• Strong understanding of business drivers, strategic priorities, and funding opportunities, with the ability to align local efforts with broader organizational goals.
• Skilled in building and sustaining strong, collaborative relationships with high-level community volunteers and leaders.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including public speaking, meeting facilitation (in person and virtual), and written communication.
• Demonstrated ability to relate effectively and work in partnership with diverse groups of people from all backgrounds; multilingual ability is a plus.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, lead, and develop staff through change, fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Ability to provide essential feedback to key leaders and staff to support professional growth and development.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure while maintaining excellence.
• Outstanding commitment to the YMCA Mission and Purpose, with the proven ability to model and teach unifying behavior to support Y culture and develop high-performing teams.