Founding Academic Director, Elementary Family Math Camp

Are you a visionary math educator excited to shape the academic heart of a new elementary family math camp? As the Founding Academic Director, you’ll partner closely with the CEO to design and lead the academic experience for National Math Camps’ first elementary family program.

You’ll have meaningful ownership over program structure, curriculum, and faculty selection—without carrying the full weight of camp operations. Your core focus will be on cultivating a vibrant academic community for extraordinary young students, and on supporting faculty in creating immersive, joyful mathematical experiences grounded in exploration and discovery. You won’t be doing this alone: you’ll collaborate with a supportive HQ team and a growing network of mathematicians and camp leaders.

We plan to launch this camp in summer 2027. For at least the first year, this camp will exclusively serve students ages 8–11 in the National Math Stars (NMS) Voyager and Pathfinder programs. The mission of National Math Stars is to ensure that mathematically extraordinary students from all communities have the resources they need to reach the frontiers of math and science. Because of this partnership, the admissions process will be streamlined and in collaboration with National Math Stars. 

We anticipate hosting two one-week sessions in year one, with plans to expand to up to four one-week sessions in future summers. We have not yet finalized a location, but are actively exploring sites in the Midwest. The Academic Director should expect to be on site for the camp weeks, plus approximately one additional week total for preparation and wrap-up. Please note that this is a family residential camp. Campers will stay with their families in our host hotel, and staff will not be responsible for camper supervision outside the designated daytime camp hours. However, National Math Camps will lead some activities for campers and their families in the evening at the hotel, with campers supervised by their parents.

This position consists of two separate appointments. The first is a part-time Academic Planning Director appointment, which is compensated on an hourly basis. The second is a seasonal Academic Director appointment, which is compensated on a salary basis. Both report to the CEO. The responsibilities listed below are separated based on which appointment they’re part of.

More interested in working with middle or high school students? We'll also be hiring for Associate Academic Directors at our west-coast middle & early high school camps for summer 2027.

About Us

At National Math Camps, we believe that summer math camps provide transformative experiences that deeply strengthen students' mathematical knowledge and identity. Many of today’s premier mathematicians and scientists point to their participation in math camps as a critical step in their mathematical journeys. It is in these immersive programs that they discovered the beauty and joy of mathematics in a tight-knit community of other “mathy” students and decided to pursue careers that push innovation in the STEM fields. 

Yet, the demand for rigorous math camps in the U.S. far exceeds the available opportunities, leaving many talented students without access to these life-changing experiences. We’re here to change that. Our mission is to ensure that all mathematically talented students have access to rigorous summer programs where they can thrive.

What You'll Do

During the Year (Academic Planning Director appointment):

August through Dec (10 - 20 hrs total)

• Collaborate with HQ to refine the camp’s academic program, schedule, and staffing structure.
• Begin recruiting faculty.

Jan through June (80 - 100 hrs total)

• Participate in the hiring of academic staff.
• Partner with HQ and National Math Stars staff to make final admissions decisions.
• Provide pre-camp training, support, and resources to academic staff to help them prepare for their teaching responsibilities.  
• Finalize course list and schedule, and designate a counselor or apprentice faculty member as the learning assistant for each course.
• Determine faculty schedules, and partner with the camp director on counselor schedules.
• Determine academic purchasing needs.
• Prepare for your own teaching, and any additional academic program elements.
• Prepare for on-site faculty and counselor training/orientation. 
• Participate in the camp leadership retreat if possible.

Note: If the camp expands beyond National Math Stars students in future years, you will also be responsible for contributing to the development of the admissions problem set each fall. For summer 2027, we will have a streamlined application process that does not include a problem set.

During Camp (Academic Director appointment):

• Lead the academic segments of training/orientation for faculty and counselors.
• Teach classes, including providing mentorship to any apprentice faculty or counselors assisting with your class.
• Oversee and mentor faculty, lead regular faculty meetings, and monitor instructional quality through observations and feedback. Help faculty course-correct quickly if needed.
• Oversee counselors in their academic duties, ensuring that they receive mentorship from their assigned faculty member(s) and helping to resolve any issues that arise. 
• Lead or oversee any non-class academic programming.
• Assign students to classes.
• Participate in camp leadership meetings and collaborate as part of the leadership team to keep camp running smoothly. Step in to assist with urgent issues or special situations outside your core responsibilities, modeling flexibility and teamwork for staff.
• Be part of the camp community, regularly sharing meals with students and joining non-academic camp activities.
• During camp wrap-up, review and edit camper letters home, and provide performance feedback for faculty and counselors.

What We're Looking For

Experience & Skills

• Ph.D. in mathematics or a closely related field.
• Significant mathematics teaching experience, including experience using an active-learning approach and experience teaching mathematically advanced K-12 students. 
• Experience providing training, mentorship, and supervision to instructors or teaching/learning assistants. 
• Prior exposure to math summer programs, including as a visitor, attendee, volunteer, or staff member. Prior experience teaching at an NMC camp strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team. 
• Strong organizational and logistical management skills, with an ability to balance multiple priorities and respond calmly under pressure; track record of resilience when managing through unanticipated setbacks.
• Excellent judgment and communication skills, with the ability to make thoughtful decisions in real time.

Leadership & Culture

• Passion for creating transformational experiences that help students learn what it’s like to be a mathematician through exploration, problem-solving, and discovery.
• Commitment to creating a safe, joyful, and equitable environment for all students and staff.
• Ownership mindset — takes ownership of outcomes and is ready to step in wherever needed to ensure success.
• Collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for being part of a rapidly scaling mission-driven organization; comfortable in a scrappy, early-stage start up environment.
• Growth mindset; actively seeks out feedback, including from supervisors and direct reports.
• Energy, presence, and excitement about living and working on-site for several weeks as part of a tight-knit community.

Requirements

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Our Values

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Logistics

Academic Director Appointment

• For summer 2027, we anticipate two weeks of camp and one week of on-site prep and training, for a total on-site commitment of approximately three weeks. Tentative on-site dates are July 5 - July 26, 2027. In future summers, please note that the on-site commitment may be up to five weeks.
• We provide a stipend of $6000 for this period, plus room, board, and travel.

Academic Planning Director Appointment

• Compensated at $50/hour for academic-year work.
• Typically 90 - 120 hours total during the academic year.

Additional Benefits

• Children/dependents of camp staff receive a 20% discount on tuition to any NMC camp.
• Camp leadership are eligible for our 401(k) plan, including a 4% company match. 

Commitment

We ask camp leadership to plan on committing to at least two summers (2027 and 2028), and we hope you’ll remain part of the National Math Camps community for many years to come.

Why Join Us?

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How to Apply

Click "APPLY FOR THIS JOB" below to fill out the online application.

• A portfolio is not necessary for this position. 
• We will ask for a reference in the application and request that the reference you provide can speak to your skills that are relevant to the role.
• Please note that all applicants must be authorized to work in the US.

We will consider applications on a rolling basis. National Math Camps is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions.