Founding Academic Director - Elementary Family Cam

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.

As the Founding Academic Director, 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 8–10 in the National Math Stars (NMS) Voyager program. 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 camp will not have a traditional admissions process in its first year. Instead, we will work closely with NMS staff to identify Voyager students who are a strong fit for this immersive residential experience.

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.

About the Role

This position consists of two linked appointments, both reporting to the CEO:

• Academic Planning Director (part-time, hourly): Year-round preparatory work, including academic planning, faculty hiring, and collaboration with HQ and NMS staff.

• Academic Director (seasonal, salaried): On-site academic leadership during camp.

The Academic Planning Director appointment will begin in spring 2026, with the first summer as Academic Director being summer 2027.

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.

What You’ll Do - Preparing for Your First Summer

• Collaborate with HQ to design the camp’s academic program, schedule, and staffing structure.

• Participate in the hiring of faculty and learning assistants; make final hiring decisions.

• Partner with HQ and National Math Stars staff to identify Voyager students who are a good fit for the program.

• Support faculty in preparing their courses and help plan on-site faculty orientation.

• Finalize course offerings, schedules, learning assistant assignments, and guest speakers.

• Prepare for any additional academic programming and for any classes you will personally teach.

• Determine academic purchasing needs.

• Prepare for on-site learning assistant training.

• Participate in the annual camp leadership retreat each spring (beginning in spring 2027).

Note: If the camp expands beyond Voyager students in future years, then you’ll be expected to participate in the admissions process. This includes designing the application problem set and making final admissions decisions.  

What You’ll Do - During Camp

• Lead training and orientation for faculty and learning assistants.

• Teach classes, including mentoring any learning assistants assigned to your course.

• Oversee and mentor faculty; lead regular faculty meetings; observe instruction and provide feedback to ensure high instructional quality.

• Oversee learning assistants and help resolve issues that arise.

• Lead or oversee additional academic programming elements.

• Assign students to classes.

• Participate actively in camp leadership meetings and collaborate to keep camp running smoothly, stepping in to assist with urgent issues or special situations as needed.

• Be a visible part of the camp community—regularly sharing meals with students and joining non-academic activities.

• During wrap-up, review and edit camper letters home and provide performance feedback for faculty and learning assistants.

What We’re Looking For: 

• Academic Background: Ph.D. (or equivalent experience) in mathematics or a closely related field strongly preferred.

• Teaching Experience: Significant experience teaching mathematics using active-learning approaches.

• Math Enrichment Experience: Experience teaching mathematically advanced K–6 students in a math summer program or similar enrichment setting.

• Student Focus: A passion for creating transformational experiences that help students learn what it means to be a mathematician through exploration and problem-solving.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to mentor and inspire faculty, learning assistants, and students.

• Collaboration: Ability to work closely with other camp leaders to foster a safe, inclusive, and joyful environment.

• Energy & Enthusiasm: Excitement about spending several weeks actively engaging with young learners, families, and colleagues.

Logistics:

Academic Director Appointment

• For summer 2027, we anticipate two weeks of camp, for a total on-site commitment of approximately three weeks. In future summers, the on-site commitment may be up to five weeks.

• We provide a stipend of $2000/week for this period, plus room, board, and travel.

• We are happy to accommodate Academic Directors traveling with family members or with housing needs that prevent use of standard room and board arrangements.

Academic Planning Director Appointment

• Compensated at $50/hour for academic-year work.

• Typically 100–125 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.

How to Apply

Apply on our website here. We will consider applications on a rolling basis. Please note that all applicants must be authorized to work in the US. National Math camps is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Feel free to reach out to jobs@nationalmathcamps.org with any questions.