Academic Director, Middle School Math Camp (Summer 2027)

Description

Are you a visionary math leader excited to shape the academic heart of a growing middle-school summer program? As the Academic Director for Camp Sierpinski, you’ll inherit a strong foundation and have the opportunity to thoughtfully refine and elevate the academic experience as the camp continues to grow. You’ll have meaningful ownership over curriculum, thematic direction, faculty hiring, and academic aspects of camper admissions — without carrying the full weight of camp operations.

Your core focus will be cultivating a vibrant community of extraordinary students and mathematicians and creating immersive, joyful mathematical experiences. And you won’t be doing it alone — you’ll collaborate closely with a supportive HQ team and a growing network of mathematicians and camp leaders.

This position consists of two linked appointments:

• Academic Planning Director (part-time, hourly): Year-round preparatory work, including camper admissions and faculty hiring.
• Academic Director (seasonal, salaried): Academic leadership during camp.

Both appointments report to the CEO. The Academic Planning Appointment will start in fall 2026, with summer 2027 being the first summer as Academic Director. However, we strongly encourage visiting Camp Sierpinski during summer 2026. Camp Sierpinski is held at William Peace University in Raleigh, NC, with the Academic Director on-site for five weeks each summer.

About Us

None

What You'll Do

Academic Planning Director Appointment:

August through December (15 - 25 hrs total)

• Collaborate with HQ and camp leadership to set next year’s budget, dates, location, program schedule, staffing structure, admissions process/requirements, and target enrollment.
• Develop or update the application problem set and evaluation rubric (may be done in collaboration with other Academic Directors if using a shared set).
• Make return offers for faculty and begin recruiting new faculty and guest speakers.

January through June (75 - 100 hrs total)

• Participate in the hiring of faculty and learning assistants. Make final decisions on who to hire. (For learning assistant positions, Academic Directors are not required to participate in the interview process, and can simply give final approval to hiring recommendations made by our HQ team after reviewing the candidate’s file.) 
• Contribute to camper admissions decision-making, with a focus on applicant’s mathematical readiness. 
• Provide support and resources to faculty in advance to help them prepare for their classes. 
• Provide resources to learning assistants and apprentice faculty to help them prepare for on-site training. 
• Finalize course list, schedule, learning assistant assignments, and guest speakers.
• Prepare for any additional academic program elements.
• Determine academic purchasing needs.
• Prepare for your own classes and guest lectures.
• Prepare for on-site faculty & learning assistant training/orientation. 
• Participate in the camp leadership retreat if possible.

Academic Director Appointment:

• Lead training/orientation for faculty and learning assistants.
• Teach classes, including providing mentorship to any apprentice faculty or learning assistants assigned to 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 learning assistants, ensuring that they receive mentorship from their assigned faculty member(s) and helping to resolve any issues that arise. 
• Lead or oversee non-class academic programming such as math team competitions or lecture series.
• 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 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 mathematics teaching experience, ideally using active-learning approaches.
• Math Enrichment Experience: Experience teaching mathematically advanced K–12 students in a math summer program (strongly preferred) or other enrichment setting. 
• Student Focus: Passion for creating transformational experiences that help students learn what it’s like to be a mathematician through exploration, problem-solving, and discovery.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to mentor and inspire faculty, teaching/learning assistants, and students.
• Collaboration: Ability to foster a positive, inclusive camp environment and work closely with other camp leaders to create a safe, joyful, and rigorous experience.
• Energy & Enthusiasm: Excitement about spending several weeks actively engaging with students and colleagues as part of a vibrant community.

Requirements

None

Our Values

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Logistics

Academic Director Appointment

The Academic Director will be on-site at Camp Sierpinski for five weeks each summer, including four weeks of camp and approximately one week of preparatory and wrap-up work. 

• The dates for summer 2027 are not yet determined, but typically fall between June 15 and July 31.
• We will provide a stipend of $2000/week for the on-site period, plus room, board, and round-trip travel. 
• We are happy to accommodate Academic Directors who are traveling with family members or who have housing needs that prevent them from utilizing our standard room and board arrangements.

Academic Planning Director Appointment

All Academic Planning Director work during the academic year is compensated at $50/hour, in addition to the stipend listed above. This typically totals $4,500–$6,250 per year.

Commitment

We ask all members of camp leadership to commit to at least two summers, and hope you’ll remain part of the National Math Camps team for many years to come!

Why Join Us?

None

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 jobs@nationalmathcamps.org with any questions.