The Associate, Product Delivery & Experience – Youth Camps & Events supports and executes program delivery, ensuring operational excellence, brand alignment, and a seamless experience for campers and families.  

This role works closely with colleagues in the Product Delivery & Experience function deliver on actionable plans that optimize readiness, systems, and budgets, including facility coordination, curricula and programming refinement, materials ordering, inventory management, and spending tracking, licensing and compliance, and strategic program design. This role will support staff training and on-site quality control throughout the season, drives process improvement through data-informed insights, and collaborates cross-functionally to align resources and programming needs. 

The ideal Associate has experience in event planning and implementation, is highly organized, detail-oriented and someone who is passionate about creatively solving complex problems and delivering impactful experience to young people. This individual will combine the emotional intelligence necessary to excel in mission-driven youth development with the business acumen and desire for growth critical to implementing thoughtfully designed and personal experiences. To be effective, this role requires some evening and weekend oversight, in particular during peak times in the pre-camp mobilization and launch period.

Location & Travel: This is a full-time, in-person role based in Washington, D.C., reporting to the Senior Associate, Product Delivery & Experience – Youth Camps & Events.

• This role involves driving, travel, and work from our nearby distribution and storage centers (Silver Spring, MD and Glen Burnie, MD), our DC, Maryland, and Virginia Summer Camp locations, and our nationwide Professional Sports Camp locations – primarily in June, July, and August.

Compensation: This role has annual salary budgeted at $45,000 - $50,000. 

Benefits: Full-time team members are eligible for paid time off and 10 paid holidays annually, health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, and employee discounts on our programs and offerings.

Timeline: We will begin screening candidates as soon as mid-December, with a goal start date of late January, 2026.

About Headfirst 

Headfirst Companies is all about creating unforgettable experiences that inspire growth, learning, and connection. From our Washington, D.C. headquarters, our full-time team works year-round to shape every detail of our three programmatic divisions: Headfirst Youth Events, Headfirst Showcase Camps, and KI Concerts.

With our Headfirst Youth Events division, we deliver top-tier STEM, sports, and day camps for kids in the D.C. metro area which keep us at the forefront of innovation and fun. We partner with legendary pro sports teams across the country to bring young players up close to the magic of the game through behind-the-scenes access and engaging instruction.   

Our renowned Headfirst Showcase Camps division connects talented student-athletes with coaches from the nation's top collegiate baseball and softball programs through events which are carefully crafted to bring out the best in players and help them shine in the spotlight.   

January - May:

• Logistics & Event Planning and Execution
  • Communicate with and manage partner facilities – including public schools, private schools, and community parks and recreation centers – to ensure alignment in pre-camp and event preparation.
  • Build and maintain vendor relationships for all programming material needs.
  • Assist in the management of inventory for materials, equipment and other supplies needed to deliver all camp programming.
  • Order and pack camp materials and equipment based on operational guidelines.
  • Assist the Camps Management Team in reviewing enrollment projections, staffing levels, and facility allocations at each of our partner facilities and ensure continued optimization with dynamic enrollment trends
  • Ensure filing of all legal, regulatory and licensing documents and monitor for compliance.
• Staff Management and Training
  • Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and selecting well-qualified seasonal team members in coordination with the talent team.
  • Develop, document and train operational policies, camp activities, and procedures.

June - August:

• Management and Training
  • Assist in implementation of on-site, virtual and remote training events for seasonal team members.
  • Manage on-site program leadership, fostering high standards for camp operations, providing day-to-day support, and coaching to ensure we meet those standards.
  • Gather real-time, in-season feedback from seasonal team members to foster continuous improvement – in current and future seasons.
• Logistics & Event Planning and Execution
  • Support camp set-up, programming, and teardown of all rotating camp locations, including scheduling and securing resources, equipment movement and curriculum/program implementation.
  • Travel to multiple facilities and sites across the country to ensure top notch program implementation and quality control – effective on-site management, adherence to our policies and support for our mission while representing our team partners and Headfirst brands at the highest level.
• Additional responsibilities as identified or requested.
• Some evening and/or weekend work is expected during the camp season.

September - December:

• Continuous Improvement and Innovation
  • Assess the recently concluded camp season – gather and organize operational data regarding facility utilization and program implementation.
  • Develop forms and records to operationalize and document procedures to make data-driven decisions.
  • Identify and recommend operational improvements through continuous assessment and according to best practices.
  • Implement facility partner retention efforts, including conducting follow-up with partner facilities to ensure alignment between pre-camp, event preparation and in-season execution.
  • Support the warehouse and storage project plan to ensure inventory systems and processes are utilized and executed in support of financial standards and best practices.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, with concentration in related field(s) viewed favorably.
• One to two years relevant professional experience, with one year or more of experience in fast-paced, large-scale operations, programming, and/or product management role, preferably in a start-up or similar business environment, and one year office-based work experience.
• Sport-related background and knowledge, specifically for baseball, softball, football, or soccer viewed favorably.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously, guiding projects through to completion in an organized and timely fashion.
• Proven ability to improve program and business operations efficiency while reducing costs.
• Demonstrated experience with MS Office, more specifically Excel, and various business software.
• Valid drivers license and ability to pass a motor vehicle background screening.
• Ability to travel to camp locations across the country, primarily during June, July, and August. 
• Ability to perform heavy manual tasks (walking, standing, and moving for up to 8-12 hours at a time; ability to carry up to 50 lbs.; crouching, kneeling, and balancing on varied flooring/terrain) under varying weather conditions (ie, winter warehouse work, peak summer site move-in, summer indoor/outdoor camp programming). 
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong people engagement capabilities.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with individuals from a diverse array of backgrounds – internally and externally.
• Possession of the temperament and drive to excel within a high-growth environment and to work until the job is done each day.

Universal Headfirst Team Values & Expectations 

• A solution oriented individual who shares The Headfirst Companies’ core mission and values, and believes in our ability to work together to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults.  
• You are a motivated self-starter who is autonomous and dependable 
• You are a team player who approaches professional hurdles with a strong sense of individual responsibility and a sincere emphasis on team over self 
• You are a humble and enthusiastic leader who possesses the passion and polish to serve as an ambassador of the Headfirst Companies 
• You are a doer who has an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on finishing the job every day 
• You are an independent thinker who assumes responsibility beyond what is asked, and takes initiative for positive change 
• You are a flexible, coachable, and down-to-earth teammate who has the desire and capacity to grow through self-reflection, and by both providing and receiving thoughtful, constructive performance feedback 
• You are a patient problem-solver and consummate professional who has the ability to prioritize and multitask, managing several projects concurrently, sometimes under pressure, and often with tight deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and professional demeanor 

Headfirst Companies are proud to be Equal Opportunity Employers. We value diversity and inclusivity across our Headfirst community, and we strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.