The Position:

The Operations and Customer Experience Associate will act as a member of the Operations Team, with a keen focus on customer experience. This will include our customer database and systems management, camper paperwork tracking, and customer communication logistics for six camp locations across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The Operations and Customer Experience Associate will lead the implementation of licensing and compliance requirements and own key in-season, on-site management over our camp locations. This role is full-time and in-person, based at the Washington, D.C. headquarters office of The Headfirst Companies, but will involve travel to our nearby distribution and storage center as well as our camp locations across the DMV– primarily in June, July, and August.

The ideal Operations and Customer Experience Associate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and enthusiastic about creatively solving complex problems. This individual understands top-tier customer service and proactively ensures each customer is cared for on an individual level. The ideal Operations and Customer Experience Associate is a team player who is adaptable and prepared to engage with multiple facets of the business. 

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.  

What You'll Do:

Year-Round:  

• Overall Core Team Contributions 

• Serve as a positive, team-oriented member of the Headfirst Summer Camps divisional Core Team, playing an active role in ensuring team-wide initiatives are completed and goals are achieved. 
• Communicate key customer and operational KPIs to the Core Team, ensuring comprehensive reporting and analysis to drive informed decision making and optimize customer satisfaction. 
• Collaborate with the Marketing Department to drive enrollment through strategic marketing efforts by leveraging customer relationships. 
• Take on other responsibilities, including cross-functionally, as assigned. 

January-May: 

• Seasonal Staff Management: 

• Serve as the Hiring Manager for essential in-season leadership positions, supporting the seasonal talent team with the recruitment, interviewing, and retention processes. 
• Collaborate with the seasonal talent team to ensure the selection of well-qualified program staff aligned with organizational goals. 

• Operations Support:  

• In coordination with the Associate of Operations, develop operational policies, procedures, camp activities and schedules that optimize facility usage and are responsive to the intricacies of each camp site and program. 
• Ensure meticulous compliance with licensing requirements and optimize space allocation based on enrollment trends.
• Own a portion of the ordering and packing process of camp materials at our warehouse in Silver Spring, MD. 
• Coordinate external vendor communications for fields trips and operations rentals, tracking contract and payment completion.

• Customer Experience Management: 

• In coordination with the sales team, manage customer service tickets – appropriately delegate cases, manage response times, respond professionally, and promote enrollment. 
• Prepare parents and campers for the summer by reviewing medical and behavioral paperwork, answering follow-up questions, and scheduling proactive in-season check ins. 
• Support in-person customer facing recruitment events such as open houses, camp fairs, and in-home group meetings. 
• Consistently innovate and own implementation of improvements to streamline customer communication systems. 
• In coordination with the sales team, develop a profound understanding of the customer base to deliver top-tier service and contribute to growth initiatives.

• Pre-Season Preparation:  

• Design and execute comprehensive training programs for seasonal leaders focused in on-site customer experience. 
• Independently track completion of camper paperwork, medical information, and camper accommodations, ensuring every site meets jurisdictional licensing requirements. 
• Support the move-in and move-out to and from all camp locations. 
• Own the build out of in-season technology channels, such as Slack channels, reports, grouping boards, and attendance platforms.

June through August: 

• On-Site Program Management & Customer Experience: 

• Coordinate both in-person and virtual customer communication pathways with the sales team to ensure maximum impact on customer satisfaction. 
• Manage on-site program leadership, fostering high standards for camp operations and customer interactions. 
• Provide day-to-day staff support, coaching, and retraining to ensure strong program quality while encouraging a culture of ownership. 
• Visit site regularly to handle escalated customers cases in-person. 
• Support on-site logistics management by delivering materials, filling in for absent staff, and effectively problem solving. 
• Gather real-time, in-season feedback from customers, facility partners, and staff to support continuous improvement – in current and future seasons. 
• Assist in development of the demobilization plan for each camp location including facility coordination, preparation of materials for pick-up and scheduling personnel. 
• Take on other responsibilities, including cross-functionally, as assigned. 

September-December: 

• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: 

• Analyze customer-based data to strategically influence future improvements and programmatic changes. 
• In coordination with the sales team, lead modernization and efficiency efforts, utilizing HubSpot to streamline processes and decrease manual workload. 
• In collaboration with our finance team, accurately report on credit/refund totals from previous year. 
• Support the marketing team in website and registration platform turnover, using customer input and policy management. 

• Operations Support: 

• Support warehouse management, inventory, and materials organization.
• Review and update policies, procedures, and SOPs to improve operations for future summers.
• Communicate with facility partners to plan the following summer’s programming. 

About You:

The Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a strong academic record.
• 2-3 years of relevant professional experience in customer experience, account management, or operations management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and adaptability to new technologies; experience with HubSpot is highly valued.
• Proven ability to work autonomously, demonstrating a keen focus on organization and project completion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; must be extremely comfortable interacting on the phone and in-person with customers and external partners.
• Demonstrated experience managing, implementing, and executing challenging operational details.
• Flexibility and drive to work until the job is done.
• Ability to work in-person at Headfirst’s DC offices year-round, and travel to DC, Maryland, and Virginia camp locations during peak summer programming weeks.
• Must have a valid driver's license.

The Character

• A solution-oriented individual who shares The Headfirst Companies’ core mission, values, and believes in our ability to work together to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults.
• A motivated self-starter who is autonomous and dependable.
• A doer who has an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on finishing the job every day.
• An independent thinker who assumes responsibility beyond what is asked and takes initiative for positive change.
• A consummate professional who can prioritize and multi-task, managing several projects concurrently, sometimes under pressure, and often with tight deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and professional demeanor.
• A team player who approaches professional hurdles with a strong sense of individual responsibility and a sincere emphasis on team over self.
• A humble and enthusiastic leader who possesses the passion and polish to serve as an ambassador of The Headfirst Companies and our Headfirst Summer Camps Partners.
• 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.