Jobs at Camp

Minimum Requirements

The main prerequisite for a counselor at Robindel is a desire to live, work and play with children. We seek mature and reliable people who can be counted on to be part of a team, and who are committed to personal and professional development.

Here at Robindel, our cabin counselors are also activity specialists. This means that you get to spend your days sharing your passion for sports, arts or nature with all of the camp community.

We are looking for people who like to work hard and play hard! Most staff at Robindel return for more than one summer and many find clarity in their career goals after spending summers with us. We are happy to work with you to fulfill internship requirements, should you have any.

All counselors must complete one year of university, or be of the equivalent age.

Leadership Staff

Unit Leaders

Unit Leaders are responsible for overseeing the campers and counselors in one or two age groups. As a Unit Leader, you are a liaison between staff, campers, administration and parents. The position requires organization, creativity, patience, enthusiasm and hard work. Unit Leaders have been known to sing some pretty silly songs at Sunday Campfire! These positions are usually filled by mature staff members who have spent at least one summer immersed in the Robindel community.

Department Heads

Department Heads are responsible for overseeing a department area, which includes organizing the daily program (6 activity periods) for campers and staff, and maintaining the equipment and facility area. Department heads are experts in their program area. Aside from expertise in coaching an activity, the position requires organization, creativity, good judgment and decision-making skills, and an “instructor voice.” As a department head, you are the go-to person for everything in your department area at Robindel.

The CRew

The CRew at CR wear many hats! One minute you may be planning birthday parties, staff appreciation, evening activities, and special events. The next minute you’ll be serving snack, canteen, and popsicles on a hot day. Mail delivery, phone calls, bugles, photocopies, announcements and greeting visitors? Yup, the CRew do those too. The CRew work together in a busy office, always interacting with campers and staff. They are organized, punctual, friendly, full of energy, and super hard working.

Specialty Staff

Archery

An archery instructor will work with small groups of campers on the mechanics of archery, focusing on safety and technique. Experience teaching archery is preferred, though not required. We will train you to teach archery as long as you have experience as a participant! The ideal candidate is eager to be a part of our ROAR (Ropes & Archery) Team.

Arts & Crafts

Our extensive Arts & Crafts program is based in a 3-story building known as the “Art Barn.” It is a great space to share your appreciation of art as well as learn and explore new mediums!

The bottom floor is for ceramics and pottery. We have 6 pottery wheels and our own kilns. The middle floor is dedicated to fine arts, including drawing, painting, photography and more. The top floor is for all sorts of crafts – anything you can dream of! We do tie dye, sewing, candle making, paper mache, beads, looms, stained glass and more!

With your guidance, campers work on projects that can be completed in one activity period as well as long-term projects.

Though you do not have to be an art major in school, it is helpful to have experience and knowledge in teaching a variety of art mediums.

Dance

Using our dance studio as well as the outdoors, our dance instructors teach four to six hours of dance each day. You should have personal experience and knowledge in teaching and choreographing a variety of dance styles, especially jazz and hip-hop. You will be responsible for guiding our campers in “dance-offs” which are fun competitions with other camps in our area, as well as in the end of summer dance show, performed for the entire Robindel community.

Dance is part of our Performing Arts program (theatre, music & dance), so the ideal candidate is excited about joining and teaching these three arts.

Fitness

Our fitness department is fun! Fitness instructors teach a variety of classes including Zumba, yoga, step, cardio-blast and sports conditioning. Fitness is an especially popular activity with our older girls. As an instructor, you have a lot of flexibility in the specific classes that you teach and the music to go along with them. We want girls to learn proper techniques, keep active, and most of all have fun while exercising!

Gymnastics

Our gymnastics program is housed in the “Rec Hall” overlooking beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. We are looking for people with experience as both a participant and a coach in a gym setting. Our gymnastics instructors use proper spotting techniques while coaching and teaching gymnasts of all levels on our spring floor, tumbling mat, uneven bars, beams, and vault.

Landsports

Robindel’s Landsports Department is spirited, energetic and well-rounded. Staff in this department coach more than one sport. Our landsports staff need to be flexible, organized and able to lead lessons for both large and small groups. Lessons are focused on progressive skill development and teamwork with tons of fun thrown in!

Some staff lead smaller training sessions for campers who have a special interest in a sport or are training for a school team at home. Landsports staff will have the opportunity to coach an inter-camp team (competing against other camps in the area), or an intra-camp team (mini tournaments that we host for our own campers).

Landsports includes:

• Basketball – played on 2 full length courts with 9 adjustable hoops.
• Lacrosse - we have 3 field areas for lacrosse, and all of the equipment (goals, sticks, masks, balls) to go along with them.
• Soccer – we have 2 soccer fields. The “Green” Field and the “Main” Field, right on the lake!
• Softball – played on Jolly Field!
• Volleyball – we have a beach volleyball court right next to the lake.
• Golf – we have a driving range and putting green, and opportunities to play on local courses.

Nature

The nature program at Robindel has no bounds. It is shaped each summer by the passions of its staff members. As a nature instructor you can share your love for the outdoors with our campers, providing them with education and fun. We have a relationship with a local farm where you can take campers to pick vegetables, milk cows and learn a ton! There is a local blueberry farm that loves when we bring our girls blueberry picking in August. You can take campers on walks, cook, make crafts, build fires, the sky is the limit!

Outdoor Adventure

The Outdoor Adventure department combines hiking, camping and exploring the beautiful New England mountains and coast. You have the rare opportunity to introduce kids to the world of camping and to share your love for it. We find that campers come back from their trips excited about what they have learned and eager to go again.

Our Junior campers all go on one overnight trip in the summer. Our intermediate campers have the opportunity to go on an optional overnight trip. You will lead our senior campers on special trips to the Maine coast including a 2-night trip to Camden and a 3-night trip to Bar Harbor. One of the most memorable trips is with a select group of our oldest campers interested in hiking Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.

As an outdoor adventure staff member you will definitely work hard and play hard. We are looking for people who love to camp, and who feel comfortable with skills such as: fire building, cooking on a camp stove, pitching tents, leading groups on hikes, logistics, and driving a 15-passenger van. We will help you with any of these skills!

The primary prerequisites are that you are responsible, safety conscious, and able to lead large groups. It is helpful if you are a Wilderness First Responder, but not necessary. You must be at least 21 years old with a valid drivers license to be on the OA Staff.

Performing Arts

Performing Arts at Robindel is Music, Dance & Theatre!

Robindel has 2 special “Nights at the Theatre” per summer. The Performing Arts staff is responsible for organizing these productions. We encourage all of the girls to participate in the theatre productions, and many campers enjoy helping backstage as well.

PA staff should have experience in at least three of the following: directing, acting, scenery, makeup, costumes, singing, music (teaching & playing instruments), dance, lighting, sound equipment.

Photography

Our camp photographers spends their day amongst smiling campers who seem to flock to the lens! We are looking for people who are comfortable with digital photography – taking photos, editing photos, and uploading them onto a site for parents to see. It is very important for parents to be able to “see” their daughter, and your job is to make that happen for all parents, every day. You will also be responsible for keeping the photo files labeled and organized, ready to be used for the end-of-summer slideshow and yearbook.

Riding

The horseback riding program at Robindel is offered as an optional activity. Therefore, you will be working with a select group of campers who have a true interest in learning to ride or progressing their skills from home. You will work with each camper between two and four times per week. Riding instructors must have personal expertise and teaching experience in English riding skills at all levels.

Aside from teaching responsibilities, the riding staff are responsible for caring for the horses. Therefore, riding instructors do not live in cabins with campers. You will be assigned as a “Bunk Aunt” to a group of girls with whom you will eat meals and join in certain activities. This allows you to be connected to a cabin while allowing for your different schedule based on the needs of the horses.

Ropes

Robindel’s ropes course is truly one of a kind. Its central location is not just convenient, but also means that you won’t have bugs in your face all day like many courses tucked away in the woods. We have an extensive challenge course and operate under the “challenge by choice” motto. As a ropes staff member, you will be responsible for facilitating group games and low ropes elements to teach the basics of teamwork, trust and cooperation. Most of your summer will be spent on the high ropes course which includes a climbing wall, giant swing, and a 3-level adventure course. AND, of course, the aqua zip! We actually have the only zip line that lands in the lake!

It is helpful if you have experience belaying, leading initiatives and climbing. All ropes staff members will go through an intensive three-day training lead by an outside company, regardless of prior experience. Not only does this training get you comfortable with our ropes course, but also it is a super fun time to get to know the rest of the ropes staff!

The ideal candidate is eager to be part of our ROAR (Ropes & Archery) Team.

Ski

Water Ski is one of the most popular programs at Robindel. As a ski staff member you will spend your days on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee teaching campers how to ski and coaching them as they progress. We have 3 Malibu Axis ski boats and a whole shed of fun equipment including water skis, slalom skis, wakeboards, kneeboards, surfboards, trick skis, wake skates, and even discs! Of course, you do need to know how to drive a boat while pulling skiers. Once at camp, we will help you prepare for your NH commercial boating license, a requirement on the lake.

Swim

Swimming is an important part of the Robindel program. Most campers receive instructional swim every day. As a swim staff member you will teach lessons throughout the day based on American Red Cross standards. During free swim times, swim instructors act as lifeguards. We have three inflatable water toys, which are very popular during this time!

We look for people who have swam competitively and who have taught swim lessons. If you are not currently an American Red Cross Lifeguard or WSI Instructor, we will provide this training to you.

Tennis

“Buffalo Bob” has been the head of our tennis department since 1992. We take pride in our extensive tennis program and facilities, which include 12 courts (7 hard and 5 clay). Most tennis staff compete at the university level and have experience coaching, while others act as tennis coaches year-round. Tennis instructors have the opportunity to teach both group and private lessons. Some staff will coach campers in inter-camp tennis tournaments.

We have 3 courts with lights which many staff use in the evenings. If you are playing for your university, you will have plenty of opportunity to keep up with your training with other tennis staff here at Robindel.

Water Crafts: Sailing, Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, Windsurfing

Water Crafts is a popular area at Robindel for good reason: we are located in a secluded cove on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. This ideal location allows for sailing instruction with just the perfect amount of wind, and great days for paddling. As a water crafts staff you will spend your days teaching basic boating and paddling skills in kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, sailboats (Sunfish and Hobie Cat) and windsurfs.

Many campers like to learn how to sail on their own, and work to earn their “skipper” with you as their coach. Most of all, we teach campers new skills to use while enjoying the lake and being safe. Experience with both paddling and sailing is preferred, but not required.

“Day Camp” Counselor

Some of our key Robindel employees have children who are not quite old enough for sleepaway camp! Our Day Camp counselors run activities for young children (under the age of 7), organize snack time, nap time, and sometimes even wake up and bedtime. Each family has a slightly different scheule, which means that their childcare needs differ. Our day camp counselors LOVE young kids, are flexible, creative, and patient. You will live on site and be an integral part of our camp community just like our other staff…the only difference is that you will be caring for our youngest kids on camp.

Housekeeping

The housekeeping staff at Robindel make sure that everybody has clean sheets and towels, and that bathrooms are kept sanitary and stocked. We send all clothing to be washed outside of camp, so your primary laundry responsibility is towels and sheets. In your free time, you are welcome to enjoy all of the wonderful facilities at Robindel. We hope you will get involved with the activities and campers.

Kitchen

Our kitchen staff are crucial members of the Robindel community, preparing three meals a day to over 250 people. The kitchen staff at Robindel are a true family, many returning summer after summer. As a team, you are responsible for assisting the chef to prepare food, wash dishes, set up and clean up the dining hall and kitchen, and make sure that the dining hall runs smoothly during meals.

Between meals and in the evening we hope you’ll enjoy the facilities at Robindel and the beautiful setting on Lake Winnipesaukee. We encourage you to get involved with the campers, activities, and entire CR community.

Maintenance

We are looking for hard working people who are handy and want to work as part of a team. Our maintenance staff make sure that everything at camp is working and looking good! The maintenance staff definitely work hard, but they have been known to laugh and joke around pretty hard as well! Our maintenance guys often return for many summers to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, and enjoy being involved with campers and staff throughout the summer.

Nursing

Our nurses play an essential role in the care and safety of the entire Robindel community. Nursing responsibilities include: distribution of daily medications, assessment of camper and staff health needs, first aid application and updating charts. Our Health Center is visited often by campers with minor bumps and bruises accumulated by kids running around having fun at camp! Sometimes girls just need a chance to sit and chat, and we want them to feel welcome visiting the Health Center. Our nursing staff also arrange appointments with local doctors and dentists. You will work closely with the other nurses and camp doctor, and communicate with the camp administrators and parents.

Nurses schedules are flexible, allowing you time to enjoy the beautiful setting of Camp Robindel, and the people in our camp community.

We are looking for recent graduates and professional licensed registered nurses who are organized, patient, flexible and have a sense of humor! You must hold a current nursing license and apply for a New Hampshire license. We are happy to help you with this process.

We also hire a few student nurses each summer. If you are still in school and interested in being our student nurse, please apply!