Lead Counselor (Madrich/Madricha)

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$2K–$3K/month

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 4mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Job DetailsJob Location: Ranch Camp - Elbert, CO 80106Position Type: SeasonalSalary Range: $2,150.00 - $2,500.00 Salary/month The JCC Ranch Camp is not just the Denver JCC’s overnight summer camp, it’s also one of the best places to work during the summer.

As a staff member, Ranch Camp will become your home away from home as you work to create a community where people can thrive. You’re a hero to your campers; you have the chance to do something you really care about and have a whole lot of fun doing it.

Your experience as a staff member is just as important to us as our campers’ experience. That being said: We’re here to serve kids and make sure they are in the safest environment possible while having the time of their lives. First and foremost, all our staff are madrichim or counselors. All Cabin Staff

Responsibilities

Take care of your campers by prioritizing their physical, social, and emotional health, safety, and well-being. Work as a team with your co-staff to make sure every day runs smoothly and to the schedule, and complete daily camper notes.

Create a community that you want to be a part of and that you want campers to be a part of. Include everyone and make sure everyone is included. Jump into the camp life: ride horses, swim, camp, play games, sing songs, roast s’mores, be ready to do everything the campers do!

Know where your campers are and what they are doing all the time. Care for the campers and manage camper behaviors using the tools you learn in Staff Orientation week (We’ll go over positive behavior management techniques, enforcing appropriate safety policies, emergency procedures, camp rules, and more.)

Be flexible and adaptable because things change quickly at camp. You have to be able to roll with it. Live in a bunk with your co-staff and your campers. Fill out daily Camper Bunk Notes to track campers’ physical and emotional health, cabin social dynamics, and overall camper wellbeing.

And other duties and responsibilities as assigned: you might need to make your campers’ dreams of a beach themed ice-cream campfire song session come true or become your favorite legendary Pokémon for an evening program. But our staff aren’t just counselors. We want you to do what matters to you while you’re at camp.

Want to spend your summer outside, exploring the back country of Colorado and climbing mountains? We have a job for you. Does spending the morning playing soccer and the afternoon creating art make your heart happy? We have a job for you. Want to design a rocket that can make grilled cheese, but also land on Mars? We probably have a job for you, let’s talk. Lead Counselor/Madrichim

Responsibilities

This position specifically supports the youngest campers at camp: 2nd – 4th graders. Folks in this role should plan to support that age group on a developmentally appropriate level for the entirety of the summer.

Work as a team with other cabin staff, ensuring that all our campers have an experience of a lifetime that keeps them coming back for the years to come.

Make sure that everything is functioning as it should in the bunk- cleanliness/organization, friendships/social dynamic, routines and rituals, etc. Shape the daily routines and rituals campers follow with their bunkmates.

Support campers in their day-to-day life at camp including helping to facilitate personal care routines, providing programmatic adaptations, guiding transitions, providing sensory breaks, and mediating conflict resolution.

Implement universal supports daily and tier 2 supports as needed to ensure campers’ success in their day-to-day life at camp.

Work on an individual level with campers who have identified needs, such as cognitive, social-emotional, psychological, physical and behavioral needs, to carry out camper care plans and ensure accommodations in care plans are implemented effectively.

Have flexibility to step in to help other cabin groups who may need extra daily support. Work directly with Camper Care Coordinators to manage crisis intervention with campers as needed, such as major dysregulation, emotional/mental health struggles, and sensory overload.

From recognizing something small like losing a tooth or big like a negative social interaction between campers, lead madrichim always know what’s happening in their bunk. Nothing slips through the cracks.

If you have previous camp experience, as a Lead Counselor, you’ll also have the opportunity to step into additional leadership roles and responsibilities including, but not limited to: Help develop programming for staff, such as Onegs, staff appreciation, or other events Help develop all-camp programming, such as evening programs or special days Work with the SIT (Staff in Training) program as a mentor Finally, all staff must be able to attend staff orientations and be available to live at camp for the summer season.

While we prefer staff to work for the entire summer, we understand if you can’t and encourage you to apply if you can work at least 5 – 6 weeks of our summer season. Physical Demands and Working Environment Physical Demands: This job requires the incumbent to have operative auditory and visual functioning.

Employee must also be able to walk upwards of two (2) miles each day, including use of stairs and uneven terrain. Employee may also stand, sit in chairs or on the ground, run, and swim. Employee may lift or body block campers when necessary.

Work Environment: Working conditions may include being in indoor, often loud, spaces and spending extended time outdoors under the sun. Must have the ability to work in a fast paced, sometimes stressful environment while maintaining the standard of care.

Qualifications Qualifications And

Requirements

Basic

Qualifications

Strong ability to lead a team and collaborate Two years experience in a child care setting or a vested interest in working in a professional child care setting Satisfactorily fulfill requirements for employment at the Staenberg-Loup JCC, including: background screening, three references, documentation, and compliance with CDHS law Must be high-energy, enthusiastic, creative, and open-minded!

Preferred Qualifications

One year experience in a camp environment Current CPR and First Aid certification Completed some college coursework or hold high school diploma (GED) or equivalent experience

Benefits

Overview This is a seasonal job and is therefore ineligible for benefits. Please note: This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive statement of every duty and responsibility which will ever be required of an employee in this position; however, the employee will be held responsible for all duties assigned. The Jewish Community Center values diversity and inclusiveness and is an equal opportunity employer.

Key Responsibilities

Lead counselors support 2nd-4th grade campers by managing daily routines, ensuring safety, and implementing individual care plans. They collaborate with staff to create a positive community and may take on leadership roles in program development and mentoring.

Requirements

Candidates need two years of child care experience and must pass background screenings and compliance checks. Preferred qualifications include camp experience, CPR/First Aid certification, and a high school diploma or college coursework.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

CPR (preferred)

Key Skills

Team LeadershipAdaptabilityCollaborationCommunication

Child Care — Counselor Career Context

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 80% are remote, 28% have no call, 70% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Colorado is 103.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$28k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $27k in an average-cost state. 60.9% of Colorado clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Lead Counselor (Madrich/Madricha) at JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF DENVER a 6.6 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the Above average in Counseling — ranked against 13,751 active Counseling listings on WeekdayDoc.

Top Counselor Jobs

41 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution41 jobs · 18 employers

10
<$80k
7
$80k-95k
7
$95k-110k
12
$110k-125k
5
$125k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks33 jobs · 18 employers

401k / retirement match
91%
Sign-on bonus
42%
PSLF eligible
21%
CME allowance
15%
Loan repayment
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Therapist - Early Childhood Family Center (63663)

Aurora Mental Health & Recovery · Aurora, CO, USA

$61k-$127k
#2

Therapist - Adults Southeast Counseling Center

Aurora Mental Health & Recovery · Aurora, Colorado

$61k-$127k
#3

Bilingual Therapist - Adult Outpatient/Elmira

$61k-$127k
#4

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

$74k-$126k
+ 39 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 6.6
Better work-life than 60% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,751 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site

Living in Elbert

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$673k
Median resident rent
$1,234/mo
Residents’ average commute
41 min
State income tax
Up to 4.4%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Jewish Community Center of Denver logo

About Jewish Community Center of Denver

Wellness and Fitness Services
Denver, CO
51-200 employees