Spend your summer helping high schoolers find their path.
Outset is an academic summer camp for motivated high school students eager to explore academic and career opportunities. Every summer, Outset brings high school students to university campuses across the country for immersive one-week sessions exploring careers in medicine, business, law, and technology.
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Why work with Outset
Here's what you get out of a summer with us.
We seek responsible, caring, and engaged individuals with a genuine interest in working with teenagers. If you are passionate about mentorship and education, we'd love to hear from you!
Real leadership experience
You'll manage a group of students day and night, handle the unexpected, and support an environment of safety and wellbeing. By the end of the summer, you will have a toolbox of leadership skills that will serve you well in future roles.
A team that has your back
Every campus is led by an experienced Director, and you'll go through a hands-on and comprehensive training before students arrive. You can expect to work alongside and learn from an incredible group of peers during your Outset summer.
A summer you'll remember
An Outset summer is hard work but is also full of opportunities to learn, grow, connect, and have fun!
Open roles
Find your role on the team.
Each US campus is run by a team which includes a Director, an Assistant Director, and a group of counselors. Some campuses may also have a Health Director or Academic Director. Our Barcelona program is run by a Director and staffed with Barcelona local team leaders.
Counselor
Also known as Resident Program Leader, Program Assistant, or Resident Mentor
Counselors live in the residence hall with students and are with them through the whole day: morning and afternoon academic sessions, off-campus visits, meals, evening activities, and lights-out, acting as a near-peer mentor and guide to the campus. Counselors help students connect what they're learning in academic sessions to their long-term goals, and lead afternoon and evening activities designed to keep everyone safe, included, and engaged.
Key responsibilities
- Supervising and mentoring a small group of high school students, including overnight residential duty in the residence halls
- Leading group discussions, team-building exercises, reflection sessions, and evening activities
- Chaperoning campus tours and off-site excursions, and helping with check-in, check-out, meals, and activity transitions (including airport transfers as needed)
- Keeping students safe, enforcing program rules, and responding to concerns or behavior issues together with your Director
- Attending daily staff meetings and communicating clearly with your team
Assistant Director
Assistant Directors oversee day-to-day logistics, support and coach the counselor team, and take point whenever the Director is away. This role is a good fit for someone with prior camp, residential life, or educational leadership experience.
Key responsibilities
- Supporting and mentoring counselors day to day, including participating in training, ensuring supervision coverage, and providing performance feedback
- Leading on-the-ground supervision during transitions, meals, outings, and camp-wide activities, and helping run evening programming
- Monitoring the student experience and, alongside the Director, addressing behavioral, social, or group-dynamic concerns early
- Communicating with families about arrival and departure logistics and general camp updates, and serving as a point person on check-in and check-out days
- Acting as the second leader on campus and taking charge whenever the Director is away
Health Director
Hired for select campuses
The Health Director oversees health and wellness on campus and is the go-to person for medications, first aid, and health records. Working closely with the Director, they keep students and staff safe and well and are responsible for managing prescription medication. This role is a good fit for a licensed or certified healthcare professional who is organized, calm under pressure, and enjoys working with teenagers.
Key responsibilities
- Managing medication administration, storage, and documentation, including medication intake and release on check-in and check-out days
- Reviewing student health records before arrival and following up with families to clarify information
- Serving as the lead first-aid and health contact for students and staff, and responding to health concerns, injuries, and emergencies
- Coordinating with campus health services or local medical providers when advanced or emergency care is needed
- Working with the Director to prepare confidential health summaries for counselors, and keeping all health records private and secure
- Running a clean, well-stocked health center and promoting wellness, including hydration, sun safety, and illness prevention
- Helping the Director track incidents, injuries, and significant health-related events
Director
The Director oversees all aspects of camp logistics, safety, and communication and is accountable for the full student experience, academic and residential. Directors are the primary point of contact for parents, staff, and university partners while camp is in session. The ability to manage small teams of counselors and juggle multiple tasks at once is a must.
Key responsibilities
- Overseeing final preparations in the lead-up to summer, ensuring smooth logistics for both academic and non-academic events
- Leading check-in and check-out for students and families each session
- Overseeing staff training and supervising counselors and the broader leadership team
- Owning the daily schedule so classes, speakers, site visits, and evening activities run on time
- Serving as the main contact for parents and university partners
- Setting and enforcing safety, supervision, and behavior policies, and leading the response to any incident or emergency
- Tracking campus spending against budget and reporting to Outset's VP of Operations
Assistant Program Manager (Barcelona, Spain)
Fluent Spanish required; Catalan is a plus
Our Barcelona program is a two-week experience where high school students ages 16–18 explore global and comparative health. The Assistant Program Manager typically lives in a residence hall with students and staff, though a non-residential position is a possibility. The Assistant Program Manager helps the Barcelona Director run the program day to day, including schedule logistics, student care and safety, and running afternoon and evening activities in the city.
Key responsibilities
- Helping the Barcelona Director manage a small group of US high school students and their daily schedule
- Chaperoning students during academic sessions, activities, and evening and weekend excursions
- Helping coordinate transportation around Barcelona
Who we're looking for
Strong candidates will bring a majority of these qualifications.
- Genuine interest in working with teenagers from a wide range of backgrounds
- Study or experience in medicine and health care, business, technology, or law
- Time spent working with young people: camp, tutoring, coaching, RA work, mentoring
- Patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor in a fast-moving, residential setting
- Good judgment about risk, and the confidence to set limits and enforce rules
- The ability to take ownership of a task, follow through, and work as part of a team
Requirements for all roles
- Counselors: at least 18 years old by June 1, 2027.
- For US campuses: legally authorized to work in the United States (Outset does not sponsor H-1B or other work visas at this time)
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to think on your feet
- Clear, kind communication with students, parents, and colleagues
- Available to attend staff training the week prior to the first week of camp
- Able to pass a background check and complete required trainings before the program starts
- The ability to obtain CPR and First Aid certification before the start of camp. Outset will reimburse pre-communicated cost of certification if needed.
Familiarity with the host campus and surrounding area is a plus. For applicants to the counselor role, we give preference to current college students and recent graduates, since counselors serve as near-peer mentors to high school students interested in learning about college life at that university.
Where and when
Summer 2027 campuses
Session dates vary by campus. On your application, you'll tell us which campus you'd most like to work at and which dates you're available.
- New York, NYColumbia University
- Miami, FLFlorida International University
- Houston, TXRice University
- Berkeley, CAUC Berkeley
- Los Angeles, CAUCLA
- Boston, MAUMass Boston
- Ann Arbor, MIUniversity of Michigan
- Chapel Hill, NCUNC-Chapel Hill
- Seattle, WAUniversity of Washington
- Nashville, TNVanderbilt University
- New Haven, CTYale University
- SpainBarcelona
Schedule and hours
At our US campuses, each session runs from Sunday at noon to Friday afternoon. While students are on campus, staff live in the residence hall and are working or on call much of the week, so there's very little downtime. Weekends between sessions are yours. The Barcelona program runs for two weeks straight, including weekend excursions, with breaks and time off scheduled throughout.
Staff training
All staff attend a mandatory paid, in-person training on campus in the days just before the first session. Counselor training usually takes four days but may vary by campus; leadership staff start a little earlier. You'll also join a short pre-season Zoom meeting in May.
Training covers supervision, student wellbeing, safety and mandatory reporting, communication best practices, and details related to leading students on your campus. Exact dates are shared during your interview.
Pay and what's provided
Pay depends on role, experience, and the number of weeks you work.
During your contracted dates Outset also provides:
- On-campus housing in the residence hall (counselors can expect to share a room with another counselor of the same gender identity; Assistant Directors, Health Directors, and Directors typically get a private room)
- Meals during sessions (Sunday dinner through Friday lunch at US campuses; meals throughout the program in Barcelona)
- A $50 meal stipend for weekends between sessions at US campuses
- Paid staff training
- CPR & First Aid certification covered
- Performance bonus eligibility
Background checks
Because these roles involve working with minors, every offer is contingent on supportive references and a successful background check. You'll receive a separate disclosure and authorization form after an offer is made. A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you; we review each case individually, consistent with child-safety requirements. Returning staff complete a new background check each year. Some states require additional checks and reviews for staff working with minors, and we'll walk you through anything that applies to your campus.
How to apply
Our hiring process
Apply online
For US campuses, submit the online application. It takes about 10 minutes. Have an updated resume ready to upload.
Hear back
We review applications on a rolling basis. Expect to hear from a member of our team within 3–5 business days.
Interview
Qualified candidates for available positions will be contacted for a video interview with a member of our team.
Offer and onboarding
Offers are made on a rolling basis starting in October until positions are filled, followed by your background check and pre-summer paperwork.
We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, including first-generation college students, to apply. Leadership positions fill at different times, so we encourage you to apply early. Returning staff are prioritized for placement.
Applying for a leadership role on our Barcelona program? Email your resume or CV and a short statement of interest to hiring@joinoutset.com.
Join our Summer 2027 team
Start ApplicationThe application takes about 10 minutes.Frequently Asked Questions
No. Background in one of our career tracks helps, but what matters most is that you're great with teenagers and curious about the fields they're exploring.
Our strong preference is for staff who are able to commit for the duration of the camp season. However, opportunities may be available for qualified candidates with more limited availability. List all the dates you're available on your application and we'll do our best to match you.
Yes, if you have prior experience supervising staff and students in a camp, residential, or educational setting.
Sessions run Sunday midday through Friday afternoon, and staff are on duty or on call while students are on campus. It's a full week, but weekends between sessions are free. Limited time off during the week is scheduled at the discretion of the on-site Director.
Days are busy, and staff spend much of the day on their feet: giving campus tours, walking students between classes and activities (sometimes a mile or more at a time), and doing room checks in the residence hall at night, which may involve stairs. You'll also help move academic and event materials and assist students with luggage, which can mean lifting up to about 30 pounds. If you need an accommodation to do any part of this job, we encourage you to apply and reach out to hiring@joinoutset.com. We're happy to talk through what's possible.
Email hiring@joinoutset.com.
Still have questions? Email hiring@joinoutset.com
Equal opportunity employer
Outset is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview, please email hiring@joinoutset.com.
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