About Pingry
The Pingry School, a prestigious K-12 coeducational, independent day school with a rich history dating back to its founding by Dr. John F. Pingry in 1861, stands at the forefront of academic excellence in the United States. With campuses located in Basking Ridge, Pottersville, and Short Hills, New Jersey, Pingry is celebrated for its academic programs, a student-written Honor Code that underpins our community values, and a comprehensive commitment to arts, athletics, community, and civic engagement. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong passion for learning, personal development, and social responsibility, preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Rooted in relationships and guided by our foundational philosophy, Pingry is a vibrant community of more than 1,200 students hailing from over 90 towns across New Jersey and New York. At Pingry, we are united by a love of learning and a commitment to preparing students to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with confidence and integrity. For more information, we invite you to visit our website at pingry.org or connect with The Pingry School on Facebook, X, and Instagram to discover why we love school.

At The Pingry School, experiential learning initiatives directly foster Pingry’s mission, encouraging intellectual, physical, and emotional learning and the cultivation of responsible and thoughtful citizens. Our experiential classrooms and programs, farm and sustainability programs, and global education and engagement programs provide living laboratories for Pingry students to explore questions, make discoveries, and challenge mind, body, and spirit within an inspired learning community. 

The Pottersville Campus
In August 2021, The Pingry School acquired the 82-acre campus of the former Purnell School, a boarding school for girls in grades 9-12 founded in 1963. Located in the hills of Somerset County, New Jersey, this campus presented Pingry with a unique opportunity to expand its mission and educational offerings.

The Pottersville campus uniquely supports Pingry's mission by fostering curiosity, intellectual and personal growth, and community connection. Rooted in experiential learning, the campus offers intermittent, differentiated programs outside the traditional school day, including student initiatives, strategic partnerships, and professional opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, within day and overnight programs for K-12 students, alumni, visiting experts, etc., “from teenagers to trustees.” 

Set amidst rolling hills, Pottersville’s grounds include a pond, hiking trails, a ropes course, gardens, classrooms, athletic facilities, arts studios, dormitories, and community spaces. Hacklebarney State Park, with its scenic trails, borders the property. Located 20 minutes from the Basking Ridge Campus and 40 minutes from Short Hills, Pottersville serves as Pingry’s third campus and a hub for immersive learning experiences.

Position Overview
The Pingry School seeks a full-time, 12-month dynamic Experiential Programs Coordinator to support the Experiential Education team, collaborate with K-12 faculty to foster a learn-by-doing approach and an immersive educational experience throughout curriculum and at the Pottersville Campus, work closely with the new Dean of Residential Life on Pottersville programs and initiatives, including k-12 Immersive and Boarding Experiences, hosting Global Exchanges and Lifelong Learning programs, partnering with the Auxiliary team for Strategic Partnerships, Rentals, and Summer Programs at the Pottersville Campus, and support school-wide professional development related to experiential and immersive education. On-campus residency at the Pottersville Campus is required, fostering a strong leadership presence and active engagement in the residential and experiential learning community.

This position requires a blend of wilderness and outdoor leadership skills, organizational and project management skills, interdisciplinary teaching, partnership-building, program execution, and a passion for adventure to create transformative learning experiences. Working as part of the Experiential Education Team and reporting to the Director of the Pottersville Campus, the Experiential Educator will coordinate, design, and implement programs aligned with Pingry’s mission, focusing on innovation, inclusion, and connection.

Compensation & Schedule
The Experiential Programs Coordinator role requires a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and extended overnight trips, and involves physically demanding outdoor work. This position does not include teaching within Pingry’s core curriculum.

• The Experiential Programs Coordinator role offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
• On-campus residency at Pottersville is required and included in the compensation.
• While the Pingry School observes many holidays and seasonal breaks, this role requires flexible vacation scheduling to align with Pottersville programming.
• The position follows a variable schedule, including nights, weekends, and overnight trips, with peak spring, summer, and fall workload periods.

Responsibilities

Outdoor Adventure & Environmental Education

• Design and implement team-building curriculum using outdoor adventure-based learning, including ropes course challenges, wilderness expeditions, and collaborative problem-solving activities, to foster leadership, communication, and community across K-12 student groups and faculty teams. Support the growth of outdoor learning and ropes curriculum at the Pottersville Campus. 
• Serve as a high- and low-ropes course lead and Pingry’s on-staff ropes expert. 
• Develop hands-on, place-based learning activities that leverage the Pottersville Campus’s natural environment, farm, and historic landscape to design meaningful, curriculum-connected experiences that faculty can adapt and integrate into their teaching practice.
• Assist in Pottersville's farm, garden, and greenhouse programs, aligning with Sustainability initiatives.

Student Immersion Experiences 

• Co-Chaperone day and overnight experiences at Pottersville to support risk management, parent communication, and logistics as needed in support of Dean of Residential Life.
• Support 6-12 Curricular, Club, and Co-Curricular trip leaders for day and overnight programs off campus, including the Form VI overnight and additional programs as assigned. Attend trips as a co-chaperone to support risk management, parent communication, and logistics as needed. 
• Collaborate with the Dean of Residential Life to integrate experiential education into residential life programming. 
• In the Middle School, support afternoon activities including Coaching and Friday Classes 
• In the Upper School, support student co- curricular programs such as HIRT or Club, and ISP 
• Design and teach immersive experiences during Middle School Project Week 

Global Programs

• Co-lead one Global Program per year 
• Provide logistical support to the Director of Global Engagement, including Global Programs in the field and hosting international student exchanges at Pingry. 

Auxiliary and Summer Programs 

• Partner with Auxiliary Programs to lead and co-lead summer experiential programs at Pottersville, including week-long immersion programs.
• Partner with Auxiliary Programs to support Pingry Summer Day Camp at Pottersville. 
• Offer afternoon Enrichment Courses in the Lower and/or Middle School 
• Design and support a scaffolded summer experience that engages high and low ropes courses, in collaboration with Auxiliary and Pottersville campus leadership.

Faculty & Professional Development

• Support faculty professional development for experiential and immersive learning across Pingry campuses.
• Assist faculty in integrating experiential learning into their curriculum.

Program Coordination & Implementation

• Provide administrative and logistical support for the Pottersville Campus and Experiential Education Team (which includes leaders from Global Engagement, Sustainability, Divisional Experiential Education, and Pottersville Campus Leadership).
• Coordinate logistics, co-teach, and experiential and interdisciplinary learning for day programs at Pottersville. 
• Support the Dean of Residential Life in coordinating logistics and co-leading for overnight programs. 

Resource Coordination & Community Engagement

• Assist in the management of resources, technology, and AV needs for Pottersville programs and events. Partner with Venue and Event Operations Manager in execution of events as related to Tech.
• Support partnerships with researchers, visiting experts, and external organizations to enhance experiential opportunities.
• Build a welcoming, inclusive residential community, fostering strong connections with students, faculty, parents, and visitors.

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Experience: 3-5 years in education, with a focus on experiential learning.
• Passion & Commitment: Dedicated to integrating experiential learning into K-12 education and collaborating with faculty to create engaging hands-on experiences.

• Organizational & Execution Skills:

• Ability to self-manage tasks by prioritizing, planning, and organizing workflows effectively across daily, weekly, and semester timelines.
• Strong project management and administrative skills.

• Adaptability & Physical Requirements:

• Willingness to travel, work outdoors, and participate in day and overnight programs.
• Ability to navigate physically demanding environments and problem-solve with flexibility and creativity.

• Collaboration & Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong ability to work with faculty, students, and external partners.
• Comfort and competency in supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives.

• Technology & Safety Certifications:

• Proficiency in Google Suite applications.
• Level 1 tech and AV skills with a willingness to receive additional training.
• First Aid, CPR, AED, and ropes course certifications (or willingness to obtain).

• Commitment to Pingry’s Mission & Values:

• Alignment with Pingry’s culture, values, and educational philosophy.

What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate is a highly organized educator with an innovative mindset who thrives on collaboration, creativity, and community-building. They are resourceful, resilient, and passionate about inspiring students to connect with the world through experiential education—whether in the classroom, outdoors, on the ropes course, or through global programs.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking educational initiative that shapes the future of experiential learning at The Pingry School.

Qualified candidates are invited to apply online at https://www.pingry.org/careers. 

About The Pingry School

The Pingry School, a prestigious K-12 coeducational, independent day school with a rich history dating back to its founding by Dr. John F. Pingry in 1861, stands at the forefront of academic excellence in the United States. With campuses located in Basking Ridge, Pottersville, and Short Hills, New Jersey, Pingry is celebrated for its academic programs, a student-written Honor Code that underpins our community values, and a comprehensive commitment to arts, athletics, community, and civic engagement. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong passion for learning, personal development, and social responsibility, preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Rooted in relationships and guided by our foundational philosophy, Pingry is a vibrant community of more than 1,100 students hailing from over 90 towns across New Jersey and New York. At Pingry, we are united by a love of learning and a commitment to preparing students to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with confidence and integrity. For more information, we invite you to visit our website at pingry.org or connect with The Pingry School on Facebook, X, and Instagram to discover why we love school.

Connections working at The Pingry School