Reports to: Program Director
Location: Mazama, WA
Status: Exempt; per diem; Seasonal (7 months)
Salary: $175 - $190 per diem; commensurate with experience
Anticipated Start Date: April 1st, 2024

To Apply

We are committed to reflecting the diverse communities with whom we work and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ identifying folks, and women to apply. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. Review of applications will be on a rolling basis and the positions will remain open until filled with a desired start date of April 1st, 2024.

To apply, please have your resume and cover letter ready to upload during the application process. In your cover letter, please describe what motivates and excites you about this position and how it connects with your longer-term goals. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Compensation and Benefits

• Full room and board; amenities include, rustic cabin, communal lodge, prepared lunch and dinner, river access; washer and dryer available
• NWOBS training & professional development opportunities (Technical training opportunities include: backpacking, rock climbing, river, and mountaineering workshops. Instructor facilitation trainings include: Lead Instructor Training, Mental Health First Aid, Student Management Skills, Community Resilience, and EID. Further nationwide staff invitationals available throughout our network)
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
• - valued at ~$1,000 per case
• Comprehensive resource & referral center, including financial, legal, well-being coaching, child-, and eldercare
• Free counseling (therapy), 5 sessions per occurrence
• 24/7 Crisis line
• Industry Pro-Deals, discounts from partner brands and other top outdoor gear providers.
• 50% course tuition discounts for staff and their family members.
• Opportunity to apply for discounted technical training, such as Swiftwater rescue, Single Pitch Instructor, and Wilderness First Responder certifications.

Position Summary

The Program Manager (PM) is an integral part of the NWOBS Mazama Leadership Team (MLT) and will assist with overall day-to-day wilderness program management. The PM works to provide daily leadership, administrative support, and management of the Odin Falls basecamp and associated programming. Responsibilities include course directing, training, coaching of course directors and trainers, ensuring quality training, programming, community building, curriculum development, and some aspects of business management. The PM serves on the MLT as well as the NWOBS Admin Team, and supports Course Directors and field staff. The PM reports directly to the Odin Falls Program Director.

The successful candidate will be expected to have past training and experience in equity, inclusion, and diversity work, particularly pertaining to youth education and partnerships with culturally specific programming. This 7-month position is tentatively scheduled from April 1st, 2024 – October 31th, 2024.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Work with the MLT in addressing and implementing strategies to meet program needs, goals, and directional strategy.
• In coordination with the Associate Program Director – Staff & Training (APD), provide Course Director (CD) oversight and support. Supervise, coach, and develop CDs.
• Participate in supervisory course field visits to provide mentorship and oversight of field staff.
• Collaborate with the Student Services team and Course Advisors in management of student course paperwork and flow.
• Serve as a CD as needed during the programming season.
• Role model professionalism at all times. Uphold and follow all policies and hold staff accountable for the same.

Program Quality and Training

• Directly oversee and instruct training modules as assigned, and oversee CD Training in collaboration with the APD and Program Director (PD).
• Assist Oregon and Washington APDs in training season curriculum assessment and oversight.
• Participate in the administration and delivery of all courses to ensure that course quality remains true to the NWOBS mission and educational outcomes.
• Create, update, edit, and adjust course curricula and course area guides as needed. In collaboration with the PD and APD, develop curricula for new and changing courses.
• In coordination with the APD, coordinate the collection, proper filing, and dissemination of all course paperwork. Ensure that all course paperwork is completed with excellence.
• Help with the implementation of feedback from training and season end to Instructor Development Plans and the MLT.
• In coordination with the APD, plan community events and gatherings.
• Work with the PD, APD, and CDs to track staff development and maintain clear structures for mentorship and professional growth.
• Connect with community partners to help coordinate course service projects.

Safety

• Participate in the 24-hour on-call system and respond to incidents as needed.There are times when the PM may serve as the local incident commander.
• Ensure accurate and complete incident reporting and analysis for all courses.
• In coordination with the PD and APD, create the content and delivery methods for course briefings & debriefings.
• Assist in evaluation and implementation of workplace health and safety protocols.

Site Support

• In coordination with the MLT, facilitate improvements to the basecamp during the pre-season and as needed throughout the season.
• In coordination with the MLT, support on-base students when needed and oversee supervision and coordination of early departures.
• In coordination with the MLT, orient new and returning staff to basecamp expectations.
• Participate in basecamp set-up and take-down. Participate in daily community meetings and chores. Ensure that all facilities are kept at the highest possible condition.

Secondary Roles and Responsibilities

• Participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity including, but not limited to: running, swimming, mountaineering, rock climbing, and paddling.
• Coordinate and host guests and events. Examples include NWOBS participation in local events, special groups, service projects, board meetings, retreat, etc.
• Participate in other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Competencies

• 2 years in the field of outdoor education and 1 year team management and supervisory experience.
• Experience in at least one of the NWOBS Oregon course activities: backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, or rafting.
• A demonstrated commitment to engaging in equity, inclusion, and diversity efforts (either within a professional or personal setting).
• Experience working with students from a broad range of identities, particularly students with marginalized identities, and the ability to facilitate a positive group environment on course, on base, and in any other NWOBS context.
• Willing to actively engage in anti-racist, sexist, ableist, and all other expressions, and continually implement new skills and learning to support the liberation of those within your sphere of influence.
• Able to take ownership and practice humility in your personal journey toward building a more inclusive and increasingly safer workplace for all employees.
• Possess the interpersonal skills and versatility to effectively build relationships across a broad spectrum, and independently resolve conflict or seek support.
• Able to work in a collaborative team environment with diverse groups of people, including field staff, program management staff, and organizational leadership.
• Able to develop and maintain positive, productive relationships with clients, partners, colleagues, and supervisors.
• Able to have open, honest, and difficult conversations, including giving and receiving feedback.
• Possess skills to inspire, promote, and contribute to a positive team culture.
• High level of problem-solving, prioritization, and management of multiple tasks.
• Proactive and effective communicator and collaborator.
• Personal and professional values consistent with the NWOBS mission, values, and principles.
• Able to work both independently and cooperatively as part of a team.
• Able to work effectively in a dynamic environment and be adaptable.
• Familiarity with the Course Director role and commitment to work as a CD during the summer season, as assigned.
• Able to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity including, but not limited to: running, swimming, backpacking and mountaineering.
• Able to lift and move a minimum of 40 lbs., and able to carry pack weight of up to 60 lbs.
• Ability to perform work at a desk or computer 50% of the time or greater.
• Possess a current Wilderness First Responder and CPR certification or willing to obtain before start date.
• Proficient with PC in Windows environment with Microsoft Suite © and Google Apps.
• Meet standards for NWOBS driver certification.
• Successful completion of annual background check, including a sex offender registry search. NWOBS has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse and neglect and will report any suspected abuse or neglect.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working out of the NWOBS Odin Falls basecamp and course area is preferred.

About NW Outward Bound School

With over 50 years of innovation in experiential and outdoor education in the Pacific Northwest, Northwest Outward Bound School (NWOBS) continues to change lives through challenge and discovery.

Our transformative and educational wilderness courses are set in some of the most dramatic and stunning parts of the United States. NWOBS facilitates wilderness-based programs in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and also serves urban youth and schools in the Portland metropolitan area. As an Outward Bound School, we are committed to the core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, equity, and inclusion, and strive to achieve the following outcomes: building character, developing leadership skills, and creating an ethic of social and environmental responsibility.

NWOBS recognizes that there are barriers precluding people with marginalized identities (e.g., black, indigenous, and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, genderqueer, trans, people from low income communities, rural communities, people with disabilities, and more) from being able to access transformative and inclusive educational experiences. These barriers also prevent people from accessing and having inclusive and culturally relevant experiences in the outdoors. NWOBS believes it has the responsibility, as an educational institution, to dismantle these barriers so that it can fulfill its mission of changing the lives of all who desire a quality outdoor education experience, and not just the lives of those with the privilege of being able to access NWOBS today.

As such, NWOBS aspires to be more reflective of and relevant to the communities in the Pacific Northwest, both within its staff and leadership body as well as its student body.

NWOBS is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of NWOBS to provide equal employment opportunity in accordance with applicable law to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, military status, political opinion, national origin, familial status, mental or physical disability, source of income, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law, in all personnel actions.