Summer Programs Coordinator

POSITION TITLE: Summer Programs Coordinator

TIME COMMITMENT: Full-time/Seasonal; Full-time, in-person: May 1 – September 30, 2024+; Potential for intermittent work: March, April, and October

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION: Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association (SIHA)

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION’S MISSION: The Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association’s mission is to protect and advance the natural and cultural history of Idaho’s Sawtooth – Salmon River Country through preservation and education. SIHA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) association.  For more about the Association please visit www.discoversawtooth.org.   

LOCATION: The Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) encompasses 756,000 acres of rugged and beautiful land that is open for your exploration and enjoyment. We are located in the small town of Stanley, Idaho, right in the heart of wild Idaho. This stunning landscape inspires quiet introspection and observation and offers unlimited opportunities for hiking, fishing, mountain biking, camping, boating, and many other recreational activities.  Mailing address: Sawtooth Association, P.O. Box 75, Stanley, ID  83278.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Summer Programs Coordinator is the direct, daily supervisor of four crew members at the Redfish Visitor Center & Gallery and provides support to two crew at the Stanley Museum. The coordinator implements  interpretive services in various formats (Junior Ranger, interpretive guided walks, school group talks etc.) to visitors of the Sawtooth NRA. The coordinator supervises the summer crew on day-to-day duties and provides regular program feedback. This position is varied and independent with room for creativity, but also holds many different responsibilities. Ability to organize, prioritize and manage multiple moving parts is essential. 

A clean, professional appearance and friendly manner are expected. SIHA is a drug-free workplace. COVID-19 or other unforeseen events may require that SIHA modifies the duties listed below for the health and safety of our naturalists, our community, and our visitors.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Pre-season: 
  • Assist in hiring summer crew.
  • Develop personal interpretive programs for the summer season.
  • May: Develop, then implement, our 2-week schedule for training incoming summer crew (includes finding and scheduling speakers in related fields such as geology, fisheries, botany, etc., coordinating visits and tours, and developing lesson plans and workshops for interpretive programming, cultural and natural history of the area, etc.).
  • May: Assist with Gallery/Artist recruitment and communications.
  • May: Operational/natural and cultural history training at partnering location
  • May: Organize and complete opening cleaning/maintenance procedures at the Redfish Visitor Center & Gallery and the Stanley Museum.
• May-September:
  • Provide leadership, set expectations, and hold summer crew accountable.
  • Supervise a team of up to 3 naturalists, who staff the Redfish Lake Visitor Center & Gallery, in day-to-day programs and activities.
  • Assist in supervision of a team of 2 crew members who staff the Stanley Museum.
  • Provide constructive feedback for summer crew on interpretive programs, displays, and all other daily duties.
  • Develop the weekly/monthly schedule for summer crew.
  • Participate in meetings with Executive Director to review weekly/biweekly objectives.
  • Work with Forest Service partners to coordinate various tasks such as Wilderness permit collection, educational programs, and volunteers.
  • Manage daily sales of SIHA books and related items at the Visitor Center. 
  • Assist with the Redfish Gallery and manage/delegate day-to-day Gallery record keeping.
  • Work with the Business Manager to receive proper inventory for items at the Visitor Center, as well as complete weekly sales deposits, and other bookstore duties as assigned.
  • Participate in outreach to develop and maintain partnerships. 
  • Provide support to summer crew coordination of events. Hold crew accountable to use and update strategic “blueprints” for each event.
  • Advertise for SIHA events (creating and posting fliers, social media, and word-of-mouth).  
  • Participate in SIHA community events focused on providing education on natural and cultural resources and environmental awareness. Help manage volunteers during events.
  • Attend and participate in training during sessions/seminars.  
  • Attend and evaluate programs for team members at least 2 times during the season. Meet with Naturalists to review programs and check in.
  • Oversee/review summer crew posts on weekly blog and daily social media and encourage promotion of events and programs using these platforms.
  • Record and process monthly visitation/sales information to help predict summer trends.
  • Write reports for SIHA’s Board of Directors: June, August, End-of-Season
  • Complete SIHA paperwork (time sheets, program number records, etc.). 
  • Manage facilities to keep the Visitor Center and Museum running properly.
  • Participate in daily, weekly, and seasonal cleaning/maintenance procedures to keep the facilities in working order. This includes seasonal opening and closing duties. 
  • Research, develop, and present specialized interpretive programs relevant to the visiting public of the Sawtooth NRA, including but not limited to guided walks, Junior Ranger activities, discovery stations, patio talks, boat tours, and evening programs. Locations may include the Redfish Center, Stanley Lake, the Stanley Museum, or other venues.  Assess and modify programs as necessary.  
  • Research and create blog posts and social media posts.
  • Provide information about the area and trip planning assistance at the Visitor Center.
  • Staff the Visitor Center and close before attending professional development Friday evenings. 
• August-October (in addition to above duties)
  • Manage end-of-season exit interviews and offboarding.
  • Organize and manage end-of-season work days and facility closing duties
  • Act as point of contact for partnership event – SNRA End-of-Season Clean-up
• Complete other tasks as assigned.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Management experience–have the ability to notice what needs to be done and either delegate or complete tasks. 
• 1-year experience in a supervisory role, or 1 season experience with SIHA, previously. 
• Hold a degree in, be currently pursuing studies in, or have equivalent experience in natural or cultural resources, interpretation, education, history, environmental sciences, or related fields from an accredited college or university. 
• Have experience with a cash register and basic accounting abilities.
• Be resourceful, reflective, and self-motivated in a professional work environment. 
• Have the ability to work effectively alone as well as with others and lead a small group. 
• Demonstrate good communication skills, both orally and in writing.  
• Comfortable with public speaking around all ages and more specifically communicating with kids and adults.
• Understand facility management and ability to delegate tasks.
• Have basic knowledge of interpretive techniques and willingness to learn in more depth.
• Knowledge of Idaho natural history and specifically the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (and Forest Service) is a plus 
• Have the ability to walk at minimum two miles and lift 20 pounds.
• Possess valid state driver’s license and have access to a personal vehicle.  
• Knowledge of Google suite, Square POS systems, Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, Meta, WordPress, and social media, or willingness to learn. 
• Be available to work some evenings and weekends. 
• Have a commitment to the mission of the Sawtooth Association!

TRAINING: The Sawtooth Association will provide training for all aspects of the Summer Programs Coordinator position. Training will occur with the Executive Director, Business Manager, and partnering Forest Service personnel. The coordinator will also assist in the training of the summer crew in their first two-weeks of employment.

TYPICAL WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULE (40 HOURS): 

• 1-3 days – Administrative – Office time to complete program evaluations for each individual naturalist and office work. Office work includes scheduling special programs, completing sales deposits, guiding crew through special event and project preparation, etc.
• 2-4 Days – Interpretation and Desk Time – alternate between presenting interpretive programs at the Visitor Center, staffing educational trailhead portals, and providing interpretation in campgrounds to audiences throughout the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and providing information about the area to visitors at the Visitor Center.
• 2 days off (these two days will be scheduled together but will not be Saturday & Sunday (i.e. days off may be Monday & Tuesday or Wednesday & Thursday, etc.). 
• A half-hour lunch is scheduled each day. 

TO APPLY: Email your cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 professional references, as a single PDF, document to Lin Gray at hiring@discoversawtooth.org.   

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Rolling, priory consideration will be given to applicants who submit a complete application no later than, February 20, 2024 at 11:59 PM

Note: This position use to be called Lead Naturalist, but a pay increase and title change have been made to better represent the job duties. 

SIHA is an equal opportunity employer.