Expeditions Coordinator

Expeditions Coordinator Opportunity 

Position type: Full time for 10.5 months, salaried, permanent/seasonal

Location: Silver Falls State Park, Oregon: June-September/remote in greater Portland/Salem areas January-May and October-November

Compensation: Salary is $42,000 for a 10.5-month position, or $4,000 per month

Benefits: 15 days paid vacation plus 6 holidays/80% health, dental, vision coverage/annual professional development stipend/business mileage

Program: Opal Creek Expeditions

As the leader of the Opal Creek Expeditions program, your role is integral to the development and implementation of twenty-seven youth and adult backpacking trips across the state of Oregon.

Prior to each season, you’ll work with parents and campers on registration, create/update routes and acquire permits, maintain and develop strong partnerships, coordinate pre-trip logistics with families via email, phone, and virtual orientation sessions, and co-hire and train Guides.

During the summer and fall, you’ll coordinate operations for a Backpacking Expedition program in different corners of Oregon: with routes in the Willamette, Ochoco, Malheur, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. You’ll foster participant’s relationships with the natural world and each other, support and mentor Guides, monitor field crews and organize evacuations. Opal Creek’s Expedition program is in a new phase with an opportunity for further development and expansion; you’ll play a major role by envisioning and creating exciting new adventures for our Expeditions community.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

A successful candidate will possess these minimum qualifications. We are less interested in the titles you’ve held and more interested in what you’ve actually done and who you are.

● Previous experience coordinating backcountry logistics for youth and/or adult programming

● 2+ years backcountry guiding experience

● 2+ years working with youth

● Strong communication skills, written and verbal

● Strong organizational skills & attention to detail

● Strong navigation & backcountry skills

● Familiarity with Leave No Trace principles

● Previous experience mentoring or supervising adults 

● Previous experience with equity, inclusion, and cultural relevance, and integrating into youth programming

● Previous backcountry medical experience

● Able to lead groups on hikes up to 12 miles 

● Able to pass a criminal background check

● COVID-19 vaccine (by time of employment)

● Valid driver’s license

How to Apply & Timeline

Please submit an application by visiting the employment page of our website: https://www.opalcreek.org/about/employment/

The application includes a series of questions, and asks you to upload a detailed resume in PDF format. Be sure to include any relevant experience and certifications, both professional and personal experience.

We are accepting applications until January 22, 2023. There are three rounds of interviews for this position in total during the end of January and early February. The ideal start date is February 20, 2023.

Please contact hiring@opalcreek.org with any questions and to request any accommodations you would like made during this hiring process. We’ll do our best to respond to all queries and to keep all applicants up to date on how the process unfolds.