The NOLS Rocky Mountain (RM) Campus Director leads all aspects of RM operations in accord with the NOLS vision and strategic goals. RM operations include oversight of the NOLS Rocky Mountain campus in Lander, WY, the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch in Boulder, WY, and the NOLS River Base in Vernal, UT. 

The Campus Director creates vision, sets tone, and leads in day-to-day operations and into the future. They also play an integral role in emergency and crisis response schoolwide. In addition to leading the RM, the Director also works on a NOLS leadership team to steer at a schoolwide level. The Director is deeply committed to the NOLS mission and values while supporting in-town teams and field faculty to facilitate positive, life-changing experiences for NOLS students.

Key Logistical Information:

• This position is based in Lander, Wyoming USA. Only candidates with established US working rights will be considered. Current NOLS employees globally will be considered.

• Key dates:

  • Role closes: 7th February 2024 at 11:59pm MT

  • 1st stage screening interviews and assessment tasks: w/c 12th February 2024.

  • 2nd stage interviews and assessment tasks: w/c 19th February 2024, if necessarily.

  • Start date: March 2024.

• Benefits: This position is eligible for Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Flexible Spending account, Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Long Term Disability, Employee Assistance Program, Paid Time off, 403(b), 403(b) contribution.

• Questions: Please contact peopleteam@nols.edu

What does the Rocky Mountain Director do?

• Campus Operations

  • Create a positive working environment in service to 1000+ students and 300+ field faculty per year. 

  • Supervise the RM, River Base Campus Director, Three Peaks Ranch Campus Director and potentially one or two other RM Operations Managers. 

  • Provide mentorship and support to a team of 75+ year-round and seasonal in-town staff across RM locations.

  • Plan operational activities including support staff structure, immediate and long-term course mix, budgets, financial projections, and other operational goals.

  • Foster a creative and flexible approach to addressing unpredictable market and enrollment trends, and show willingness to explore new courses.

• Budget Management

  • Plan and implement an approximate annual budget of USD 7M.

  • Innovate to increase operational efficiencies to reduce expenses.

  • Streamline course mix and maximize opportunities for increased tuition revenue.

• School-wide Leadership

  • Build and maintain positive working relationships with other NOLS departments and campuses.

  • Participate as part of the schoolwide leadership team and campus director team to exchange knowledge, support, and enhance the school’s overall program, purpose and mission.

  • Advance and gather input for school-wide leadership initiatives at the local level.

  • Act as a representative of expedition operations to NOLS stakeholders beyond Rocky Mountain campuses.

  • Communicate NOLS vision and state of the school to in town staff and field faculty. 

  • Lead through organizational uncertainty and change to support direct impacts to RM+ operating locations.

  • Educate on all RM locations.

• Risk Management and Crisis Response 

  • Support, assist, and occasionally lead day-to-day needs, complex evacuations, emergent issues, and crisis response. 

  • Work with student discipline and separations including intervention and family contact.

• Public and Community Relations

  • Represent NOLS to the public, including the local community, government officials, and other business contacts. 

  • Help NOLS foster and maintain a strong local presence in the US Rocky Mountain region. 

• Facilities Oversight

  • Work with the Facilities Manager on physical plant planning, construction, and maintenance oversight as it pertains to day-to-day function as well as long term asset changes across all RM campuses, including the Noble Hotel.

What makes a great Rocky Mountain Director at NOLS? 

We are looking for people who share our values and are keen to learn and develop their expertise. We are looking for candidates with the skills listed below. We expect to provide training and development support in some of the areas.

• Understanding of NOLS' mission, educational philosophy, and values as a learning organization

• Experience supervising a mid to large-size team, building positive leadership environments that embody equity and inclusion for diverse teams leading in service of others. 

• Embody a growth mindset.

• Professional-level experience instructing or guiding extended backcountry expeditions in remote environments with a variety of clients, and experience supervising expeditionary field programs.

• Excellent prioritization skills with the ability to adequately adapt based on emergent demands, team support, and deadlines. 

• Ability to build robust relationships and communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders. 

• Ability to lead effectively while under stress and with limited information.

• Excellent written and oral communication in English

• Desire to work in a close team in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

• Ability and willingness to maintain a flexible schedule, working some long days, weekends, and holidays. 

• Capacity to learn new software quickly and navigate complicated systems.

• in-depth knowledge of NOLS Rocky Mountain, Three Peaks Ranch and/ or River Base operations and classrooms is a bonus.

In your first 6 months, you will: 

• Gain a deep understanding of NOLS, and specifically the Rocky Mountain campuses, engaging with our staff, operational procedures, course and classroom offerings to ensure organizational goals are reached. 

• Build relationships with field faculty and in-town staff members at the RM, River Base, and Three Peaks Ranch towards understanding their experience, building trust and utilizing their expertise moving forward. 

• Understand the state of finances in the current fiscal year, build the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, manage day-to-day expenses, while working to increase net revenue to NOLS. 

• Become intimately familiar with NOLS RM+ evacuation procedures and systems in order to be the back-stop for summer operations including behavioral and medical incidents as well as emergent and crisis response at all RM+ campuses.

Who are we and what can we offer you?

NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that seeks to help people step forward boldly as a leader.

We believe that anyone can be a leader; it is our role to provide the environment and training to help people reach their full potential. We do that in classrooms close to home and in remote wilderness areas around the world. We are an organization with heart, expertise, and wildness, and these qualities help us support powerful, authentic experiences.

NOLS really is a great place to work:

• We have campus locations in seven U.S. states, and six countries; and courses in all 50 U.S. states and over 10 countries.

• We have fantastic employee discounts on top outdoor gear brands

• We offer discounts on NOLS Courses for you and your family

• All employees can benefit of free Outdoor Equipment "Rental" at our various locations

• Insurance Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits are available at a special NOLS rate to seasonal employees. Full-time employees are eligible for benefits package. 

• Wellness Time: Accrued leave that may be used for many HR-approved reasons throughout the season.

• Employee Assistance Program: Access to counselors that are available 24/7 to assist employees with work-life balance concerns.

Next steps

At NOLS we use the Applied platform for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using your resume alone, we'll be asking you to answer questions to test skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymized, and reviewed in a random order by members of our team. 

The Applied platform also asks some demographic questions before you start your application. We at NOLS never see the responses to these demographic questions with your application. We only see summary statistics to help us check if our candidate pool is balanced and if everyone has an equal chance to get hired irrespective of their background. If you prefer, you can easily opt out of answering these questions.

All you need to do is start the process by clicking on the yellow button on the top right. 

Additional Information

Pre-Employment Check

• A criminal background check is required from all NOLS employees.

• NOLS participates in E-verify for U.S. employees, and other relevant employment verification systems based on location.

• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age by the position start date and possess a valid driver’s license. Must have a clean driving history and be able to meet the criteria for NOLS vehicle insurance coverage.

• Current NOLS employees please note it is NOLS policy to conduct an internal reference check with human resources and/or your current supervisor as part of the reference check process. If you have any questions or concerns about this process please contact peopleteam@nols.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity

NOLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetics information, disability unrelated to job or admission requirements, or status as a protected veteran. The school’s nondiscrimination policy applies to all phases of its employment process, its admission and financial aid programs, and to all other aspects of its educational programs and activities. Retaliation directed to any person who pursues a discrimination complaint or grievance, participates in a discrimination investigation, or otherwise opposes unlawful discrimination is prohibited.

Reasonable Accommodation

NOLS values community and fosters a sense of belonging for our employees and applicants. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace because they embody these values, as well as our operating principle of promoting a positive, safe, and learning environment. Reasonable accommodations may be requested for disability; limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition; religion; and domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or harassment. Reasonable accommodations may be requested at any point of the employment process, including during recruitment. Please email peopleteam@nols.edu with your request.