The Equipment Manager at NOLS Rocky Mountain directly oversees all aspects of the Rocky Mountain equipment process for 1000+ expedition students and faculty each year. They ensure quality interactions with students, staff and public in the RM outfitting store. They oversee gear purchases, equipment rotation, inventory, gear repair, budget management and merchandise strategy. NOLS Rocky Mountain field programs require equipment for backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing and winter camping. This position supports the equipment departments at NOLS Rocky Mountain River Base, Teton Valley, and Three Peaks Ranch.

Key Logistical Information:

• Location: NOLS Rocky Mountain in Lander, WY

• Start date: September 2025

• Questions: Please contact peopleteam@nols.edu

What does an Equipment Manager do?

• Maintain equipment in a safe, functional condition. 

• Train and supervise the RM Assistant Equipment Manager, coordinator, 5-7 summer outfitting assistants, and other temporary and seasonal staff as necessary. 

• Plan, organize, and supervise students and field staff during briefing, issue and de-issue days.

• Maintain adequate stock in the issue room for efficient outfitting of NOLS courses.

• Maintain equipment issue sheets and handle all aspects of student equipment charges.

• Provide instruction and training in equipment repair and maintenance for staff, students, and instructors.

• Manage group gear for Rocky Mountain, Three Peaks, Teton Valley and River Base.

• Supervise the sale and rental of equipment to students, faculty, alumni and the public.

• Create and implement a long-term purchasing strategy that includes pre-season buying, equipment rotation, and an annual equipment sale.

• Train staff in a point-of-sales software system to sell and rent equipment.

• Determine pricing structure and develop the annual budget for all merchandise.

• Budgetary oversight of approximately $500,000 of revenue and $600,000 of expenses annually. 

• Responsible for accurate records of equipment issue, public sales and rental, and merchandise selection and inventory.  

• Responsible for supervision and operation of cash register transactions and finance reports. 

• Jointly involved with the Rocky Mountain leadership team in planning and acquisition of all short and long-term assets for the Equipment Department.

• Opportunities to work directly with equipment vendors to continually refine equipment design to better suit the needs of NOLS students and instructors.

• If qualified, serve as the Expedition Equipment Lead by supporting school-wide implementation of updated gear offerings, management strategies, and ongoing development (and implementation) of outfitting best practices. Taking on this elevated role has the potential to move the candidate into a higher starting salary range.

What makes a great Equipment Manager 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.

• Experience with the use and function of some Rocky Mountain equipment, including gear associated with backpacking, canyoneering, rock climbing, fly fishing, and backcountry skiing. 

• Experience evaluating and innovating NOLS field equipment systems across skill types and environments

• Highly motivated.

• Ability to work effectively on a team, delegate appropriately, and complete tasks independently

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to receive/provide thoughtful, timely feedback. 

• Excellent organizational, supervisory, facilitation, and problem-solving skills. 

• Consistent and self-driven work ethic with high attention to detail

• Pleasant and approachable manner with students, faculty, alumni, vendors, and the public. 

• Computer proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and the Google suite. Comfortable learning new computer skills and systems.

• Ability to work flexible and irregular hours including occasional early mornings, weekends, and holidays, with a goal of maintaining a 40-hour work week. 

• Ability to perform periodic heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds, and work while standing for extended periods of time.

In your first 6 months, you will: 

• Gain an understanding of NOLS Rocky Mountain, Teton Valley, Three Peaks Ranch, and River Base operations. 

• Act as the primary support system for the equipment needs of spring semester expeditions that are outfitted from NOLS Rock Mountain, preparing both students and instructors for expeditions involving rock climbing, canyoneering, and backcountry skiing/winter camping. 

• Engage with operational planning and preparations for the summer peak season including evaluating the logistics calendar, collaborating with other locations to identify needs, and hiring/training a summer team.

How to Apply

It’s super easy! Just enter your email and click the “start your application” button at the top of the screen and answer a few simple questions for the hiring committee to get a better idea of what you could bring to this role. 

At NOLS we use the Applied platform for our recruitment. The Applied platform will ask you 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.

Who is NOLS?

NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that strives to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. Our community—staff, students, trustees, and alumni—shares a commitment to wilderness, education, leadership, safety, community, and excellence. 

We believe that anyone can be a leader; it is our role to provide the environment and training to help people discover 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.

Why is NOLS a great place to work?

• We have 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.

Additional Information

Please note in order to ensure pay transparency and pay equity the range posted is non-negotiable. If you are unwilling to accept an offer within the posted range, please review our other opportunities to see if one better aligns with your salary expectations.

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

• NOLS participates in e-verify for U.S. employees, Certificado de Antecedentes for Chilean or Mexican employees, and other relevant employment verification systems based on location.

• Current NOLS employees please note it is NOLS policy to conduct an internal reference check with People Team 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.

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.