The River Base Program Supervisor's objective is to supervise, assist, and coordinate all aspects of NOLS River Base courses, focusing on building a student-centered learning environment. You’ll work as part of the River Base team to supervise field faculty and ensure program quality. You will provide instructor teams with curriculum, route, and risk management support. You will facilitate conversations within instructor teams to support success in team function. You will give feedback, evaluate performance, and mentor career development for field staff.

Key Information

• Upload your cover letter and resume as one PDF document when you are prompted to upload your CV/resume.

• Target Start Date: 23 March 2026

• Location: River Base Vernal, UT

• Additional Information: On-campus housing is available for a small fee monthly 

Questions? Feel free to contact peopleteam@nols.edu

What does a Program Supervisor do?

• Support field faculty in delivering exceptional student experiences by providing growth-oriented briefings, curriculum resources, debriefings, and evaluations. 

• Contribute to an environment that encourages instructors and students to feel relaxed, supported, and focused going into the field.

• Promote field and in-town risk management. 

• Assist in the management of field evacuations and in-town incidents as needed.

• Act as a vital link in communicating NOLS Accepted Field Practices. 

• Apply the NOLS Field Instructor Skills in evaluating instructor performance and making recommendations for instructors' work level. Actively guide and mentor field staff in their professional development at NOLS. 

• Review and organize all course-related paperwork. 

• Educate instructors regarding schoolwide communications and initiatives.

• Share evacuation coordinator duties by occasionally carrying a 24-hour emergency phone.

• Assist with River Base operations – outfitting, rations, meal preparation, vehicle preparation, course drives, and facilities upkeep as necessary to maintain excellent student service.

In your first 3 months, you will: 

• Review and understand the full scope of NOLS Field Instructor Skills and schoolwide communications.

• Become familiar with briefing, debriefing, and evaluation processes for field faculty.

• Learn how NOLS Accepted Field Practices are communicated and applied.

• Provided growth-oriented briefings and debriefings for field faculty. 

• Contribute to creating a supportive and focused environment for students and instructors. 

• Mentoring and coaching instructors under supervision, applying NOLS evaluation standards.

• Familiarize with internal communication tools and processes for coordinating staff and courses.

• Begin tracking and documenting faculty performance, incidents, and course logistics.

What makes a great Program Supervisor at NOLS? 

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

• An understanding of and passion for the NOLS mission. 

• Familiarity with the NOLS river program.

• Maintain active NOLS field instructor status.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

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

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced and sometimes unpredictable environment. 

• Willing to work a non-traditional schedule (weekends and evenings as well as periodic 24/7 evacuation on-call shifts).

How to Apply

Upload your cover letter and resume as one PDF document when you are prompted to upload your CV/resume.

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?

• Global Reach: With locations across the U.S. operations in six countries, and courses running in all 50 states and more than 10 countries, you’ll be part of an organization with a truly worldwide impact.

• Course Discounts: Receive special pricing on NOLS courses for yourself and your family.

• Comprehensive Benefits: Full-time employees are eligible for a robust benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Flexible Time Off: We offer a flexible time off policy that empowers employees to take the time they need for rest, adventure, and personal priorities without the constraints of traditional accrual systems.

• Employee Assistance Program: Access confidential, 24/7 counseling and support services to help you maintain balance and well-being.

Additional Information

To support pay transparency and equity, the posted salary range is fixed. We encourage you to explore our opportunities that fit your pay 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.

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 by emailing peopleteam@nols.edu with your request.