Kitchen Assistants at NOLS Rocky Mountain contribute to the preparation and serving of delicious and nutritious meals to students and faculty during their in-town days at the start and end of their NOLS course. This position presents the opportunity to work on a team, create meals catered to diverse, student needs, learn new cooking techniques, and get creative! 

Key Logistical Points:

• Applicants must have legal working rights in the United States.

• Location: NOLS Rocky Mountain campus in Lander, WY.

• Position type: Full time, seasonal (May/June - August 2025)

• Start date: End of May or June 2025

• Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits are available at a special NOLS rate to seasonal employees.

• Questions: Please contact Travis Thier, Rocky Mountain Kitchen Manager at travis_thier@nols.edu or peopleteam@nols.edu

What does a Kitchen Assistant do?

• Work on a team of 2-4 in a commercial kitchen to assist in the preparation and serving of meals to 10-75 people. 

• Maintain a high standard of sanitation and organization in the kitchen and dining room.

• Keeps a clean and tidy work space and dish pit.

• Ensure proper handling of food to avoid cross-contact of allergens.

• Prepare “road meals” to be eaten by courses traveling to and from the field.

• Provide timely and growth-oriented feedback to supervisor and co-workers.

What makes a great Kitchen Assistant? 

We are looking for people who share our values and are keen to learn and develop their skills. We are looking for candidates with the following skills:

• Enthusiastic to learn about cooking and food production.

• Detail-oriented and able to follow instructions and recipes. 

• Dependable.

• Able to work effectively on a team and follow through with tasks independently.

• Positive, friendly approach to student-service. 

• Committed to serving people with special dietary needs (e.g. Celiacs, vegan, peanut allergy) with care and excellence. 

• Able to lift and carry 50+ lbs (items such as bags of flour, full pots, and boxes of produce).

• Able to work while standing for extended periods of time, and able to function well in a variety of outdoor conditions (e.g. grilling outside on a hot summer afternoon).

• Willing to accommodate flexible work hours/schedules including early mornings, holidays, and weekends. 

  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 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.

We are looking for a hardworking individual who understands and shares our passion to join our dynamic and growing team.

NOLS really is 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 from free outdoor equipment rentals at our various locations

• Insurance Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision benefits are available at a special NOLS rate to seasonal employees. 

• 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 have legal working rights in the United States.

• 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.