NOLS is a world-renowned non-profit organization dedicated to outdoor leadership and wilderness education, offering programs to students worldwide. Our mission is to cultivate confident, capable leaders who can thrive in challenging environments and make meaningful contributions to society. As a Talent Development Coordinator, you'll play a key role within our Field Faculty Development team, overseeing the selection and onboarding process for field faculty and supporting their ongoing professional growth.

We are looking for a motivated and highly organized individual to join our Field Faculty  Development team as a Talent Development Coordinator. In this role, you will oversee all aspects of recruiting for and enrolling our Field Instructor Course program, manage internal training for current field instructors, and support instructors in pursuing external training opportunities. You will collaborate closely with the Field Faculty Development Manager and other departments to create a promotion pipeline and enhance faculty job satisfaction.

If you have experience as a NOLS Field Instructor and are detail-oriented, enjoy cross-functional teamwork, and are passionate about developing world-class expedition leaders, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our team and the world.

Key Logistical Points:

Location: Remote

Experience as a NOLS Field Instructor is required

Start Date: Early December, 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, and more.)

Questions: Please contact peopleteam@nols.edu

What does a Talent Development Coordinator do?

As a Talent Development Coordinator, you will:

• Lead the selection and briefing for all field instructor courses, seminars, and alternative certification programs, including awarding scholarships.

• Identify opportunities and design innovative training and onboarding programs for faculty.

• Build relationships and coordinate with locations and the field staffing office to develop and implement the field staff seminar mix and schedule.

• Collaborate with the Expedition and Leadership Education department to plan and execute the Leadership Seminar mix.

• Recruit and enroll seminar participants strategically, manage rosters and waitlists, and handle all required paperwork.

• Create, update, and communicate seminar information to participants, while reviewing evaluations and summaries for continuous improvement.

• Track training needs and analyze faculty advancement trends to inform development strategies.

• Consult with field staffing and program teams to hire instructors for courses and seminars.

• Guide instructor course graduates through career pathways and training opportunities.

• Coach faculty on career development through open-door conversations, phone, email, and forums.

• Hire and supervise temporary staff for instructor course application reviews as needed.

What makes a great Talent Development Coordinator at NOLS? 

We seek an individual who aligns with our values and is eager to grow and develop their skills. While we expect to provide training and support in some areas, ideal candidates should possess the following qualities:

• A strong commitment to NOLS' mission, values, and culture as a learning organization.

• Enthusiasm for running expedition programs, managing instructor certification and seminar programs, including admissions, coordination with locations, and staffing.

• The ability to effectively transition new instructor cohorts to career pathways and staffing teams, ensuring alignment with their capabilities and aspirations.

• Experience in mentorship and coaching.

• A proven track record of collaborative problem-solving within teams.

• The capacity to balance long-term departmental goals with meaningful, individualized communication about instructors’ career aspirations when selecting participants for courses and seminars.

• A commitment to fostering inclusive leadership environments that prioritize equity and embrace diversity within teams.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, ranging from public-facing course information to one-on-one conversations with instructors.

• The ability to communicate with external audiences in ways that inspire them to join NOLS as field instructors and contribute to our mission.

In your first 6 months, you will: 

• Assist in the selection process for the 2025 Instructor Course (IC) Cohort and support instructor course participants as they prepare for the IC.

• Collaborate with the Field Faculty Development Manager to support seminar enrollment and recruit participants for seminars, 

• Work with location program teams to brief seminars and understand program needs as well as construct a seminar course mix for the next fiscal year. 

• Identify training effectiveness by reviewing historical seminar and assessment data.

• Provide timely communication to our faculty and staff through the department email inbox.

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.

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.

• All employees can benefit of free outdoor equipment "Rental" at our various locations

• We have fantastic employee discounts on top outdoor gear brands

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

• Wellness Time for all employees

• 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 button at the top right. 

Additional Information

NOLS currently can support remote employees with legal working rights in the following locations: Canada, provinces: British Columbia; Chile; India; Mexico; New Zealand; the US, states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

• 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 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.

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.

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.