Outdoor Field Instructor
Being an outdoor instructor at Adventure Treks is an incredible opportunity—seeing students immersed in nature, fostering a community and building their confidence and leadership on the trail! Instructors know the demands of operating on the sun's clock and sleeping in a tent for weeks at a time with peers and students that rely on them. In the highs and lows of a trip, they're always engaged, bringing fun to any situation, staying motivated, and working hard. Instructors are in charge of safety, satisfaction, and success. It's not always easy, but it's so rewarding! At Adventure Treks, instructors are an integral part of the community and make lasting impressions on students and lifelong friends with instructors.
Adventure Treks operates 13- to 30-day and semester-long wilderness-based programs in British Columbia, Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, and North Carolina. Instructors lead activities like backpacking, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking, canoeing, whitewater kayaking, and whitewater rafting. On each adventure, the five- to six-person instructor team works together to coordinate all aspects of the trip like managing group dynamics, teaching outdoor skills, maintaining equipment, and handling medical issues.
A commitment of providing fun, growth-oriented, and community-minded experiences for students allowed Adventure Treks to safely and successfully operate their 2020 and 2021 summer season, create a new gap semester program, provide fulfilling jobs, and avoid large staff layoffs.
A 60% instructor retention rate is in part due to competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities to work summer, Leadership Adventure Semesters, and fall educational programs. See the qualifications to learn more and apply.
Qualifications
Applicants must be 21 (college graduate/degree in progress preferred), have a valid WFR & CPR certification, clean driving record, several years of experience working with youth and leading outdoor programs, and the ability to maintain positive energy levels with little/no time off and very limited personal time.
Important Dates
- Summer: June 9th - August 15th, 2023
- A few shorter summer contracts are available
Instructor Compensation
We’re pleased to offer a competitive salary with the starting salary for first-year instructors being: Summer season: $4,000-$4,200
- Adventure Treks offers travel reimbursements up to $500 to help instructors travel to and from Staff Orientation
- Accommodations, meals (and coffee!) on your trip, outfitted activities, equipment, transportation to and from the trip’s locations are provided by Adventure Treks.
- Pro Deal accounts with access to discounts on a wide range of outdoor brands.
- Reimbursement for Wilderness First Responder Certification for returning instructors.
- Focus on year-round personal and professional growth which include career resource webinars and reimbursements towards professional development
- An opportunity to work both Adventure Treks spring, summer, and fall programs and gap semesters with a focus on career growth and professional development through the progression of instructor, trip leader, regional director, and gap semester faculty
Benefits
Personal and professional skills learned at Adventure Treks are applicable to many experiences for years to come:
To Apply: