Seasonal: May 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020
* Flexible for start/end dates *
The Position:
Olympic Hiking Co. provides guided hiking tours throughout Olympic National Park. Each year, we hire a small team of naturalist hiking guides to lead these guided tours and manage our fast-paced tour schedule. This summer, we are looking to add a Seattle-based Naturalist Hiking Guide to lead our full- day Seattle to Olympic National Park Guided Hiking Tours and Seattle-based private tours upon request. Our guides lead a multi-faceted tour experience that overviews the ecology and history of the Olympic Peninsula, while creating a personable and interactive group environment for our guests.
What to Expect:
Our Seattle-based Naturalist Hiking Guide will be scheduled for our Saturday and Sunday full-day group hiking tours from Seattle to Olympic National Park throughout the summer, including holidays. It is approximately an 11 hour shift, which will include 4-5 hours of driving, 3-4 hours of hiking (up to 6 miles), and roundtrip ferry travel with the group. Our guides need to be confident leading a tour and fielding questions about the ecology of Olympic National Park’s mountains, rain forest, and coast.
The Details:
•Pay: $15 per hour plus gratuities
•Hours: Typically 22 hours per week, with potential of up to 33-40 hours on occasion
•Location: Seattle, WA (tour starting/ending location Downtown Seattle Ferry Terminal)
Responsibilities:
•Driving: you will drive a large 12/15 passenger tour van from Bainbridge Island to Olympic National Park roundtrip with about 4-5 hours of drive time and up to 200 miles.
•Presenting: you will deliver a verbal presentation about Olympic National Park’s ecology and history throughout our driving tour and during an interactive group hike.
•Hiking: you will typically lead a guided hike of 4-6 miles on one or more hiking trails during the full-day tour, while managing the group’s safety and morale.
•Logistics: you will coordinate passenger check-in, daily picnic orders, bookings on various sales channels, group messaging, emails, a fast-paced tour schedule, and tour headcounts.
Minimum Requirements:
•Willing and able to work weekends, holidays, and ad-hoc private tour requests
•Clean driving record and confidence to drive a 12/15 passenger van up to 200 miles per day
•Physically able to hike up to 8 miles per day with previous hiking and outdoor experience
•First Aid/CPR Certification prior to start date, Wilderness First Aid or Responder preferred
•Must be at least 21 years of age or older
An Ideal Candidate’s Background:
•Strong knowledge of Pacific Northwest ecology, environmental science, and natural history
•Previous experience as tour guide, outdoor education, or other tourism/hospitality roles
•Proven track record for a fast-paced, interactive environment with an attention to detail
•Confident in public speaking, managing diverse groups, and exchanging personal experiences
Who are We?
Olympic Hiking Co. is a commercially authorized tour company for guided hiking tours and trailhead shuttles in Olympic National Park. Our mission is to help visitors make positive, lifelong memories while exploring the Olympic Peninsula. To learn more about our story, visit www.hikeolympic.com!
How to Apply:
Submit an application by Sunday, March 1, 2020 online at: www.hikeolympic.com/employment