Wild Whatcom is a flourishing non-profit organization dedicated to connecting youth to nature and developing positive character traits through outdoor exploration and discovery. We provide experiential learning opportunities that inspire participants to build healthy relationships with nature, community,

and self.

The Field Operations Manager will work with Wild Whatcom’s Operations Coordinator and Program Manager to provide outstanding outdoor experiences to more than 2,000 participants. In addition to supervisory skills, the successful applicant will possess strong organizational skills, an eye for detail, a love of systems, fluency with spreadsheets, a talent for efficiency and synthesis, a knack for problemsolving, and a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges of running multiple outdoor programs with excellence and integrity.

Primary duties of the Field Operations Manager include honing internal systems, implementing risk management practices, tracking logistics, scheduling staff, managing hiring processes, supervising field staff, coordinating volunteers, maintaining gear, and organizing the many elements of operations that go into successful delivery at all levels. The Field Operations Manager is a cornerstone of the organization, helping each program be successful on a daily basis and ensuring that participants and staff thrive while in the field.

The Field Operations Manager position is a part-time position (0.6 FTE, approximately 24 hours/week) and will be paid $2,100-$2,400 per month, depending on experience ($42,000-48,000 FTE), with the potential to increase hours over time. This position is year-round.

Start date: Monday, September 10, 2018 or sooner depending on availability.

Qualifications

● 3+ years experience in a program leadership role that included a focus on operations, preferably specific to outdoor education.

● Supervisory experience in a collaborative environment.

● Fluency with spreadsheets, comfort with metrics and numbers, and knowledge of program evaluation techniques.

● A motivated self-starter with energy, flexibility, creativity, a sense of humor, and a willingness to pitch in wherever needed.

● Demonstrated ability to manage staff and volunteers with a highly collaborative

approach.

● Superior interpersonal and written communications skills with staff and volunteers.

● Ability to prioritize effectively and handle multiple projects and deadlines

simultaneously.

● Strong organizational skills and the capacity to keep track of many details.

● An understanding of risk management practices in outdoor education settings and monitoring systems to ensure effectiveness and practice among field staff.

● Professional work habits (punctual, responsive, organized, ability to manage multiple projects, attention to detail).

● Experience with budget analysis and monitoring.

● Environmental/outdoor education experience is strongly preferred.

● Competency with Google systems, Microsoft Office Suite, and social media.

● Experience with grant-reporting and tracking.

Field Operations Manager Detailed Responsibilities

Staff Management/Hiring

● Create a staff schedule for Wild Whatcom’s Field Programs, aligning individual staff needs with program needs.

● Supervise Wild Whatcom’s team of 5-10 field staff.

● Participate in annual evaluations for field staff and help each staff develop and achieve personal development goals.

● Manage Wild Whatcom’s hiring process for all field positions as needed, including assessing hiring needs, drafting job descriptions, posting job announcements, identifying qualified candidates, and scheduling interviews.

● Organize and create systems for new field staff orientation.

● Provide ongoing support for field staff in conjunction with Program Manager.

● Review and approve timesheets monthly for field staff.

● Build Wild Whatcom’s Volunteer program: coordinate, train, and supervise volunteers, create systems for volunteer support and management, incorporate program needs and volunteer interests.

● Work with Program Coordinators, Administrative Coordinator, and Program Manager to synthesize program schedules across programs to produce a cohesive and sustainable staffing and program delivery schedule; collaborate with Program Manager and Coordinators to ensure all programs are staffed as effectively as possible.

● Support Program Coordinators to coordinate logistics as needed (e.g. transportation, gear, first aid, etc.).

Communications and Partnerships

● Draft scopes of work for contracts and Partnership Agreements for school districts.

● Create, coordinate, and manage communications materials to support fundraising (e.g. testimonials, photos, metrics).

● Create parent/guardian feedback strategies.

Programs Support

● Serve on Wild Whatcom’s Risk Management Committee; implement protocols and provide risk management oversight across all Wild Whatcom programs.

● Collaborate with Program Manager to develop and draft program evaluation systems, track metrics, and support change implementation within all programs.

● Manage On-Call volunteer system to support safe field programming.

● Oversee Wild Whatcom’s field programs calendar by tracking upcoming deadlines, supporting Program Coordinators and field staff.

● Assist coordinators in meeting timeline/processes for program registration.

● Manage waitlist/lottery process for fee-for-service programs.

● Assist Executive Director and Program Manager with grant management and reporting.

● Contribute to program budget planning.

Organizational Management/Support

● Coordinate a clean, inviting, collaborative workspace at Wild Whatcom’s office.

● Create and manage systems for Wild Whatcom’s program gear and materials, including acquiring gear through pro-deals, sponsorships, etc. and maintaining first aid kits, curriculum kits, and outdoor gear.

● Continually streamline organizational Google systems for all programs/projects