Job Title: Program Leader

Position Type: Contract

Supervisor’s Title: Program Manager and/or Program Director

Department: Programs

Position Dates: Specific dates from May-October 2024

General Description:

No Barriers serves people with disabilities and their communities, including adults, youth, veterans, caregivers, and others. This is an outdoor adventure, field programming role within the Programs team. The primary role of this position is to lead programs with participants in outdoor settings such as the No Barriers mountain campus located in Red Feather, Colorado, and at backcountry locations in Colorado and/or North Carolina. Activities may include hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, high ropes challenge course, rafting, and/or paddling, in addition to facilitated discussion and reflection. Program Leaders are also responsible for logistics management and the overall care of people and equipment. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Program Facilitation

• Facilitate outdoor adventure activities

• Deliver the No Barriers curriculum in engaging, situationally appropriate ways

• Support curriculum and activity planning

• Manage accessibility needs on-site

• Facilitate discussions that can sometimes be sensitive, difficult, controversial, or painful

• Contribute to positive culture and act as a professional representative of No Barriers

• Use feedback from participants and staff for continuous improvement

• Collaborate with staff team to effectively deliver programming

• Participate in some virtual programming prior to/after in-person experience

Participant Support

• Meet participants at the airport or other meeting point and be responsible for them until the moment they depart at program completion

• Manage injuries, conflicts, emergency situations, crises, and evacuations as needed

• Care for and support the emotional and physical well-being of participants

• Continually assess the group in the field and make adjustments as needed

• Understand and be able to find ways to assist participants with a variety of needs 

Operations, Logistics, and Risk Management

• Organize, distribute, and collect gear for each experience

• Perform risk management assessments, both formally and informally, manage risk, and make decisions to mitigate and respond to risks

• Document incidents, emergencies, and crisis according to established processes

• Review all necessary participant medical information prior to each program and prepare as necessary

• Manage and enforce organizational policies and relevant laws, including those related to working with minors

• Navigate hiking trails

• Prepare/set up and take down camp

• Work with service providers, partner organizations, and other supporters

• Drive vehicles with gear and/or participants inside

• Facilitate preparation of meals with the staff team; may shop for food and supplies

• Coordinate with office staff from the field using satellite communication devices

• May engage in scouting locations

• Participate in briefing meeting/s prior to the in-person experience and debrief meeting/s after the in-person experience

Finance

• Ensure that each program stays on or under budget

• Complete expense reports and submit by deadline

• Spend according to organizational guidelines

• Use credit card responsibly if one is provided

Qualifications:

• Strong compassion for, and appreciation of, populations being served through No Barriers programming, especially people with a variety of abilities (both visible and invisible)

• Strong desire to positively impact the lives of people with barriers

• Familiarity with outdoor recreation best practices

• Experience working with people with disabilities

• Experience with coordinating and carrying out accessible programming in the outdoors 

• Experience coordinating logistical and operational details for experiential programming

• Outdoor adventure skills

• Group facilitation skills

• Ability to collaborate and work with diverse co-workers and partners

• Ability to take initiative to accomplish necessary duties, including being the first up in the morning and the last to bed in the evening

• Effectively delegate tasks to others (i.e. meal prep, refilling potable water containers, campus clean up duties, etc.)

• Ability to work in increments from single day to 2 to 9 day stints (exact program dates would be presented in job offer and are dependent on program area) throughout the year

• Ability to be in Colorado for required training to take place in May 2024 (in rare circumstances a qualified PL may be able to participate in training virtually)

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills

• Creative problem-solver

• Ability to multi-task and coordinate several moving parts at once

• Ability to remain calm and productive under stress

• Non-profit and/or outdoor recreation industry experience preferred

Desired education and formal training—

• Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Aid certification required

• ACCT Level 1 or Level 2 certification preferred

Work environment—

• Outdoor camp setting in Red Feather, Colorado and/or backcountry locations in Colorado (location dependent on program type)

Possible physical activities—

• Lifting and carrying 30-50 lbs or more (may include backpacking backpack depending on program type)

• Moving program gear and equipment (cooking equipment, climbing gear, food bins, etc.)

• Activities such as walking or hiking for extended periods of time, carrying luggage and gear, riding in boats/rafts, hiking (possibly at high altitudes), facilitation of challenge/high ropes course, and rock climbing

Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. Each program area requires different skills and capabilities.