Outdoor Recreation Assistant Manager

Grand Canyon University! One of Arizonas leading institutions of higher learning. Located in the Valley of Sun in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, GCU is a regionally accredited, private, nondenominational Christian University.

Under the general direction of the Outdoor Recreation Manager, the Outdoor Recreation Assistant Manager will help oversee the Outdoor Recreation program. This includes managing all aspects of Climbing Programs and the Creative Team. Climbing Programs encompass the Climbing Wall, all outdoor climbing trips, trips related to ropes, and any future climbing projects on campus.

What You Will Do:

• Staff Oversight: Assist with hiring, training, and supervising all climbing wall student staff, including the development of training materials and oversight of meetings. Handle disciplinary actions and provide counseling as needed.
• Safety and Maintenance: Conduct monthly inspections of the climbing wall and equipment, ensuring they are in clean and safe condition. Update climbing wall policies to adhere to industry standards.
• Policy Enforcement: Enforce all climbing wall policies and procedures. Provide courteous assistance to all participants using the climbing wall.
• Scheduling and Coordination: Develop a schedule of activities for the climbing wall, including classes, special events, and rentals. Coordinate the scheduling of staff, including route setting.
• Equipment Management: Maintain and replace old, broken, or worn equipment. Ensure route quality by addressing issues such as spinning holds, missing tape, and broken holds. Recruit, train, and develop route setters. Determine which walls will be stripped and set, as well as the number and difficulty of routes.
• Participant Interaction: Lead and Teach belay orientations and lessons, gym to crag, lead climbing, as well as additional evening programming.
• Documentation: Create and maintain documents related to climbing wall policies and procedures, such as the climbing wall manual and risk management manual.
• Trip Management: Assist with planning and leading Outdoor Recreation Adventure Climbing Trips, ensuring all safety measures are met in an outdoor setting.
• Equipment and Safety: Ensure all equipment used for outdoor climbing trips is safe and well-maintained. Follow safety procedures and protocols specific to outdoor climbing activities.
• Participant Interaction: Provide guidance and support to participants during outdoor climbing trips, promoting a safe and enjoyable experience.
• Event Support: Occasionally drive a passenger van to transport students for Outdoor Recreation events.
• Standardization of Skills: Create a standardization process for adventure trip leaders, including assessing skills via workshops and tests.
• Staff Oversight: Oversee all student workers in the Creative Team, including training, equipping, and scheduling them for various tasks.
• Brand Adherence: Ensure all creative outputs adhere to the university's brand standards.
• Marketing Techniques: Establish effective marketing techniques to promote the Outdoor Recreation program and its activities.
• Education: Teach video and photography skills to team members, ensuring high-quality content production.
• Software Utilization: Use Hootsuite and Basecamp software to manage social media and project timelines. Set and maintain posting schedules for various platforms.
• Content Creation: Work with the Outdoor Recreation Manager and Marketing team to create and schedule posts, ensuring consistent and engaging content across all platforms.
• Program Development and Administration
• Marketing and Promotion: Collaborate with the Outdoor Recreation Manager and Marketing team to create marketing and advertising strategies to promote the climbing wall facility and its programs along with all other programs.
• Revenue Management: Maintain revenue records and meet revenue goals. Create reports, including revenue, participant rosters, and other data analytics to support data-driven program decisions.
• Budget Planning: Coordinate with the Outdoor Recreation Manager in equipment purchase and budget planning.
• Event Support: Assist with Student Affairs special events as assigned.
• Communication: Post all classes and special events on Fusion. Attend and participate in all required meetings, workshops, and retreats.
• Ad Hoc Duties: Perform other duties as requested by professional staff.
• Compliance: Adhere to industry standards regarding climbing safety.

What You Will Have:

• Knowledge and Training: Highly proficient in conducting training for both climbing (route setting, rescues, classes) and creative team (marketing strategies, classes, skills).
• Risk Management: Knowledgeable about outdoor recreation risk management and its governing principles, along with climbing skills.
• Conflict Resolution: Good conflict resolution and mediation skills.
• Event Management: Proficient in event management, scheduling, and logistics.
• Communication: Proficient in written and verbal communications.
• Planning and Organization: Strong planning and organizational skills; able to handle frequent interruptions.
• Equipment: Ropes, climbing hard goods (carabiners, belay devices), power tools, climbing soft goods (harnesses, shoes) media hard goods (Cameras, drones etc.)
• Software Proficiency:
• Workday, Fusion, JotForm, Hootsuite, Basecamp, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo
• MS Office Suite proficiency.

What You Will Do:

• Supervise graduate assistants, student workers and any assigned GCU staff.
• Required: Bachelors degree in Sports Management, Parks and Recreation, Business Administration, or a related field. Valid drivers license and clean driving record. Ability to drive outside the State of Arizona. Ability to pass pre-employment background checks. Flexible schedule availability, including evenings and weekends.
• Preferred: Wilderness First Responder certification. Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) or Climbing Wall Instructor Provider certification. Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) certification. Leave No Trace Awareness certification. Two years of relevant work experience. Involvement in professional organizations such as NIRSA, AORE, AMGA, or PCIA.

Why work at GCU:

• Exceptional workplace benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401K savings plan
• Generous time off plan and 11 paid holidays
• Paid time off to volunteer in the community or at GCU sponsored events
• Free covered parking
• We also offer full-time employees, their spouses, and dependent children an Education Tuition Discount Program
• Free on-site gyms at all our office locations