Job Title: Missionary Instructor
Department: COR Expeditions
Status: Full Time w/ benefits
Compensation: Determined by ability to acquire and maintain a support team.
Reports to: Executive Director of COR Expeditions
Work Schedule: This is not a typical Monday through Friday, 9-5 position. Morning, evening, and weekend work as well as travel around the US and extensive 24/7 time in the backcountry are required.
About the Program: COR Expeditions is the wilderness ministry outreach program of Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming. COR was born from the success of WCC’s faith-based Outdoor Leadership Program. COR is fundamentally oriented towards sharing the spiritual and leadership goals of this program with a wider audience beyond the college community and becoming the premier Catholic wilderness ministry through its adherence to the professional and safety standards of the outdoor industry. COR works with a variety of programs, including youth groups, seminaries, high schools, colleges, and young adult groups, as well as promoting its own trips via COR’s website and social media. COR also partners with other Catholic ministries to provide a faith-filled professional guiding presence in facilitating wilderness trips.
Position Summary: Because of the unique relationship between COR and Wyoming Catholic College, the missionary instructor position has three major parts: assisting in the development and operations of COR Expeditions, continuing to foster the growth of Wyoming Catholic’s outdoor program, and acquiring and maintaining a personal support team through fundraising efforts.
Essential Functions/Primary Job Responsibilities:
1. Lead various outdoor trips for COR Expeditions including, but not limited to backpacking, canyoneering, rock climbing, river trips and winter trips. The spring and summer months may include several months of back-to-back wilderness trips while the rest of the year will have more time in the office. This position may consist of over 150 days in the backcountry annually.
2. Proficiently facilitate COR’s spiritual programming on courses by leading talks and discussions and creating course culture through conversation and personal example. Assist in the continuing development of both spiritual and outdoor education curriculum.
3. Acquire and maintain a support team. Upon hire, attend a two-day fundraising seminar. After the seminar, spend approximately six weeks, some of which will be traveling, towards initial fundraising efforts.
4. Support the Outdoor Leadership Program of Wyoming Catholic College. For approximately 10 weeks of the year, COR staff time will be devoted to planning and leading outdoor trips for the students of WCC, as well as high school students who participate in the WCC summer programs. This will include leading multiple WCC week-long trips each year and leading day trips and trainings for WCC students and outdoor leaders. It may also include being a head instructor for the 21-Day Freshman Expedition or leading technical aspects of the PEAK high school program.
5. Promote COR Expeditions courses to Catholic organizations, homeschool programs, youth groups, parishes, private Catholic schools, seminaries, dioceses, and individuals around the country. This may include extensive travel.
6. Be a liaison, either directly or through the COR Admin Assistant, to organizations that contract courses through COR to help them facilitate registration paperwork, health forms, payment methods, travel plans, gear needs, and other logistics.
7. Plan and organize outdoor trips for various groups: plan the route, apply for backcountry permits and camping reservations, organize rental equipment, coordinate travel for students and instructors, plan food menus, design trip-specific curriculum, etc.
8. Conduct various administrative duties including but not limited to: designing and updating website content, social media content, creating promotional material, managing and updating trip paperwork such as registration and payment forms, reviewing participant health forms, creating and managing budgets for trip proposals and actual trips, etc.
9. Attend professional development opportunities in the fields of both outdoor education and Catholic ministry.
10. Acquire and maintain permits with state and federal land management agencies.
Minimum Job Requirements:
● Ministry Experience: A missionary instructor primarily provides trips for Catholic organizations and Catholic clientele. It is therefore imperative that this person not only lives his or her Catholic faith but is able and excited to share his or her faith with others. Many of these trips are designed to evangelize participants through God’s First Book. A background and previous coursework in Catholic theology is recommended for this position. Experience in youth or young adult ministry is a plus.
● Bachelor’s degree that includes involvement with Outdoor Education & Leadership.
● Current WFR (Wilderness First Responder) and CPR certifications, and ability to teach and run WFR scenarios.
● Extensive experience working with a reputable outdoor program such as COR Expeditions, WCC Outdoor Leadership Program, NOLS, Outward Bound, SROM, etc. This should include leading trips in various outdoor activities, renting gear, gear maintenance and repair, planning and packing backcountry food rations, etc.
● Extensive experience and demonstrated ability to lead multiple outdoor activities such as: backpacking, canyoneering, mountaineering, canoeing, kayak touring, rock climbing,mountain biking, whitewater rafting and kayaking, winter backpacking, cross-country skiing, backcountry skiing, ice climbing, fishing.
● Working knowledge of risk management, wilderness safety, and industry standards in the previously mentioned outdoor activities.
● Experience training trip leaders in the previously mentioned outdoor activities.
● Experience in planning and organizing a variety of different outdoor trips including: developing route plans, technical knowledge of the route, emergency and evacuation routes/plans, choosing and finding qualified leaders/instructors, etc.
● Flexibility, creativity, and proven problem solving skills to meet and adapt to the needs of a growing non-profit organization.
● Ability to maintain a positive attitude in the face of changing priorities and deadlines and to be creative with time management.
● Self-motivated, proactive, and able to excel when working with a team to solve problems.
● Clean driving record. Experience driving 12 and 15 passenger vans.
● Must have the motivation and energy to fundraise support for the program as well as acquire and maintain a personal support team – training will be provided.
Preferred Experience:
● Familiarity with AEE accreditation standards and its programming.
● Outdoor Industry Certifications (or ability to acquire within a year): AMGA SPI, ACA Swiftwater Rescue training, Avalanche certifications, WFR Instructor, etc.
● Experience with various trip and route opportunities in Wyoming and its adjacent states.
● Previous fundraising experience.
● Trailer driving experience.