Assistant Manager: Patrol, Center of Excellence (COE)

Vail Resorts • Vail, CO

7d • $67,688 - $96,697 • Onsite

About The Position

We’re building a center of excellence to support the world’s largest and best professional ski patrol. The Asst Mgr: Patrol, Center of Excellence (COE) provides field-level expertise, instructional support, and technical guidance to resort patrol teams across a range of disciplines. Assistant Managers serve as trusted technical practitioners who connect operations to the COE. They strengthen operational consistency, safety, and culture across resorts, by contributing on-the-ground perspectives that strengthen COE decision-making. This role partners with resorts to deliver hands-on skills training, support on-mountain program execution, and advise on questions related to technical rescue, or snow safety operations.

This posting covers Assistant Manager under the Technical Rescue Programs, as well as Assistant Manager under the Avalanche Programs. These jobs are detailed below. Please specify in your application if you are interested in one or both positions. Hiring will be on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.

Requirements

• Experience and appreciation of patrolling, the ski industry, and mountain culture.
• Enthusiasm and passion for driving culture and innovative capabilities.
• Strong communicator, able to connect with everyone from frontline team members to senior leaders both in the field and at the enterprise level.
• Proven ability to lead, align teams, and build energy and trust across a large network of operations.
• Deep understanding of how resorts operate and how to work within and implement programs across multiple locations.
• A leader who can both drive results and inspire people.
• Strong business storytelling skills and complex stakeholder management capabilities.
• Technical Rescue Programs: 5+ years of ski patrol or technical rescue experience
• Technical Rescue Programs: AAA Pro 1/CAA Ops Level 1 or higher
• Technical Rescue Programs: Wilderness First Responder or higher
• Technical Rescue Programs: Minimum SPRAT Level 1
• Technical Rescue Programs: 3+ years of rope access and/or technical rope rescue.
• Technical Rescue Programs: 3+ years of professional avalanche operations and patrol experience.
• Technical Rescue Programs: Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust across diverse patrol cultures.
• Technical Rescue Programs: Ability to travel regionally and work in severe alpine environments.
• Avalanche Programs: 5+ years of ski patrol or other relevant avalanche operations experience
• Avalanche Programs: AAA Pro 1/CAA Ops Level 1 or higher.
• Avalanche Programs: Wilderness First Responder or higher
• Avalanche Programs: 3+ years of ski patrol avalanche operations experience.
• Avalanche Programs: Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust across diverse patrol cultures.
• Avalanche Programs: Ability to travel regionally and work in austere alpine environments.
• Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age

Nice To Haves

• Instructor-level certifications or training experience.
• Familiarity with enterprise standards and expectations.
• Strong technical background: computer, IT, and/or communications.

Responsibilities

• Support Regional Technical Rescue Programs: Contributes to the execution of enterprise technical rescue standards by providing hands-on coaching, field demonstrations, and technical guidance to resort patrol teams.
• Assist with Avalanche Program Integration: Supports joint training, shared operational understanding, and cross-discipline alignment by collaborating with the other COE team members.
• Deliver Training on Management Standards: Facilitates training modules for patrol supervisors and leads, helping them understand and apply COE-defined operational and leadership standards in their daily work.
• Provide Regional and Field-Level Insight: Identifies opportunities, challenges, and trends across resorts and communicates operational perspectives that help inform broader COE strategy and program evolution.
• Support Culture Change Strategy: Leads culture change efforts using emotional intelligence and expert facilitation to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and advance a professional ski patrol culture.
• Support Regional Avalanche Operations: Provides field support to resorts by helping to implement avalanche best practices and maintain enterprise avalanche standards in day-to-day operations.
• Deliver Training: Help develop, facilitate and mentor training or apprenticeship programs for avalanche operations, ensuring patrol teams gain strong and consistent technical skills and apply this understanding.
• Assist Local Avalanche Program Assessments: Support the COE with assessments of avalanche operations, forecasting, explosives handling, and operational protocols.
• Reinforce Local Compliance: Help resort teams follow enterprise and regulatory expectations for avalanche operations through coaching and on-site guidance.
• Support RACS Readiness & Basic Maintenance: Assists with Remote Avalanche Control System (RACS) planning, construction, and maintenance.
• Assist with Technical Rescue Integration: Collaborate with the other COE team members to ensure aligned training, technical development, and foster a shared understanding between avalanche and rescue disciplines.
• Support or Lead Avalanche Reporting: Work with resort teams to support or lead reporting avalanche incidents and After-Action Reviews.
• Contribute to collaborative information and best practice sharing: Leads growth efforts using emotional intelligence and facilitation to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and advance a professional ski patrol culture.

Benefits

• Ski/Mountain Perks! Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family AND free ski lessons
• MORE employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Excellent training and professional development
• Referral Program
• Health Insurance; Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Vision Insurance plans (for eligible seasonal employees after working 500 hours)
• Free ski passes for dependents
• Critical Illness and Accident plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed