BOLD & GOLD Winter Wilderness Instructor - Snowshoeing

YMCA Of Greater Seattle • Seattle, WA

19d • Onsite

About The Position

The BOLD & GOLD Winter Wilderness Instructor leads outdoor courses for youth in the Pacific Northwest, working with a co-lead to support the physical and emotional safety of up to 10 participants. Instructors follow a set itinerary, manage the risks of backcountry travel, and facilitate activities and workshops that help participants develop confidence, leadership, and their own leadership style. Courses may include snowshoeing, camping, and outdoor skills, with other program activities including backpacking, rock climbing, paddling, and outdoor skills workshops.

BOLD & GOLD is a YMCA of Greater Seattle Camping & Outdoor Leadership program that prepares young people to become leaders through multicultural experiential education in natural settings. The program operates in national parks, national forests, Washington State Parks, and local green spaces. The position is seasonal and exempt, paid at a daily rate, and runs from early January through mid-March 2027. Instructors can generally expect one to three workdays per week, typically Saturdays and Sundays, with some weeks offering more work. Staff training days are described as occurring in early to mid-January 2026.

The position is based at the Cascade People’s Center in Seattle, where courses begin and end. Programming takes place outdoors and in remote wilderness locations across Washington State. Employees must be able to commute to the center. Work-related travel is in YMCA vehicles, including 14-passenger minibuses. The role requires authorized-driver status and transportation of participants.

Requirements

• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• At least two years of experience working with teens in an organized setting, including facilitating activities addressing issues facing adolescents.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills.
• Strong group facilitation, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Knowledge of teen developmental needs and the ability to assess individual teens’ needs.
• Experience making wilderness experiences relevant to the everyday lives of underserved youth.
• Personal or professional experience in backpacking, rock climbing, paddling, and/or snowshoeing.
• Ability to hike and/or backpack over varied terrain and teach techniques for approaching that terrain.
• Experience and knowledge of basic backcountry equipment or techniques, such as stove use, bear hangs, water purification, and/or shelter craft.
• Experience and knowledge of reading maps and using them for navigation.
• Ability to effectively manage physical risks for oneself and participants, including terrain, weather, and wildlife interactions.
• Current WFA and CPR certifications.
• Current Washington State Food Handlers Permit, required by the start date.
• Ability to drive 14-passenger minibuses on interstates, city streets, and rural roads; the position requires driving.
• For authorized-driver status: be at least 21, have held a valid driver’s license for at least three years, meet YMCA driving-record standards, and pass a drug screen that tests for impairing substances, including marijuana.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds; safely travel over varied terrain for up to 15 miles per day; spend multiple days and/or weeks in a wilderness setting; and communicate verbally and non-verbally with staff, partners, and participants.
• Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience may be considered if they provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively.

Nice To Haves

• Current WFR or W-EMT certification.
• Knowledge of and previous experience with diverse populations, including differences in language, culture, race, physical ability, and sexual orientation.
• Ability to speak a language in addition to English.
• Experience with anti-racism practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead one- to two-day wilderness-based snowshoeing, camping, or outdoor-skills courses, emphasizing multicultural leadership.
• Build rapport with participants and staff, foster positive group development, create structure, and draw learning from experiential activities.
• Model cultural humility and celebrate diversity while working effectively with people of different identities, backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.
• Ensure a physically and emotionally safe and inclusive environment for youth and staff.
• Transport participants in 14-passenger minibuses to and from program areas.
• Manage the unique risks of wilderness-based programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Adhere to abuse-prevention policies, maintain appropriate boundaries, complete required training, report suspicious or inappropriate behavior, and comply with mandated reporting requirements.
• Help ensure staff are appropriately screened, trained, supervised, and held accountable to the organization’s abuse-risk-management standards.

Benefits

• Individual YMCA of Greater Seattle membership.
• Free access to mental health resources.
• Rapidly accruing paid time off (PTO).
• Subsidized ORCA Transit Pass.
• Access to discounted gear and equipment through pro deals.
• Discounts on qualifying YMCA of Greater Seattle childcare and day camp programs.
• Some benefits are available only to full-time staff.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed