Outdoor Program Manager

Western New Mexico University•Mission, NM

About The Position

The Outdoor Program Manager, in collaboration with the Program Director, is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating co-curricular outdoor, field-based, and other relevant programs aligned with institutional priorities. This role involves coordinating and leading short-duration field intensives, training modules, and applied learning experiences for both in-person and online students. The manager will support certification courses, skill-building workshops, and experiential learning opportunities in areas such as outdoor leadership, emergency response, natural resource management, environmental science/education, and public service pathways. A key aspect of this role is facilitating inclusive access to programming for diverse student populations, including first-generation, rural, and non-traditional students. The manager will also implement and enforce program risk management protocols, maintain documentation, and oversee the operation of a gear rental facility. This includes managing inventory, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement schedules for outdoor equipment, as well as recruiting, supervising, scheduling, training, and mentoring student employees. Collaboration with faculty to support academic courses and applied learning initiatives, as well as supporting community partnerships, are also integral to the position. The manager will represent the Outdoor Program at events, assist with budget tracking and resource planning, and maintain data for assessment and reporting. This role involves administrative and supervisory functions, including staff recruitment, training, and performance evaluation, while modeling professional standards and ethics.

Requirements

Experience in planning, implementing, and evaluating outdoor or field-based programs.
Experience coordinating and leading field intensives, training modules, or applied learning experiences.
Knowledge of risk management protocols, Emergency Action Plans, incident reporting, and participant screening.
Experience managing inventory, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement schedules for equipment.
Supervisory experience, including recruitment, training, and performance evaluation of staff.
Budget tracking, purchasing, and resource planning experience.
Ability to maintain participation data, training outcomes, and operational reports.
Proficiency in administrative and supervisory functions.
Ability to maintain comprehensive communication.
Ability to model professional standards and ethics.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting certification courses (e.g., wilderness medicine) or skill-building workshops.
Experience in outdoor leadership, emergency response, natural resource management, environmental science/education, or public service pathways.
Experience facilitating inclusive access to programming for diverse, first-generation, rural, and non-traditional student populations.
Experience with gear rental facility operations.
Experience collaborating with faculty to support field-based components of academic courses.
Experience supporting community partnerships related to outdoor education or community resilience.
Experience representing a program at on- and off-campus events.

Responsibilities

Plan, implement, and evaluate co-curricular outdoor, field-based, and other relevant programs aligned with institutional priorities.
Coordinate and lead short-duration field intensives, training modules, and applied learning experiences.
Support certification courses, skill-building workshops, and experiential learning opportunities.
Facilitate inclusive access to programming for diverse student populations.
Implement and enforce program risk management protocols, including Emergency Action Plans, incident reporting, and participant screening.
Maintain required documentation.
Oversee the operation of a gear rental facility, including managing inventory, inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement schedules for outdoor equipment.
Recruit, supervise, schedule, train, and mentor student employees.
Maintain regular business hours of the gear rental facility.
Collaborate with faculty to support field-based components of academic courses and applied learning initiatives.
Support community partnerships related to outdoor education, pathways programming, and community resilience.
Represent the Outdoor Program at on- and off-campus events.
Assist with budget tracking, purchasing, and resource planning for program operations.
Maintain participation data, training outcomes, and operational reports to support assessment and reporting needs.
Contribute to continuous program improvement through evaluation and documentation.
Provide a broad range of administrative and supervisory functions.
Supervise assigned staff in accordance with WNMU personnel practices including recruitment, training, performance evaluation, guidance, etc.
Participate in the process of ongoing personal and professional development.
Maintain comprehensive communication among all contacts (internal and external).
Model professional standards and ethics in accordance with WNMU philosophy.
Perform other duties as assigned.