Program Director of Student Outdoor Learning Experience

University of Colorado • Colorado Springs, CO

80d • $56,527 - $70,000

About The Position

The Program Director of SOLE leads a comprehensive portfolio of outdoor recreation and education programs designed to promote student wellness, leadership development, and campus engagement. This role oversees outdoor trips, adventure-based classes, workshops, certifications, camps, climbing wall operations, and the SOLE Center, which includes a bike and ski shop and outdoor equipment rentals. The program director supervises a team of 10–15 student employees and coordinates over 30 trips, 40 educational events, and 350+ climbing wall users annually. The position also collaborates with campus partners to support student recruitment, retention, and success through outdoor experiences. This role provides strategic leadership for the SOLE program, overseeing its short- and long-term planning, budgeting, policies, procedures, facility operations, equipment management, risk mitigation, and program evaluation. The program director ensures high standards of performance and continuous improvement across all areas. The successful candidate will foster a welcoming environment, encourage broad student engagement, and use evidence-based decision-making to support program operations, student development and learning in alignment with departmental mission and values.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience in administration, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive outdoor adventure programs.
• Must have experience with fiscal management skills, including the development, oversight, and reporting of program budgets.
• Experience in supervision, mentorship, and training for staff.
• Experience in risk management within adventure programming.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree in Recreation Administration, Sport Management, Higher Education, Exercise Science, Outdoor Experiential Education, Natural Resource Management, Public Administration, Physical Education, Business Administration, or related field is preferred.
• Ski/Snowboard Technician Certification.
• American Red Cross Lifeguard or equivalent.
• NOLS Wilderness First Aid or Responder Instructor Certification.

Responsibilities

• Leads strategic planning, fiscal management, facility and equipment oversight, risk management, and program evaluation for the Student Outdoor Learning Experience (SOLE).
• Oversees a robust portfolio including 30+ outdoor trips, 40 classes/workshops/camps, 3–4 special events, and over 350 climbing wall passes annually.
• Provides leadership for program budget of $200,000, including revenue generation, payroll, and operational expenses.
• Designs and oversees high-quality outdoor adventure programs that promote healthy behaviors, personal growth, and team wellbeing.
• Collaborates with the Membership and Marketing team to maintain accurate and engaging web content.
• Builds collaborative programming across campus, partnering with various units.
• Fosters community engagement through partnerships with local organizations.
• Leads and oversees outdoor adventure trips, services, and educational offerings.
• Reviews and approves trip plans, verifies staff certifications and training.
• Manages the Fusion recreational software system to support registration for trips, classes, and events.
• Secures vendor partnerships to support programming and equipment procurement.
• Oversees the operation of the climbing and bouldering wall, ensuring compliance with safety standards.
• Manages the full lifecycle of student employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, and performance evaluation.
• Leads short- and long-term fiscal planning and budget management for SOLE program operations.
• Develops, updates, and communicates emergency response policies and procedures for all SOLE programs.
• Collects, organizes, and analyzes SOLE program data, including learning outcomes and assessments.

Benefits

• Generous Time Off: 22 vacation days, 10 sick days, paid parental leave, 13 recognized holidays.
• Robust Health Coverage: Comprehensive medical plans cover preventative care at no cost.
• Financial & Retirement Benefits: Health savings, flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance.
• Further Your Education: Twelve waived credits per academic year for courses at any CU campus.
• Wellness & More: Wellness programs and additional benefits through CU Advantage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree