Adventure Sitka

Profile Jobs

Essential Qualifications & Qualities

• Strong command of the English language and very good communication skills.
• Proficient with math, money-handling, computer use and record keeping.
• Must be team-oriented and have well-developed leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to thrive and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be detail-oriented and have very good problem-solving skills.
• Responsible, able to work with minimal supervision, and drug-free.
• Willingness to work variable work hours, including long-days, weekends and holidays.
• Willingness to pitch in on a moment’s notice to help guides and customers.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Communicating with the captain and operations manager to know what to set up for each tour, and lead the guide staff in setting up for each tour 
2. Set up for daily tour operations. Instruct guides on kayak & gear preparation, and to confirm the day’s tour schedule and tour float plans. 
3. When guest's are present play a support role to guides, helping them outfit their guests as well as helping them with anything they might need done to improve guest overall experience 
4. Supervise guest outfitting, including proper fit & adjustment of PFD’s, spray skirts, and other equipment to be worn by guests.  
5. Adjust tour & guide schedules, as needed, throughout the day with the goal of optimizing tour sales and the productive use of the guides “on shore” time. 
6. Coordinate with Operations Assistant to develop ongoing list of bus, kayak and gear cleaning & maintenance projects, to be assigned to guides between tours and on days that are less busy.
7. Delegate to guides the plan for washing & drying rain gear, gloves, etc., as needed. And supervise the end-of-day gear storage and general clean-up inside & outside the bus. 
8. Coordinate with Operations Assistant to hold a 10-15 minute end-of-shift crew meeting to discuss customer service, tour conduct or procedural issues that have arisen.
9. Notify food service supplier (TBD) of quantity of snacks and lunches needing to be prepared/delivered for the next day’s business.
10. Supervise & assist guides, and assist guests and other visitors to Sitka however the situation warrants.

Compensation & Benefits

DOE, at least $19.00/hour, plus end-of-season 5% contract fulfillment bonus.

Company-arranged, seasonal housing assistance may be available to interested employees.

The position is seasonal, full-time.  Covered by Workman’s Comp Insurance.

A Narrative Overview of Responsibilities

You will usually be the first in-person contact our guests have with our company.  Make the best first impression possible.  At all times you must be professional, courteous, and wear a smile on your face.  It is your responsibility to make sure guests are happy and comfortable with the experience they are about to embark upon.  Don’t leave out any details as you introduce the trip plan.  For most of your guests this will be their first experience sea kayaking in Alaska.

Treat each guest special.  Give prompt attention to his or her needs, remembering, nobody likes to wait.  If you need to step away from a guest, excuse yourself and explain why.  Make sure every guest has the opportunity to review and signs the Liability Waiver.  You will be asked every question under the sun.  If you don’t know the answer, try to find out or tell them you don’t know and you will get back to them when you do.  The Tour Manager is responsible for credit card sales, cash sales, third-party vouchers collected and petty cash management.  Lock up the bus if it is being left unattended for even a couple minutes.

After you have checked in your guests (or signed them up and processed payment), ensured that waivers are distributed & signed, answered their questions, explained the trip, introduced them to their guide and assisted them with outfitting, be sure to wish them a great trip.  Don’t forget to mention (mostly for the guide’s benefit) the time you expect to see them back.   Be prepared to repeat this process often throughout the day, giving each process the energy it deserves.

Always keep track of the expected return time for each trip, and make sure the shore crew is in position to assist before the kayaks have arrived back at the ramp.  Make note of any early or late returns, to discuss the reason(s) why at the end-of-the-day briefing with the guides. 

Make sure you and the guide are available to assist guests returning to the bus at the end of each trip.  Have them take off their PFDs & spray skirts and place them in pile.  Ask how the trip was.  Ask if they left anything behind in the bus that you can retrieve for them.  While saying farewell, be sure to ask if they have any questions about Sitka, or if you can assist pointing them in the right direction to their next activity.

After guests have left, begin hanging the PFDs & spray skirts up to dry.  If salty, they may have to be rinsed.  Have a bucket of clean water and sponge ready.

 Make sure all the guides know what time(s) to report to work for the next day’s trips.  Note which ships are going to be in port, and check the weather forecast and tides.

Apply Now

Adventure Sitka is an outdoor recreation company offering guided kayak and other adventure tours for guests visiting Alaska.

The Siginaka Cruise and Kayak Adventure is the premier kayaking shore excursion in Southeast Alaska. As the guide you will be responsible for outfitting guests in all necessary kayaking gear, teaching them the basics of kayaking, fitting them to their boat and then leading them through the Siginaka Islands to look for things like sea stars, sea urchins, different shellfish, as well as random sightings of marine mammals such as humpback whales and sea otters. Guides are expected to take up to three tours a day and each tour is on the water in kayaks for approximately 90 minutes. Timing and working with a mindful sense of urgency is an extremely important aspect for team success on this tour. 

This Kayak Guide position will be responsible for providing guests with an exceptional, and safe, guided kayaking tour experience.

The length of our workday is variable, mostly depending on the number of cruise ships in port and how long they’re scheduled to stay.  We usually start our workday at about 7:30 am. Our full-time guides and staff will be scheduled to have at least one entire day off per week.

Previous guiding experience is helpful but not essential. Our comprehensive, in-house training program includes Kayak & gear orientation, kayak safety & rescue techniques, guide leadership skills, navigation rules-of-the-road, tide/current/wind/seas awareness, tour orientation & goals, the natural & human history of the area, and leave-no-trace camping ethics.

Benefits include a relocation allowance for hires from out-of-state, a contract completion bonus, and numerous company sponsored optional employee outings like barbeques and wildlife viewing adventures. 

Apply Now

Essential Qualities and Qualifications

Must have water-oriented background and skills and/or previous adventure-guiding experience.

Must have a background or strong interest in natural and human history. 

Must be reliable, self-motivated, honest, enthusiastic, gregarious, and love the outdoors.

Must be willing to operate outside in variable weather conditions including rain and moderate wind.

Must be team-oriented and have well-developed interpersonal and leadership skills.

Must have strong communication skills and enjoy story-telling and conversation.

Must be physically fit, comfortable on the water for extended periods, able to swim, and able to lift & carry up to 100 pounds.

Must possess First Aid & CPR certification (prior to guiding with paying guests).

Must be willing to work variable work hours, including long-days, evenings and weekends.

Must be able to take constructive feedback.

Must be able to take direction and execute tasks as directed.

Must recognize and fill their specific role as part of a contributor to team efficiency and morale.

 

Sea Kayak Guide Responsibilities

1. Set up for daily tour operations: kayak staging and gear preparation, and coordinate with the Tour Manager to confirm the day’s tour schedule and tour float plans.

2. Monitor weather and ocean conditions before, during, and after trips (if there are multiple trips in one day).  Work with management to make decisions based on conditions that ensure tour safety and quality.

3. Provide safety orientation for guests on our guided kayak tours.  Orientations include teaching proper fit and adjustment of equipment, good paddle technique and emergency rescue skills.  

4. Lead guide duties while on tour: ensure the safety of our guests through constant awareness of hazards and close observation of each guest’s abilities and needs.

5. Provide an educational and fun experience through delivery of informative narrative, good story-telling and appropriate conversation (adjust to suit each guest’s individual communication style). 

6. During “down time”, between tours and on days that are less busy, guides may be given the option to assist with kayak and gear maintenance, site improvements, or other duties as needed. 

7. Assist other guides, shore staff and potential customers however the situation warrants.

 

Sea Kayak Guide / Deckhand Hybrid Responsibilities

-All Responsibilities listed above for Sea Kayak Guide, PLUS

1. Federally (U.S. Coast Guard) required to be enrolled in a pre employment and random drug screening program.

2. As needed, fill in as a pier representative.  This includes: greeting guests on the pier with tour signs, checking tickets, confirming guest counts, coordinating with Captain and ship staff for tour departure, communicating with crew over radio, and escorting guests from the pier to the tour vessel.

3. Serve as the primary point of contact to guests on the crucial first leg of the tour.  This includes orientation, tour overview, organizing guests into paddle groups, initiating first steps of the outfitting process, release forms, answering questions, and assuring guests that they are about to have a great experience.

4. Communicate with Captain any sort of unique guest challenges or situations that arise, coordinate with guides and Captain to come up with solutions.

5. Assist Captain as needed on routine vessel maintenance according to schedule established by operations manager. This can include, but not be limited to: cleaning, sanitation pumping, restocking, painting, lubrication, fueling, and minor mechanical repairs.

6. Work with Captain to identify problems and needed repairs, and assist in performing them.

7. Assist with passenger boarding, safety orientation/demonstration, emergency response and crowd control. Maintain safe conditions underway, making minor repairs and adjustments as necessary.

8. Participate in emergency response plans, including Coast Guard required drills.  Demonstrate emergency preparedness as situations arise while following captain’s directions and maintaining composure with crew and guests.

9. Complete routine engine room checks underway with any service related needs.

10. Assist Captain with navigating and/or wildlife sighting as directed.

11. Assist other crew in maintaining vessel appearance, cleanliness and safety.

12. Other duties under supervision of Captain.

Apply Now

Job Summary

Assist Manager of Sales and Marketing in communicating with cruise ship inventory and shore excursions teams to maximize sales. First point of contact with shore excursions teams and guests on day of tour. Oversee dock operations and direct and assist guests while dispatching Adventure Sitka tour departures. Communicate information well over radio, phone, and email to Adventure Sitka team members as well as tour partners and vendors. Company liaison to cruise ship staff to assist with allocations checks, special requests, and general inquiries. Oversee ticket collection and conduct end-of-day settlements. Assist managers with maintaining master schedule, creating and updating reports, and distribution of marketing materials. Present a professional and friendly attitude at all times and be able to answer a variety of questions succinctly and efficiently. Must be able to stand for long periods of time in sometimes inclement weather, be able to complete tasks with minimal supervision, and have good numerical/math skills. Must be able to continually adapt to the changing nature of our industry, as well as work as a team member, and be comfortable interacting with strangers. Must hold a driver’s license and have a clean driving record.  This is a shore-based position.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Present a professional and friendly attitude at all times while acting as company representative to clients and the public.

• Communicate well with managers, clients, and tour partners/vendors to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that expectations are consistently met.

• Collect tickets/vouchers and conduct end-of-day settlements with cruise ship staff as well as electronic settlements with vendors/tour partners.

• Help dispatch and coordinate tour vessels, motorcoaches, and company vehicles in a professional and courteous manner.

• Act as company liaison to shore excursion staff, assisting with sales and service, including special requests and changes based on weather, delays, etc.

• Help maintain dock security, visitor and co-worker safety, monitor communication systems, and communicate clearly and concisely over radio.

• Assist with on-the-pier sales and distribution of promotional tour materials and handling online sales correspondence.

• Data entry in various computer systems for reports and ongoing surveys.

• Other duties as directed by Adventure Sitka Management including but not limited to routine office/vessel/vehicle cleaning and maintenance, supply restocking, and relief passenger service.

Qualifications/Experience

• Experience in the tourism / visitor industry is preferred.

• Must be punctual / reliable and maintain a professional, friendly, and courteous attitude toward customers and coworkers at all times.

• Must have strong written communication skills and understand email tact. 

• Must be able to effectively communicate to large groups of people in a professional manner and work well in stressful situations. Public speaking experience is helpful.

• Must be able to multitask well; must be able to make sensible decisions while being asked multiple questions from guests, cruise personnel, and coworkers.

• Must be able to follow direction and complete assignments with minimal supervision.

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time and walk up and down inclines.

• Must be able to lift and move objects of up to 50 lbs. as required.

• Must be drug free (pre-employment and random drug testing may be Coast Guard required).

• Must be able to work varied shift hours, including weekends and holidays.

• Must be clean, well-groomed, courteous, honest, professional, and reliable.

• Must be able to work as a team with other employees.

• Computer and cell phone proficiency necessary; must be able to maintain and update electronic records and follow protocols / instructions.

• Must hold a valid driver’s license and have a clean driving record.

• Required to wear company uniform and maintain a well-kept appearance.

Compensation

DOE. This is a full-time seasonal hourly position for the 2023 season from April to October. This position is eligible for an End of Season Bonus based on performance and overall company profitability.

Day in the Life

The following is a ‘day in the life of’ a Sales & Service Liaison at Adventure Sitka. This will be a good starting point of what your daily duties may entail:

• Get to work 1 hour, and no later than 45 min, before the first tour departure of the day. Check email to make sure you are up to date and nothing has changed from ships.

• Gather signs, name badge, walkie talkie, rubber bands, marker, and anything else needed for collecting tickets and helping guests; talk to a manager about the plan for the day and any tricky situations or things that we need to watch out for so that we can be proactive instead of reactive.

• Greet the Shore Excursions folks from the ship and talk about our tours and find out the final expected counts for all departures (most ships will give you a printout with counts, some ships have a lollipop or something for you to hold along with the sign). Relay final expected counts over the radio to all teams (sometimes it is also necessary to relay counts via text message if someone is across town and out of radio range).

  • The ShoreEx teams are our primary clients, so we want to work early and hard to make sure they know we can be depended on, that we will be where we are supposed to be, and that we will help with anything they need – even if it isn’t directly related to our products.

  • Start early and compile a list of ShoreEx names and descriptions for each ship, as well as something personal you can say to them to help them feel seen/remembered.

  • We want to establish strong relationships with all ShoreEx teams so that we become their trusted vendor and they prefer to book their guests on our tour products and so that we will be the first company they turn to when a challenge arises. This is how we can sometimes turn a challenge (i.e., a late ship arrival due to engine trouble) into a victory (where we perhaps grab a larger than usual market share by being flexible and ready to accommodate to our max).

• By at least 30 min before the tour departure, be at the tour meeting point on the ticket with a sign to gather guests and answer any questions and generally be as helpful as possible for any situation.

  • For Siginaka tour, tell guests that now is the best time to use the restroom and ask them to be back at your designated place and time (ideally 10 mins before actual departure time, but no later than 5 mins before departure time).

    • This is also our first opportunity to catch a problem early (i.e., guests may be too young / not weigh enough, too tall, too heavy, etc.). These situations need to be handled early and with kindness and discretion. Have a manager practice how these interactions could best take place and have them present if possible until you become familiar with protocol.

  • For Bear|Homestead tours, direct guests to the Tour Departure Terminal and the Tour Check In counter.

• Answer any Questions about Sitka or the tour that the guests are about to go on to build a rapport with guests. It’s great to help people on other tours find their representatives, but our primary objective is to help our guests. As we help other companies as possible, it will make for a friendly atmosphere on the dock and they will be more inclined to help our guests. A rising tide lifts all ships, but remember that our guests are our first priority.

• About 5 - 10 mins before departure, collect tickets and make sure that you have all of the expected guests. In the case of Siginaka, radio the vessel to make sure they are ready to load and then walk guests down to the boat for loading. Walk slowly so that everyone in the group can stay together. At the top of the ramp loudly ask everyone to be cautious and use the handrails to get safely down to the floating dock. At the threshold of the boat, loudly and with hand gestures, point out the hazards with boarding the vessel to each guest so that they slow down and look before stepping. 

  • If you don’t have everyone yet but it is close to departure time, radio the deckhand to ask for them to assist you by taking all of the guests that are present down to the boat. Work with the ShoreEx team to give delayed guests a couple of extra minutes, but also to never delay the departure more than 5 minutes unless we absolutely have to (i.e., the ship was late docking) so that it does not negatively impact the experience of the guests that are on time.

• Hold onto the tickets until the last departures of the day and then count them and make a settlement sheet for each ship in Google Drive with the total number of Adults [A], Children [C], Infants [I], and Escorts [E] on each tour departure. Add the final counts to the Master Schedule so that the Master Schedule is an accurate reflection of everything that we have done throughout the tour season. Be extraordinarily cautious whenever working on the Master Schedule so that you don’t make any unintentional changes or accidentally delete information that has already been input by you or others.

• Make a separate settlement sheet for each vendor (i.e., Alaska Coach Tours [ACT], Fortress of the Bear [FoB]) for each operating day. You’ll do this in Google Sheets on the Google Drive and then print to PDF and email each vendor a copy of their PDF settlement via email. This will be what they use to invoice our accounting team, so they must be accurate. We send it in PDF format so that they have to request any changes necessary from us and so that they can’t alter it easily. Take your time and double and triple check everything before sending so that you don’t have to make corrections later.

• After all tours have departed, settle with the ShoreEx team for each ship. Give them the tour tickets and make sure you agree on counts and sign their sheet if they need you to. Make sure you have recorded the numbers on our settlement sheets and Master Schedule because once the tickets are gone you don’t want to be trying to remember how many people went on a departure. We must have accurate records to lean back on if there is a discrepancy. Oftentimes issues arise days or weeks later, so we must keep meticulous records.

• Respond to communications via phone, email, etc. and be proactive about communicating anything that will help our various teams be successful.

• Clean the office when needed (i.e., sweep the floors, take out the trash, wipe down surfaces, clean the refrigerator) and vacuum out the van once a week or as needed.

• Bring lunch to enjoy a strategic paid break while tours are out and all email/phone enquiries have been addressed (but keep radios with you just in case something occurs).

• Welcome back all the tours and observe the guests to see if they appear to have had a good time. You can ask what they enjoyed about the tour and try to identify if there are any issues that we need to be proactive about reporting (i.e., a guest with an abrasion from a slip/trip/fall). At the end of the day when all of the tours are back let the ShoreEx know that all of our tours are back and everybody had a great time and say goodbye!

That's a normal day in the life of a Sales and Service Liaison. In case there is bad weather or mechanical issues and we need to cancel any departures, you will work with a manager(s) and the ShoreEx team to inform the guests and try to be helpful in recommending an alternative tour or general recommendation (bonus points if you book them on another of our tours). If there is an incident or accident that happens on the tour it's best to let a manager notify the ShoreEx and fill out an incident report, but time is of the essence and you may be required to help in this process, especially as you become more familiar with protocols and procedures.

Apply Now

As the Silver Bay Homestead Tour Camp Host you will be responsible for setting the scene of the Homestead site as people disembark from the sight seeing boat. In the morning you will take a boat out to the site location, start a fire, prepare the snack for the tour and make sure everything is neat and ready before guests arrive. There typically is multiple tours per day, so much of your time spent as the camp host is cleaning up things from one group, and getting it ready for the next group to arrive.  This is a unique position in that it requires someone who a can deliver a strong storytelling performance, oversee and maintain the homestead site, and operate a small vessel to and from the venue each day.

Apply Now

Navigate one of our two site seeing vessels through the gorgeous and historic Silver Bay Fjord. 

The Boat Captain position requires a USCG master's license (50 ton minimum) and an FCC marine radio operator's permit. Prior experience in the marine tourism industry and particularly on passenger vessels is desirable.  Preference is given to applicants with knowledge of diesel and gasoline outboard mechanics, waterjet propulsion, and electrical systems. Must be able to build team and maintain crew morale to provide a quality experience for our guests.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Execute voyages as directed in tour descriptions and policy manual. Supervise marine aspects of tour delivery and quality control.
• Supervise and assist in routine maintenance: cleaning, sanitation, and fuel pumping, restocking, painting, lubrication, and minor mechanical repairs.
• Communicate with Captain and Operations Manager to identify problems and needed repairs, and occasionally assist in performing them.
• Supervise passenger boarding, safety orientation/demonstration, emergency response, and crowd control.
• Plan and execute emergency drills & safety meetings in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard regulations, and company policy.
• Maintain logs and ship/company documents, as directed. Provide daily operations reports to the office.

Qualifications/Experience

• Experience on passenger carrying vessels and/or experience operating vessels in Southeast Alaska required. Required minimum 50-ton license.
• Mechanical aptitude, engine room experience preferred. Diesel mechanics or electrical/electronics background helpful.
• Must be able to build team and maintain morale with crew to provide quality experience for customers.
• Ability to speak (on P.A. system when applicable), and to provide commentary.
• Must be able to lift and move objects of up to 50 lbs. as required.
• Must be drug free (pre-employment and random drug testing is Coast Guard required).
• Must be able to work varied shift hours, including weekends and holidays.
• Must be clean, well groomed, courteous, honest, and most important, reliable and on time.
• Uniform shirts & jacket provided.

Pay is DOE. Limited Benefits. This is a seasonal full time position from mid-April to October. Preference will be given to candidates who are available to work through the end of the season without interruption. An end of season bonus will be paid to employees who complete their contract in good standing.

Apply Now

Adventure Sitka is an outdoor recreation company offering guided kayak and other adventure tours for guests visiting Alaska.

This Kayak Guide position will be responsible for providing guests with an exceptional, and safe, guided kayaking tour experience.

The length of our workday is variable, mostly depending on the number of cruise ships in port and how long they’re scheduled to stay.  We usually start our workday at about 7:30 am, but it is almost impossible to know in advance when the workday will end. A guide might lead one shorter-duration tour, working 4-6 hours, or he/she might guide two or more tours and put in a 10+ hour day.  Our full-time guides and staff will be scheduled to have at least one entire day off per week.

Previous guiding experience is helpful but not essential. Our comprehensive, in-house training program includes Kayak & gear orientation, kayak safety & rescue techniques, guide leadership skills, navigation rules-of-the-road, tide/current/wind/seas awareness, tour orientation & goals, the natural & human history of the area, and leave-no-trace camping ethics.

Benefits include a relocation allowance for hires from out-of-state, and a contract completion bonus.

Apply Now