Summer Jobs on the Kenai Peninsula
Seasonal employment opportunities abound with Alaska Wildland Adventures. Summer jobs run from mid-May through mid-September and are based at one of our three lodges on Alaska's stunning Kenai Peninsula.
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. We operate three small eco-conscious lodges on the Kenai Peninsula. Lodge locations are within Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai Wildlife Refuge, and along the turquoise waters of the Kenai River.
About Alaska Wildland Adventures
For over 40 years, Alaska Wildland Adventures has been helping our traveling guests and our employees fully immerse themselves in the Alaskan Wilderness, thereby creating a deep connection with nature. A connection that we hope leads to a conservation mindset that will follow our visitors to their own backyards at home. We all share an affinity for wild places and cozy spaces. Adventure by day, comfort by night. A winning formula for keeping our staff engaged in adventure and fulfilled through shared experience with guests, awards us with a large retention rate. Our staff becomes family. Friendships and connections are forged here in the best backyard America has to offer. Some have lasted over 30 years and are still going strong.
We offer a variety of summer jobs. Many positions base out of Cooper Landing, Alaska and live at our Kenai Riverside Lodge. We also hire staff to work at our remote lodges on Skilak Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and in Kenai Fjords National Park. These remote eco-lodges are boat access only.
Job openings require skills in one or more of the following: outdoor leadership and natural history interpretation, raft or sportfish guiding, sea kayak guiding, hospitality, cooking, van driving, and vehicle and boat maintenance, guest services, expediting. We also hire staff to live and work in Seward, Alaska supporting our water taxi operations.
We seek individuals who understand the value of teamwork, are skillful, high-energy, and people-oriented for unique, small-group, Ecotourism-based travel. Group living skills are a must Our staff becomes very close; we eat, sleep, and work together. Personal space is hard to come by. If you are not a people person and often find yourself in conflict with others, these positions may not be right for you.
We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and we are following recommendations issued by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Alaska Department of Health and Human Services to reduce the risk to our staff and guests.
We aim to be transparent in all of our plans and actions for the summer of 2021. We have a well developed and tested plan for COVID responses amongst our staff and guests that we will make available to you during the hiring process. We are also working with industry partners and state health officials to determine the best risk mitigation measures that will be added to our operations for this upcoming summer.
The Employee Experience
We enjoy an uncommonly high level of guest satisfaction due in no small part to the extensive efforts and resources we put into crafting an exceptional employee experience. Keeping our staff engaged and happy while also growing outside of themselves and their comfort levels is our secret sauce that keeps staff returning year after year. Seekers come to explore new wild places and to live and work in a community of individuals with open minds and a taste for raw adventure. Kindred souls are found and lifelong friendships are crafted on the rivers and trails, the lakes and tundra, and the coastal beaches and mountains of wild Alaska. We come together to deliver the highest quality, small-group, interactive experience in wild Alaska in a manner that involves a spirited interpretation of the natural world, and constant care and concern for the environment.
Safety and well-being have always been part of the equation, but now more than ever our focus has shifted to find creative ways to keep our staff safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to work with local and national industry groups to learn the most effective mitigation measures and best practices that can be integrated into our operations.
We strive to approach the future and all situations involving our staff with care, compassion, and understanding. When you come live with us, you’re not just another employee; you are part of the AWA family. We take our responsibility for your safety and wellbeing seriously.
Please jump to our Values and Beliefs to learn more about who we are. And our Employment Page for more information on what it's like to work with us.
Ideal Candidate
Our ideal candidate will be someone who understands the balance of working hard and experiencing all that Alaska has to offer. You will find that your co-workers expect a high level of performance on the job and that opportunities to explore Alaska with your new friends will be many. We are a strong community of people that love Alaska and appreciate an inclusive, caring, atmosphere. We also seek individuals with a conservation mindset and fascination for the natural world.
Our greatest asset is our company culture. Hands down. This is also the greatest benefit anyone who comes into the AWA family will receive. The energy given off by our staff to each other and our guests is a driving force of our company’s nearly 45 years of success. Every year our guests marvel at our employee culture in their reviews.
For next summer, among the many known and unknown changes that we will face when operating, of most importance to AWA is safeguarding our culture of positivity, optimism, inclusivity, respect, and resilience, which makes our crew shine.
Now, more than ever, we need to stay guided by our long-standing principle;
“we seek an enthusiastic approach to new challenges, keenly value a mutual respect among staff, and promote a family-like atmosphere; we also aim to seriously enjoy our work and share the rewards of a well-run business”
In this time of the pandemic, we have a very important responsibility to protect the very vulnerable small communities that we operate in and around. The safety measures that we put in place to protect each other in our work and living environments will have to remain in place when you go traveling and exploring other parts of the state on your time off. The integrity of perhaps the longest operating adventure travel company in Alaska is at stake. Please do not take this fact for granted.
We will have very high expectations from any new staff members that we are able to bring on for this coming summer. The learning curve will be steep but you’ll be learning alongside the best in the business.
If you do not believe that you can commit to wearing face masks, daily health screenings, random COVID testing, quarantining when symptomatic, elevated cleaning and disinfection practices, or you are concerned about helping our guests address their own concerns in an appropriate manner, then this may not be the right summer to be applying with us.
We need staff who are cautiously optimistic about the summer ahead. We need staff who look at this as an opportunity to face hard challenges and embrace them for the skills and knowledge that overcoming these challenges will provide. We need staff who are willing to pitch in and help wherever help is needed, recognizing that we are all part of a team and that our roles can never be fully defined.
We will not ask for this commitment without first sharing more details about our expectations and what our work environment is to look like while operating in a pandemic. These details and the opportunity to ask questions will come when we start to reach out to new applicants in January 2021.
Room and Board
Kenai Riverside Lodge:
Since the Kenai Riverside Lodge is on the road system and there is housing available off-site, we do not require staff to live on-site at the lodge. However, we do offer a Meal Service Agreement for all employees. The Meal Service Agreement includes housing (included by Alaska Wildland Adventures at no charge), but there is a $210/month charge for food (pro-rated based on a 30-day month at $7.00/day). Laundry (and detergent) and shower facilities (soap, shampoo, & conditioner) are provided for staff members at no additional charge.
Kenai Backcountry Lodge:
Kenai Backcountry Lodge is in a truly remote location in the heart of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and the only option is to live on-site in staff housing. Therefore, there is no charge for food or housing for staff members at Kenai Backcountry Lodge. Staff space is much more limited at this lodge, due to efforts to keep our impact low, but you cannot beat the location! Staff housing includes cabin-tents (2 staff/tent), bathroom and/or an outhouse, shower, and a cabin as a staff "hang-out". Limited amount of electricity is available at the lodge since power is supplied by a small solar and hydro-electric system. All water at the lodge is provided by a snowmelt stream that flows through the property. Staff members should participate in the conservation of these essential resources.
Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge:
Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is remote and within the confines of Kenai Fjords National Park, which is only accessible by boat. The only option is to live on-site in staff housing. Therefore, there is no charge for food or housing for staff. Staff housing includes cabin-tent (2 staff/tent), bathroom and/or outhouse, shower, and a cabin as a staff "hang out". Electricity is limited during the evening hours, as the lodge and staff facilities run off of a battery bank that is charged during the day. All water on the property comes from a natural spring and is filtered and treated accordingly. It is important for staff members to participate in the conservation of power and water.
Employee Perks
Work and play in Alaska!
We seek to provide opportunities for staff to get out and enjoy the natural wonders of Alaska.This is why we insist that our seasonal staff take days off every week. We provide training, equipment, and logistical support for your 'days off adventuring'. All of our seasonal staff also are given the opportunity to travel to one of our remote lodge properties during their summer with Alaska Wildland.
In 2007, we were recognized by The Wall Street Journal for being one of the Nation’s Top 15 Winning Workplaces!
Getting Here and Getting Around
Once hired, staff can fly into Anchorage Aiport where we will pick you up and provide transportation to your summer home and workplace. We will also happily return you to the airport for your flight home at the end of the season. If staff would like to have their own car available throughout the summer, then allow a week at least to drive up the Alaska/Canadian Highway. Many more details on how this all works will be provided either during the interview process or upon accepting employment with us.
For Fun
Hiking, kayaking, and fishing opportunities provide staff with ample time to explore Alaska during downtime from work. Oh, and there's blueberry and salmonberry picking, mushroom foraging, ridiculous sunsets (if you're still awake in the heart of the summer), socializing with staff, small-town Alaska music festivals, ping pong at any of our lodges, saunas, dipping into a frigid lake, or just simply sitting back and watching the magic of an Alaskan summer.
How to Apply
If you are interested in working with Alaska Wildland Adventures this summer, please first visit http://www.alaskawildland.com/employment to get a perspective on the different jobs available.
Once you have determined that this is what you're looking for, please follow the How to Apply section that will prompt you to email your interest, along with a cover letter and resume to the hiring coordinator. Once reviewed, an online application will be sent to you. Any questions regarding the application process can be directed to summerjobs@alaska-wildland.com. We look forward to hearing from you!