Connection to Self, Others, and Place

Current Job Openings

Kitchen Cook

Mancos

$18.00 - $20.00 / hour

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Part time

Deer Hill Expeditions (DHE) is seeking to hire a skilled, motivated and experienced individual for a Kitchen Cook position. This position is staffed for the entire Deer Hill operating season and scheduling depends on Deer Hill’s needs. Primary responsibilities include cooking planned meals and baked desserts, preparing food for the field, maintaining the cleanliness and functionality of the kitchen. Deer Hill’s operating season is fast paced and includes long days. This position requires dedication, active leadership, clear communication skills, mentoring skills, initiative, patience, and humor. The ideal candidate is attentive to details and deadlines, organized, self-motivated, and adaptable.

Additional Position Details:

• Supervise, manage, and mentor interns and volunteers while they are helping in the kitchen

• Do necessary prep work for meals, helping the other cooks prep for their meal if needed

• Manage refrigerated and dry food according to safety standards as well as the quantity of leftovers

• Help with meal planning based on ingredients available, ie: utilizing leftovers, using partial quantities etc.

Required Qualifications:

• 20 years of age minimum

• Able to work legally in the United States pass CBI and FBI background checks

• Flexibility in hours worked

• Dependable and professional, with reliable phone access

• Ability to obtain Food Handlers card

• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs.

Benefits:

• $18-$20 per hour DOE

• Meals available during programming season.

• Access to industry pro purchase plan.




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Facilities Manager

Mancos

$52,000.00 - $58,000.00 / year

Deer Hill Expeditions (DHE) is seeking to hire a skilled, motivated and experienced individual for the Facility Manager position. This is a full-time position starting February 1, 2027 that involves the maintenance and upkeep of DHE’s 160-acre  rustic property, commercial van/truck/trailer fleet, residential buildings,  and facilities.

Qualified applicants for this position include those who are proficient  in all or some of the following skills: large vehicle maintenance and basic diagnosis/repair, basic carpentry and repair skills, indoor plumbing systems, outdoor irrigation and lawn care,  basic electrical knowledge, power tool use, teaching skills, working in team-based environment, and operational experience with large vehicles/trailers/plow trucks, and small engine tool knowledge and maintenance. This position seeks individuals who also show active leadership, mentoring skills, organizational abilities, initiative, patience and humor. 

REQUIREMENTS:

• 21 years of age minimum.

• Able to start early February, 2027.

• Able to work legally in the United States.

• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.

• Pass criminal background checks with CBI and FBI.

• Relevant experience in construction, repairing, maintaining, and improving buildings (see above for examples of specific responsibilities). 

• Relevant experience in vehicle diagnosis, repair and maintenance. 

• Be available, as needed, for vehicle and facility emergencies.

BENEFITS:

• Annual salary: $52k - 58k DOE.

• 20 days PTO for a 12-month contract. 15 days PTO for a 10-month contract. 

• Up to 3% IRA matching contribution after 90 days

• Health Insurance Reimbursement Plans available

• Meals available during programming season

• Access to industry pro purchase plan

• Access to Deer Hill equipment and gear

• This position is available for either a 10 or 12 month contract, depending on the applicant's interest and availability. 




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Field Staff

Mancos

$115.00 - $195.00 / day

We are seeking enthusiastic and qualified outdoor educators to join our team for the upcoming 2027 season! Our Field Staff are the driving force behind the variety of wilderness and experiential programs that Deer Hill offers. 

Deer Hill Expeditions seeks Field Staff who can bring our mission to life, turning our core values into lasting lessons for themselves and those they serve. Effective communication is essential for all DHE employees, including active listening, clear expression of boundaries and expectations, and the ability to give and receive feedback. A strong background in group facilitation, wilderness and backcountry travel, and the ability to teach diverse student groups, typically ages 11–18, are highly valued. Field Staff work alongside the breathtaking landscapes of the Four Corners region, employing tools such as whitewater rafting, backpacking, canoeing, and immersive Indigenous cultural experiences to create place-based experiential learning opportunities. 

DHE Field Staff are trained to assess and manage risks across a variety of wilderness environments. Through rigorous initial training and ongoing professional development, they become skilled, confident, and empowered outdoor educators, ready to lead and inspire. An instructor team typically maintains a ratio of 5:1. Field Staff are employed on a contractual basis. Positions for spring, summer, and fall are available. The majority of hiring happens between November and January, though applications are always accepted on a rolling basis.

Overview: 

• Field-based position, employed on a contract basis. We operate for Spring (March to May), Summer (June to August), and Fall (September and October). Depending on program availability and your availability, single or multiple consecutive seasons can be contracted. Consecutive seasonal availability is preferred. Most of our programs operate on a 5:1 staff:participant ratio. 

• All new Field Staff must participate in a Deer Hill Staff Training. Staff are not currently compensated for Staff Training. We train staff for a variety of different skills and concepts needed to lead our programs. Field Staff will become more skilled, confident, and empowered outdoor educators following our training. Current Spring Training dates are set for 3/22/27 - 4/2/27. Summer Training dates are not set and will depend on enrollment and staffing but typically take place in early or mid-June.

• Responsibilities include (but are not limited to): assisting with equipment and food packing, instructing participants in safe expedition behaviors on multi-week wilderness or experiential programs, assessing and managing risks in a variety of backcountry settings, ensuring high-quality educational outcomes with students, working with a team of dynamic and passionate outdoor educators, providing constructive and professional feedback, and leading students in a variety of different outdoor travel (river and backpacking) and living skills. 

• 2027 compensation begins at $115/contract day for new Instructors. Our Program Leaders start at $145/contract day. External professional experience (commercial guiding, outdoor education experience, youth development experience, etc.) and certifications (SPI, Swiftwater, WEMT, etc.) may qualify for increases in pay. 

• A Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is required for the Field Staff position. We do not offer a WFR course to Field Staff at this time. You must have a WFR and active CPR certification prior to first day of employment. 

• We do offer room and board, free of charge, between your contracts. Our Staff Housing is a rustic bunkhouse style with a shared wash house and communal lounge/kitchen area. When meals are being provided to students at our Basecamp, staff can sign up to join those meals, free of charge. If utilizing this benefit, staff do participate in a basic work/trade agreement with Deer Hill for approximately four hours a week. 

• If you do not have professional multi-day guiding or trip-leading experience, but are interested in building skills in this industry - we encourage you to look at our Spring and Summer Intern position! 

Qualifications: 

1. 21 years of age minimum

2. Able to work legally in the United States

3. Valid driver's license and clean driving record

4. Current CPR and WFR certification, minimum.

5. Able to pass a background check with CBI and FBI

6. Able to manage participant and program needs 24/7 for duration of contract.

7. Successful professional experience guiding and teaching groups in wilderness settings. 

Desired Skills:

• Motivated to create impactful, meaningful experiences for youth in the backcountry. 

• Experience leading multi-day wilderness expeditions.

• Experience rowing whitewater rafts

• Experience working with youth ages 13-18.

• Experience teaching or facilitating experiences

• Ability to adapt changing conditions, logistics, and circumstances.

• Strong communication and organizational skills.

• Ability to work well with others.

• Grounded, fun, and hard working! 

Benefits: 

• Field Staff salary starts at $115/day. Salary increases by accruing internal Deer Hill and external professional experience. 

• Room and board provided between contracts with a work/trade agreement. Meals provided as available. 

• Access to pro purchase programs. 

• A two-week comprehensive Staff Training session that will help bolster your skills as an outdoor educator.

• We are located about five minutes from Mancos, thirty minutes from Durango, 30 minutes from the La Plata Mountains, 1 hour from the southern terminus of the legendary Colorado Trail, and 2 hours from Moab! 

• 130-acre Basecamp that has a variety of amenities such as laundry, internet, a pond, and a handful of trails and game areas. 

How to Apply:

• Visit the Employment section of our website in and you will find postings for the 2027 season. Please review the job description thoroughly and if interested, fill out an application, making sure to address any pertinent experience, including professional and personal experience, that you feel is relevant.  You will need to submit at least 3 professional references who can vouch for your experience. We do not contact applicants until applicants are fully complete. We do not contact references until a first interview is completed. Feel free to email staff@deerhillexpeditions.com with any questions! 

Hiring Timeline:

• We review applications on a rolling basis. You can expect to hear from us within 1-2 weeks of submitting your completed application. Interviews on Google Meets or by phone typically occur within the following week. Following the interview, we reach out to candidates with a final decision a maximum of 2 weeks later.


 

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