Job Description

Employment at Ouzel Outfitters

JOB DESCRIPTION


WHITEWATER RIVER GUIDE


Qualifications

Potential guides must be at least 18 years of age and have current Wilderness First Aid, CPR, an Oregon Food Handler's card and a valid driver's license. Other requirements include documentation proving they have the legal right to work in the U.S. (birth certificate, social security card, passport, work visa, etc.). First Aid & CPR courses must be in-person courses (not online).


Summary

The goal of each and every Ouzel staff member is to ensure that each guest is provided a safe outdoor experience, is satisfied, that their expectations are exceeded, and that they return for another trip or refer us to a friend. The standards that Ouzel Outfitters sets for its guides are high; but if you are chosen, Ouzel is confident that you are professional, personable, enthusiastic, mature and dependable. We believe that you have the physical stamina and intelligence to succeed; - maneuver a raft, read river currents, prepare meals, interpret history and geology, problem solve, and entertain guests - for many days in succession. Ouzel staff members are expected to be self-starters who can identify what needs to be done and do it! As an Ouzel guide you are working for one of the Northwest’s most respected outfitters. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and skill. The people before you excelled and took pride in their job and the service they provided. We expect you to do the same. Our company byline is “Adventure with a splash of class”. Our professionalism, attention to detail, customer service and pride in our natural resources is what makes this motto a reality.

Requirements for Ouzel Guides:
Must demonstrate skilled, conservative, and safe boat handling skills in paddle rafts and/or oar rafts on Class I to Class IV whitewater insuring minimum risk to passengers and crew.
Must always act as an enthusiastic representative of Ouzel, performing in a positive, professional, and cooperative manner in all interactions with guests, co-workers, government representatives and other outfitters.
Must read the Ouzel Staff Manual and follow all guidelines, policies, and procedures described therein.
Must be familiar with and follow all safety guidelines with a demonstrated commitment to insuring the health and well being of all guests.
Must demonstrate a helpful, friendly and sensitive attitude towards all guests.
Must demonstrate a positive attitude and proactively assist the trip leader and other crew members in trip related tasks.
Must demonstrate the ability to acclimate to and find a place in the company culture (i.e. the “Ouzel way” of doing things)
Must actively participate in boatmun meetings, post-trip guide debriefings and be willing to address issues that concern safety, customer satisfaction and trip quality with other guides and management.
Must learn or have a reasonable amount of historical and ecological knowledge relevant to the river being worked and be willing to share it with Ouzel’s guests.
Must be willing to perform lead and sweep boat duties as assigned.
Must be able to demonstrate the ability to cook all the meals on the Ouzel menu that pertain to the type of trip you are running as well as exhibit care in the food’s presentation. Must participate in all necessary food organization, dish washing and clean up.
Must be capable of sustained physical activity including but not limited to rowing, paddling, hiking, loading and unloading, pulling, pushing and swimming in swift current.
Must be capable of constant lifting and carrying of up to 50 pounds. Occasional lifting/carrying of up to 100 lbs. required.
Must be willing to engage Ouzel guests in conversation, interactive activities such as card games, and/or entertainment activities such as guitar or storytelling.
Must be willing to lead or participate in hikes and/or other activities to enhance the guests' experience.
In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed above, Ouzel trip leaders also:
Must exhibit good management skills including “big picture” thinking, clear communication, decisiveness, leadership, and unbiased decision making.
Must possess good organization skills.
Must accurately track expenses and receipts and keep them organized by trip as well as take responsibility for the security of company credit cards and checks issued for trip expenses.
Must act as trainer and/or training coordinator for new guides that are working or swamping on your trips.
Must conduct river orientation meetings with guests or delegate the responsibility to another experienced crew member.
Must coordinate food shopping and food packing tasks.
Must coordinate trip packing tasks including the meeting time and communicate times and goals clearly with the crew.
Must coordinate the various duties and tasks of crew members during the trip.
Must initiate and lead pre-trip and boatmun’s meetings.
Must complete and submit accurate and complete trip reports in a timely manner.
Must be willing to act as an incident leader or delegate the responsibility to a competent crew member in the event of an incident.
Must be willing to make and take responsibility for all decisions made during the course of a trip in the event that the crew cannot reach an accord. Must coordinate decision making roles if camp and guest crews are working separately during the trip.
Must brings issues that cannot be quickly resolved concerning guides, crew dynamics, trip issues, or drainage issues to the attention of the management.
2024 Application for River Guide
"You have to be committed to the lifestyle of guiding because, no matter where you go, it is an industry driven by bookings. No one is going to pay you to work a trip that they don’t need you on or that hasn’t booked. The hard fact is that, for a guide, experienced or not, working their first year at a company, they will be at (or near) the bottom of the totem pole and will probably not get as much work as they would have liked. The guide new to Ouzel has to trust that we would not spend the money and the time in training you and bringing you up to speed on our rivers if we didn’t have the intention of earning that money back by putting you to work."


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