Hiring: Adventure Travel Operations Assistant

If you like administering programs, orchestrating the movements of people and goods, and ensuring the expectations of guests are exceeded, this may be for you. If you’re ready for responsibility as key member in the growth of an exciting organization, we’d like to talk.

The Company

Maple Leaf Adventures is a small, privately owned company that has deliberately chosen to have a quadruple bottom line: where environmental, social and financial values are joined by the fun factor as critical metrics of our company’s success. We are inspired by exploration, creating great experiences, and the rich British Columbia and Alaska coast.

Our multi-day expedition cruises in remote BC and Alaska are internationally rated as some of the top adventure travel experiences in the world. This comes from a spectacular environment, a natural love of hosting guests, a disciplined approach to operations, respect for people of all kinds along the coast, and the vision to create something world-class.

At Maple Leaf Adventures, you will be a key part of a small, dynamic team that is dedicated to these principles. You will be proud to work hard, with lots of attention to detail, and participate in the rewards of growing a world-class adventure travel company on our spectacular coast.

A small business requires people to “wear several hats” and sometimes do work on different professional levels. You will find this applies here. Your focus will vary from season to season.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Adventure Travel Operations Manager, the Adventure Travel Operations Assistant has three main (and related) areas of responsibility:

• Administration
• Logistics of operations
• Guest services delivery

To fully understand these functions, the successful candidate will also be able to work as crew on several Maple Leaf Adventure wilderness cruises each year.

Areas of Responsibility Include:

Government permitting, compliance and relations

You will help administer the company’s applications for and compliance with all permits, agreements, and certifications required to operate Maple Leaf Adventures’ trips.

• Park and land permits
• Day to day administration of our protocol agreements with coastal First Nations
• Crew and business licensing
• Trip operations administration (port guides and customs documentation)

Trip operational support

• You will facilitate the smooth functioning of our operating season, from the administrative side. This includes preparing the ship and crew for the season, and coordinating the logistics of ship supplies and all pre- and post-trip movements of people and goods.

• Work with the operations manager to administer crewing hires for our operating and maintenance seasons.
• Arrange and manage efficient crew and/or guest travel and transportation in and out of ports on the coast and international border crossings for the ship.
• Arrange suppliers and supply systems as necessary in remote parts of the coast and help coordinate the supplying of the ships in remote ports.
• Improve efficiency while respecting the principles of ecotourism.
• Be available to assist the field operations team with the delivery of all guest servicesand ship supplies. This may include being available during non-office hours by email or phone.
• Be available to go to sea for extended periods of time working in a tight knit team.

Guest services and satisfaction

• You will ensure that our trips are exceeding guest expectations at all times, which includes becoming familiar with the trips by working as a crew member from time to time, gathering and analyzing feedback, and developing improvements.

• Help coordinate and administer ship and crew readiness for guest services at the startof the season (including supplies of linen and textiles, cushions, upholstery, artwork, food services requirements, guest supplies, naturalist supplies, dining supplies, documented procedures, trained staff, etc.)
• Help coordinate and administer crew training (including training weekend, special courses, Job Grant applications) reference sheets, tracking sheets, manuals.
• Help coordinate and administer Land Day tours for applicable trips, with third party suppliers and contractors.Administration and office systems managementYou will help complete the day-to-day administration of the company.
• Coordinate and administer routine maintenance and care of the physical head office (e.g., replacement supplies, storage systems, scheduling service people).
• Recommend office admin policies and procedures.

• Assist in some other HR functions, as assigned.
• Help answer the office phones and be a first point of contact when the guest services representative is not available.

Other projects

• Perform administration and coordination functions for projects, as assigned, such as the Green Tourism File.
• Provide research, analysis, reports or other documents for the operations manager, as assigned.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications Required

• The right attitude is everything! Below are the qualifications that the perfect candidate would have; the world is not perfect, so if you believe you are ready for the challenge, and you have the attitude of a great team player, we encourage you to apply and explain how you’ll kick this out of the park and why you have the experience to do that.
• Demonstrated professional experience with a mix of operational and administrative functions.
• Proven ability to work independently but as part of a close-knit team.
• Proficiency with professional office software including Excel, Word, Acrobat, Google forWork.
• Tact and the ability to build good relationships, across geographic and culturalboundaries.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical skills and good numerical skills.
• Great attention to detail, and ability to perceive an invisible supply chain and its weak points.
• Great follow-through to remotely ensure other people you depend on for your objective are delivering.
• Wilderness recreational or professional guiding experience.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

An individual with a “let’s make this happen” attitude will get most out of this position.

• You thrive in a fast-paced, “whatever it takes to get it done” work environment.
• Familiarity with boats, including passenger-carrying yachts/boats/kayaks is a big plus.
• Tourism-specific experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with the repairs and maintenance of boats is a plus.
• Knowledge of the remote BC coast is an asset.

Compensation, Location and Application

• This is a full-time position that pays a competitive wage with benefits package.
• This position is in beautiful Victoria, B.C., capital of B.C.’s vibrant tourism community.
• You’ll experience first-hand the magic of the adventures, rated the “Trip of a Lifetime”by Frommer’s and one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler.
• Work days when in Victoria: Tuesday through Saturday, following probationary period.

How to Apply & Deadline

• Please send resume with cover letter to jobs [at] MapleLeafAdventures.com with the title Operations Assistant in the subject line. Due to the volume of applications we receive, please do not phone or drop in. Thank you.