TITLE: 2025 Canoe Program Coordinator
PAY: $21.00 per hour
STATUS: Non-exempt, full-time
DURATION: May 16 through September 30
ORGANIZATION: Mono Lake Committee
LOCATION: Lee Vining, California
SUPERVISED BY: Education Director

Description:
The Mono Lake Committee is a 16,000 member non-profit citizens’ group dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Mono Basin ecosystem; educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use; and promoting cooperative solutions that meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas. As the Canoe Program Coordinator, you will manage the Mono Lake Committee’s weekend canoe tour program on Mono Lake, coordinate weekday canoe tours for the Outdoor Education Center program, and arrange for private tours.
You are responsible for running between six and eight programs per week once the summer season begins. You must work closely with other staff to schedule tours and ensure safe, high-quality guided programs. You maintain the canoe equipment, manage reservations, and track revenue. You will also be responsible for towing the canoe trailer to and from launch site. This position is ideal for those wanting to further their interpretive and communication skills, guiding experience, and to gain experience in the environmental non-profit world.

In this role you will:

• Lead interpretive canoe tours on Mono Lake for the public each weekend, and for the Mono Lake Committee’s residential outdoor education program as needed.
• Work as a team leader in the field with other seasonal staff.
• Take and manage reservations, and organize paperwork; complete basic bookkeeping and process canoe tour revenue.
•  Maintain and clean canoe program equipment and storage space.
• Assist with training in canoe safety and interpretation for other seasonal staff.
•  Staff the Information Center & Bookstore.

This includes:

• Communicating the Mono Lake Committee’s mission and promoting Mono Lake Committee memberships
• Completing retail sales using our point-of-sale cash and credit card register system
• Providing visitors with detailed and accurate information about the region, Mono Lake ecology, and the current status of Mono Lake protection and restoration
• Ensuring the store is neat and well stocked at all times and sanitizing the store, restroom, and  outdoor picnic and reception areas.
• Other duties include assisting with program reservations, answering phones, fulfilling information requests via phone, mail, and email, assisting with Mono Lake Committee membership projects and recruitment, event planning, social media, writing assignments, and other office and field tasks needed to support operations and mission.
• Additional duties and projects may be assigned based on skills, interest, initiative, and organization needs. Duties and assignments may change unexpectedly; flexibility is required.

Qualifications:

• Paddling experience.
• Excellent customer service and money handling skills.
•  Ability to lift heavy canoes and other equipment.
•  Strong communications skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong work ethic and a positive and collaborative attitude.
• Desire to learn more about how a successful non-profit operates.
• Ability to be flexible under a changing schedule.
• A valid driver’s license and good driving record are required (contact us with any questions).
• Must pass a background check to confirm you do not have criminal violations relevant to working with youth.
•  Wilderness First Responder and/or lifeguard certification a plus, but not required.
• Experiencing driving a large truck towing a trailer is helpful, but not required.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive training on Mono Basin ecology, California water policy, environmental interpretation, retail operations, canoe safety, and more.
• First Aid and CPR certification training.
•  Paid time off for observed holidays that occur during employment.
•  Mileage is paid for all job-related travel from place of work in personal vehicle.
• Affordable shared housing within walking distance of the office in Lee Vining.
• Employee discount on merchandise in the Information Center & Bookstore.

Additional information:
The Canoe Program Coordinator position is temporary, lasting from four to six months. The Canoe Program Coordinator works 40 hours per week with two consecutive days off.
Shared housing is available through the Committee at $350/month (sorry, no pets).
We provide comprehensive training to develop a thorough understanding of the Mono Basin and the Mono Lake Committee in order to be able to fulfill job duties.

The Mono Basin is composed of sagebrush steppe, pinyon-juniper, and Jeffrey pine forest plant communities, 46,000 acres of Mono Lake, numerous 12,000+ foot Sierra peaks, and plug-dome volcanoes. The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore is in the town of Lee Vining (population 400, elevation 6,780'). Lee Vining is a remote town that sees a massive influx of visitors during the peak season but stays fairly quiet the remainder of the
year. It lies on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park, overlooking beautiful Mono Lake. The town is located adjacent to the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, and the Ansel Adams and Hoover wilderness areas. Lee Vining is situated along Highway 395. It is 30 miles north of Mammoth Lakes, California; 65 miles north of Bishop, California; and 140 miles south of Reno, Nevada.