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Missouri River Canoe Guide
Opportunity
While ROW enjoys a high return rate among its staff, we usually have a few openings each year for inexperienced guides at our Missouri River Canoe operation. To learn more about our trips and philosophy, go to our home page . You might also enjoy reading about other ROW staff at Meet the ROW Team .
How we do things: We run our trips conservatively with utmost concern for our guests’ safety. Our motto in this arena is Safety before ego. We are proud that our equipment is the best available and that we have one of the newest fleets on the water.
ROW has certain ways of doing things and we like to standardize our procedures as much as possible so that when you're working with different combinations of guides you are concentrating on having fun instead of re-inventing the wheel on every trip. We also want our guides to enjoy a supportive atmosphere. To meet this goal, and knowing that working and living together round the clock can be very demanding, we want guides who are solid, supportive team players with good communication skills.
Interpretation at ROW: ROW guides pride themselves on their knowledge of the cultural and natural history of the rivers we run and have found that sharing this knowledge increases our guests' enjoyment. Because we expect our guides to be good interpreters of natural and cultural history, an educational background in wild land interpretation, earth sciences, biology, archaeology, etc., is highly desirable. We also require all new hires to participate in ROW's Certified Interpretive Guide course given by the National Association for Interpretation. This class is offered by ROW in the spring. The cost for this class is detailed in the cost section below. New ROW guides are also required to prepare a short interpretive presentation related to the rivers and canyons where ROW operates. This is due on arrival to our guide clinic. Complete details to help you complete this project will be provided.
Family Trips: Because “Family Magic™” trips are a big part of our business, we also look for folks who are good with kids, can lead games or entertain around a campfire by leading songs, playing guitar or telling stories.
Multi-Day Guide Training Clinic: Each new-to-ROW guide intending to work Missouri Canoe trips is required to attend one of our guide-training clinics. ROW's company wide training involves both on river and off river time.
Our 2009 training clinic will take place in late April - early May for guides hired to work a full season and the 3-4th week of June for part season guides. Exact dates will be given upon offer of a job.
The cost for the training trip is listed in the cost section below. ROW generally intends to hire all guides who attend this training clinic, and it is rare that an individual does not stay to work afterward. However, we do reserve the right to change our mind, and no offers of work are final until after this trip.
Benefits
As a company, ROW seeks to identify and employ professional, career guides. While we do have some seasonal turnover, our goal is to maintain a large percentage of our guides and other staff. Toward this end, we offer a number of benefits including:
Free guest activities, on a space-available basis such as rafting and canoeing.
Complimentary and/or discounted trips for family and friends
Free staff housing or tent space at our outpost locations
Training opportunities on other rivers
Training and skills development in the recreation industry
Flexible Spending Account (FSA’s allow employees to pay for medical expenses with pre-tax income providing a +20% savings)
401(k) plan
Pro-deal program to help you purchase outdoor gear at deeply discounted rates
Free staff clothing
Housing
Missouri River: We provide camping at the KOA which includes wireless nternet access, TV, DVD, and a basic kitchen at this facility. Great Falls is a flat town and guides often get around on bikes!
Guides are responsible for their own meals when they are off the river.
Policies
Drug/Alcohol Free Workplace
ROW Inc. is committed to a safe environment for its Adventure Staff and Guests. We have a zero tolerance policy for drugs on our property or impairment at work. If you can't do without drugs or heavy consumption of alcohol, don't apply. Random drug testing is required for all ROW employees. Pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing is required for CDL drivers. Post-accident drug/alcohol testing is required of all employees filing a workman’s compensation claim. Any employee allowing drugs or alcohol to effect their work may be terminated.
Tobacco-Free Policy
ROW Inc. is a tobacco-free company. Smoking and chewing tobacco is not permitted on ROW property or in any ROW vehicle. Guides are not permitted to smoke or chew tobacco on any ROW trip. This includes all overnight trips. Any employee found in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
Personal Appearance
A professional and well-groomed appearance is an essential ingredient in ROW’s success. Facial piercing such as nose rings, eye rings, and chin studs are not acceptable. We rely on your good judgment and commitment to ROW Inc. to accept this basic condition of employment.
Pet Policy
In consideration of and for the safety of our guests, employees and your pets; please leave your pets at home.
Employee Availability
We are looking for full-season guides to start in mid June and end in late August. Students must be available for work until at least seven days before classes start. Guides not returning to school, or to teach, must be available through September 1 unless another agreement is reached at the time of signing your job agreement. Your job agreement will specify agreed upon starting and ending dates. You will not be hired if start and end dates do not meet ROW's needs. Important! By signing an agreement when hired, 1st year guides acknowledge that they are making a two-season commitment to ROW.
Full Time / Full-season Missouri River Guide
Requirements:
A degree or strong experience in environmental interpretation.
Advanced First Aid, First Responder or higher certification (a 36-hour minimum is required; WEC, WAFA, WFR, WEMT, or EMT preferred). If you do not currently have this level of training, you will still be considered if you can show enrollment in a class that finishes by April 20, or prior to your start date
Our Missouri River Canoe operation is based out of Great FallsMontana. We primarily run 5 day trips on the Missouri river along the Lewis and Clark Trail. The season begins around June 15th with a 5-day training trip in preparation for the first launch around June 20th. We launch every Sunday and work is rotated among the core team of 3-5 guides based on seniority. We make no guarantee of the amount of work you will receive as this is based on bookings. We also have positions for part time Missouri guides for people available only on a part-time basis. Participation in the Missouri River staff training clinic and the early May staff trip is required.
Full-season Guides - Full season guides are required to attend the spring staff trip. By attending this training trip you will be qualified for early season work.
On May 18-21 (dates may change) a Certified Interpretive Guide Class (CIG) will also be hosted by ROW. This class is designed to help ROW guides with their interpretive skills and assist them in providing meaningful interpretation to ROW guests. Successful completion of class also provides guides with a CIG certification through the National Association for Interpretation.
Full season guides will also be required to attend a second staff trip in late June on the Salmon River Canyons (this also doubles as a licensing run).
The cost for the two training trips, the CIG class, and any other training or licensing trips that ROW offers is $350.
Part-season Guides - Part season guides are any guides who are unable to attend the first staff trip or the CIG class in May. Since the CIG class is a crucial part of ROW training, we will make every attempt to run a second CIG class in late June.
Part-season guides are also required to attend the late June training trip on the Salmon River Canyons.
The cost for the training trip, the CIG class, and any other training and or licensing trips that ROW offers is $325. Due to bookings and attendance ROW may not be able to host a second CIG class, if this happens $125 will be refunded upon completion of their job agreement.
Guides who work on the Missouri rivers are required to purchase one applicable book on the Missouri Rive (Title TBD).
Equipment Required: Guides are expected to provide all their own personal gear including overnight dry bag, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, ammo can and appropriate clothing for extended trips.
ROW Policies Related to Hiring
All guides must have CPR
All guides must have or obtain a minimum of a 36-hour advanced first aid class (FR, WEC, WAFA, WFR, WEMT or EMT preferred)
Guides are NOT paid for training trips. The number of training trips required by each guide varies from one to three per river and is dependent on the following:
Proficiency/experience with canoes.
Professionalism in working with guests
How quickly the trainee is able to assume a full share of the workload, especially in terms of learning the menu, cooking, rigging, and camp set-up and tear down
Depending on the position, various starting and ending dates may be accommodated.
Pets are not allowed.
Most positions are physically demanding and require lifting, bending, standing and kneeling.
We usually try to wrap up our hiring by early March, but feel free to check with us if you discover ROW after that date. Also, please use the Letters of Recommendation forms and have these returned by this deadline.
Once your application has been received, you will be notified if you have been selected for a telephone interview. Generally interviews are conducted from January through March.
