Visitor Services Coordinator

Job Overview

Description:

The Visitor Services Coordinator will serve as a primary contact with the public through several mediums including over the phone, in-person, and through special events. The Coordinator will communicate information regarding the Galena Creek Recreation Area’s natural history, hiking and recreation opportunities, and local regulations. The Coordinator will assist with outdoor, discovery- based education programming for children (ages 2-17) within the Washoe County area, as well as general programs for the public.

The Galena Creek recreation area includes Washoe County and U.S. Forest Service lands, and is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. High desert, forest, river, wetland, mountain, and rangeland are all ecosystems you will find within our 450-acre regional park.

The Galena Creek Visitor Center, located along the Mt. Rose Scenic byway, is nestled in one of our countries most beautiful natural locations. The Great Basin Institute serves as the interpretive association operating the Galena Creek Visitor Center on a day-to-day basis.

The Visitor Center is a resource for people throughout the Reno/Tahoe community, as well as a stop for tourists coming from around the world.

Position Details:

• Assist in providing interpretive services to members of the local community and out-of-area visitors;

• Maintain the visitor center gift store by assisting with inventory tracking, customer purchases and preferences, and revenue data;
• Assist with coordination, preparation and presentation of outdoor, discovery-based education for adults and children;
• Lead community informational hikes;
• Interact positively with the public and provide information about the surrounding area;
• Manage social media accounts and assist with website upkeep;
• Assist with daily center maintenance including cleaning, snow removal, trash pick-up, etc.;
• Assist the Visitor Center Manager in training of seasonal positions;
• Maintain visitor center points of contact including, but not limited to: phone, email, and social media;
• Handle and process visitor center donations;
• Create and implement new interpretive exhibits for the visitor center;
• Coordinate and schedule visitor center events for the community;
• Plan and run digital or COVID-friendly events if necessary;
• Build and manage partnerships with local organizations;
• Create and distribute promotional materials such as a monthly newsletter, program flyers, etc.;
• Assist in the management, coordination, and training of visitor center volunteers;
• Compile and keep accurate data including, but not limited to: visitor center visitation, program attendance, and donations;
• Assist with field studies and camp programming as needed;
• Provide camp information to visitors and callers;
• Occasional teaching of educational groups required,;
• Night and weekend work required during parts of the year;
• Assist with grant searching and writing on occasion;
• Assist with camp programming including but not limited to: registering campers, creating health and safety forms, and developing schedules;
• Assist with Great Basin Naturalist, educational curriculum development following NGSS.

Compensation and Benefits:

• $14.57/hour
• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• 401K contribution/retirement plan
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Professional Development Opportunities including but not limited to First Aid/CPR Training and Mandated Reporter Training

Timeline: Full time (40 hours/week) yearlong appointment beginning at earliest availability. Annually renewable pending performance and funding availability

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources, Recreation, Communication, Education, or other related fields from an accredited university;
• 1 year of experience working in environmental education or outreach;
• Desired traits include: enthusiastic, exceptional communicator, strong public speaker, friendly, approachable, creative, self-sufficient;
• Impressive organizational skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications;
• Experience maintaining active Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook social media accounts;
• Experience in event planning;
• Experience interacting with the public in an educational setting;
• Strong working knowledge of biology, ecology, conservation;
• Motivated, self-starter who is detail oriented;
• Flexibility to handle competing and changing priorities;
• Ability to work varied schedules;
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse public in a variety of forums;
• Ability to speak English conversationally; conversational ability in Spanish desirable but not required;
• Ability to hike up to 5 miles in a single day on varied terrain and in varied weather conditions;
• Pass National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background checks.

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit Retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.