Role Statement
As the Program Manager at Wollangarra, you’re an essential part of a small community based around a truly unique outdoor and environmental education program and lifestyle. The Wollangarra philosophy is about doing rather than talking and fixing rather than complaining, so your days will be filled with hard work and a strong sense of purpose. You will introduce young people to the Victorian mountains through a program of practical conservation through outdoor education, which will help them to see environmental issues as exciting and demanding challenges to the way we live, rather than endlessly depressing and negative threats to our future.
Each week a new group of young people will come across the flying fox and get to experience a way of life that has largely been forgotten. They’ll leave behind their mobile phones, watches and timetables. They’ll get to bake bread, split wood, tend the veggie garden, collect the eggs and light the fire. They’ll get the opportunity to contribute to something positive in a meaningful way and feel like a valued member of the community.
The position requires that you reside on the Wollangarra property. You will live and work with four to five other Outdoor Leaders, a Director and her daughter (aged 16). Wollangarra becomes your workplace, home and family for the year. This brings lots of laughter, fun, adventure and, inevitably, a tear or two. The role is highly physical. Your time at Wollangarra will offer a challenging, but immensely rewarding experience. For the right leader, this is an experience of a lifetime.
Who Are We Looking For?
The successful applicant will be a skilled outdoor educator, already quite proficient at leading groups in the outdoors, who is looking to experience two to three years of intensive professional development and personal learning under the guidance of the established Director. This position was created to enable a leader of young people outdoors to step up into leading and facilitating a group of other outdoor leaders.
The successful applicant will form the management team in conjunction with the Director and, as such, will enable a real “hands-on” approach to all aspects of managing the Wollangarra program and property. You will be a good “people-person” and someone who is able to get your stuff done whilst facilitating the Outdoor Leader team to be successful in what they are doing as well.
Duties
Program management
- Role will be 2IC to Director
- Plan program logistics and content, alongside Director
- Co-ordinate programs at Stage 1, 2 and 3 levels, alongside Director
- Perform emergency response and management roles alongside, or in place of, Director
- Create a safe environment for Wollangarra Outdoor Leader, young people, teachers and helpers
- Foster and reinforce Wollangarra philosophies including: self awareness, community participation and environmental awareness
- Identify, support and coordinate learning opportunities for young people
- Liaise with Parks Victoria and DELWP in the creation of purposeful projects for Stage 2 and 3 programs, alongside the Director
- Lead programs in the field and on the Wollangarra Flat
- Meet schedules including buses, check-in calls, other timelines
- Debrief programs and ensure issues arising are addressed, alongside the Director
Property Management
- Role will be 2IC to Director
- Ensure high standards of safety for Wollangarra Outdoor Leaders, young people, teachers and visitors
- Oversee work days when the Director is off the property
- Hold and manage key job areas relating to infrastructure critical to program and safety
Volunteer Management
- Ensure Outdoor Leaders adhere to safe work practices, alongside the Director
- Assistance in training of Outdoor Leaders in relevant skills relating to the Wollangarra programs and property, alongside the Director
- Empowering Outdoor Leaders to be their best as an outdoor leader by actively involving them in planning, decision making, working through issues, team meetings, setting values and agreements within Wollangarra’s philosophy
- Lead Outdoor Leaders through example and foster a working environment for ownership and responsibility in their job areas and on program
- Ensure the Outdoor Leaders community are regularly addressing conflict including living agreements and communication issues in order to foster a positive living-working environment, alongside the Director
Wollangarra Community
- Be an active and responsible member of the Wollangarra Outdoor Leaders team by supporting and representing Wollangarra at community events, fundraisers and maintaining connections with locals and local businesses
- Encouraging the Outdoor Leaders to be active and responsible in the above
Administration
- Contribute towards the quarterly Directors report to council, as required
- Contributing to thank you letters and articles for the Wollangarra newsletter
- Have a basic understating of program administration, for when Director is off the property
Supporting the Director
- In addition to that listed above:
- Maintain a good working relationship with the Director
Mandatory Requirements
- Tertiary qualifications and experience in outdoor education, outdoor recreation, the environmental sciences, education or similar
- Strong outdoor skills, including leading groups in the outdoors
- Current Full Drivers License. A manual driver’s license is required but can be obtained once accepted for the position
- A strong work ethic, personal organisation and initiative
- Knowledge of safe work practices and how to create a culture of safety in a workplace
- Current Working with Children Check
- Current Police Check Certificate
Desirable Qualifications
- Wilderness or Remote Area First Aid certificate
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Training in four wheel drive or chainsaw use
- Swimming Bronze Medallion
- Food Handling certificate
- Skills in a variety of property management tasks (gardening, catering, building, farming etc).
Your Attributes Will Include
- Love of the outdoors and simple living
- Flexible work approach – This is not a 9 to 5 job.
- Good initiative – There is no shortage of jobs at Wollangarra. If you’re good at recognising when a job needs to be done and doing it without being asked, you’ll fit in well.
- Ability to follow instructions – Whilst we do encourage a high-level of initiative in the Program Manager role, we also appreciate the ability to carry out instructions as requested.
- Well organised – Because lots of young people under your charge aren’t! If they forget to pack the group fire lighting kit, you need to have some backup matches. Or a spare loo roll!
- Excellent Communication Skills – Living and working as part of a small team gives everyone the opportunity to really get to know each other. This goes both ways with the great bits, but also the challenging moments. Your communication skills will be put to the test.
- Willing to have a crack at anything – At Wollangarra, you’ll get the opportunity to do things you’ve never done before, whether it’s marking lambs, using a chainsaw, learning traditional bush timber skills or demonstrating the finer points of bush toiletry to a bunch of 14 year old school students. We just ask that you give it a red hot go.
- Ability to get along with different people – Wollangarra attracts all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons. You need to be able to engage with them, relate to them and make them feel like a valued member of the community and at home in your home.
- Commitment to the education of young people – Our main aim here is to get young people into the mountains and facilitate their experience. It makes the job easier and more enjoyable if you are passionate about spending time with young people.
- Energy and enthusiasm – It’s not hard to be upbeat when things are easy, but when you’re tired, which does happen, it can be a struggle to maintain the energy that is required to manage a group of young people, or the Outdoor Leader team. If you feel you can pull through those harder times with a smile on your face, then that’s a bonus.
- Ability to laugh at yourself – You’ll probably learn more about yourself in a year at Wollangarra that you thought possible. In these moments; humour and the ability to not take yourself too seriously can be a real attribute.
Key Selection Criteria
- Demonstrated outdoor leadership experience and of planning and delivering a program – Experience in the outdoors is important. You need to know what to do when it is needed, and have the confidence to implement it. In some moments you will have a group of young people, a school teacher or two and the Outdoor Leader team waiting for your call. It’s important that you feel comfortable in the outdoors and can make level-headed decisions at difficult times. You will be involved in the training of the other Outdoor Leaders and, as such, need a solid set out of outdoor leadership skills.
- Demonstrated experience in leading, teaching and working with young people outdoors – What have you been up to out there? Tell us about what programs you have worked on.
- Demonstrated experience in leading a group of peers – A large part of your role will be working closely with the Wollangarra Outdoor Leader team, facilitating their learning, daily work tasks and ensuring that what needs to be done gets done. What experience have you had managing a small team of people?
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication – Effective communication is vital at Wollangarra for all sorts of reasons. If you’ve had experience with public speaking, managing conflict, managing behavioural issues, or if you’re a good writer, these skills will stand you in good stead at Wollangarra.
- Demonstrate evidence of a strong work ethic, personal organisation and initiative – Being able to complete a task on your own, without getting side-tracked or distracted, is an important skill. What’s just as important is being able to recognise when something needs doing and just doing it without being asked. You need to be able to have your stuff together so that you can support the other Outdoor Leaders when needed.
- Demonstrate understanding of Wollangarra’s programs and philosophy – Having a basic understanding of how things work, the program structure and our underlying philosophy is important. If you’ve never been to Wollangarra we suggest you take the time to visit during a program and familiarise yourself with how we work.
- Ability to live and work in a small, remote community, without electricity or modern luxuries – You need to be able to live without things like your mobile phone, the internet and a hot shower every day. You’ll also be living in the pockets of six other people for a year and there will be times when people get your goat. You need to be able to deal with these situations with maturity and respect.
- Proven practical skills in property management – Skills or experience in any of the following areas would be beneficial: building, plumbing, mechanics, fencing, bush crafts, wood splitting, chainsaw use, veggie gardening, pruning, animal husbandry, tractor driving, cooking, cleaning and catering.
- Driving History and Full Australian driver’s licence – You will be driving land cruiser troop carriers and a Toyota Hi-Ace mini bus with young people, along winding mountain roads. We want to know what sort of driver you are and if you can drive everyone there and back home again safely. Ideally you will also have defensive driving and 4WD certifications, however we are prepared to assist with qualifications, if required.
Other relevant information
The position includes accommodation, training and food costs (within reason), postage and phone calls, four weeks annual leave, most Saturdays off and one weekend off a month, and a monthly honorarium. You can borrow Wollangarra’s hiking gear for the duration of the year if required, and we have access to good discounts at some outdoor retailers and suppliers.
You may receive (depending on start date) accredited training, if required, in Wilderness First Aid, Four Wheel Driving, Chainsaw Operation, Bronze Medallion and Safe Food Handling. You will also have the opportunity to learn on the job a variety of skills like; managing the small farm at Wollangarra, bushfire prevention, staff management skills, conflict management, behaviour management, building and small machinery maintenance, tractor driving, and deepening your outdoor and environmental leadership skills . Having previous training in these areas is beneficial, but not essential. It is highly recommended that prospective applicants experience Wollangarra first hand. A visit can be arranged by contacting the Directors, Anthony ‘Smitho’ Smith and Katie Green.
If you are wondering whether this role, or applying this year, is the right fit for you, you are encouraged to call or email Wollangarra and speak to one of our Directors.
The book “‘Secondhand and Solid’ - How We Built Wollangarra” was written by the founder Ian Stapleton. It provides an excellent insight into the history and philosophies of Wollangarra. As such, it is recommended reading for prospective applicants.
Submission of Application
The position is open until filled. Applications should include a cover letter outlining why you want to work at Wollangarra and what you have to offer, a resume with three referees, and a statement addressing the above Key Selection Criteria. Interviews of suitable candidates will be conducted at Wollangarra, in Melbourne, or via Teams, at a mutually suitable time.
Applications should be emailed to:
Anthony Smith and Katie Green
directors@wollangarra.org.au
International applicants please note: Wollangarra is unable to cover the cost of airfares to and from Australia should your application be successful. Also, please research beforehand as to whether you will be eligible for a working visa in Australia.
Applications close 5pm Friday 24th October
