Job Description

SEATTLE ACADEMYis a dynamic community that challenges students to question, imagine, and create in order to contribute boldly to a changing world. This mission comes alive in our urban school setting where we serve grades 6 – 12 in a vibrant, independent school environment. Our diverse faculty and staff are exceptionally qualified, strong academically, and combine rich life experience with passion for their disciplines. Our teaching philosophy is geared toward our mission and guiding principles of Culture of Performance, College and Life, Know the Kid, and Inclusive Community.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Outdoor Trips & Travel Department is seeking talented, engaging, and compassionate Trip Instructors who believe that experiential opportunities can lead to significant growth for participants - growth that often comes when one is challenged in an unfamiliar environment that requires discomfort and hard work. Our program incorporates outdoor/wilderness travel and experiences, cultural immersion, language immersion, and service. View our Outdoor Trips & Travel page for more information.

Core Responsibilities:

• Live by SAAS Mission, Principles, and Values and role model this to students.
• Live comfortably in the outdoor environments where trips are located. Ability to care for one’s self in the environment as well as having the capacity to care for students regardless of conditions and circumstances. 
• Understand SAAS risk management policies and procedures. 
• Understand the major hazards and risks inherent in the specific trip environment, be able to manage the common and obvious risks and take appropriate action regarding risks you have not encountered before. 
• Be able to recognize and act on appropriate and inappropriate student behavior and have the ability to manage student-to-student, adult-to-student, and adult-to-adult relationships. This includes the ability to give feedback and deal positively with conflict and stress. The goal is to support students as they develop and grow on trips and transfer skills and to apply learning back at home and school. 
• Create space for emotional, physical and social safety. This includes all group members including students, adults and self. 
• Complete trip paperwork in a timely, organized fashion.
• Participate in the trip’s orientation and training, as well as end-of-trips debriefs with the SAAS Trips & Travel leadership team. 
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Instructors must have current WFA and CPR certification. WFR certification preferred.  
• Several years of professional experience leading students for reputable outdoor education programs and schools
  • Teaching experience (classroom or outdoors)
  • Appropriate course area backcountry wilderness experience, both personal and professional 
  • Experience with students ranging from grade 7-12 preferred
• Instructors need to be competent outdoor leaders, patient and inspiring teachers, and skilled outdoor enthusiasts with sound and prudent judgment. 
• Instructors must have the technical skills necessary to travel in the course areas used, and in particular, activities taught on course, the ability to teach these skills to students, good risk management skills applicable to institutional settings.
• Instructors will be positive environmental role models with sound knowledge of natural history of the particular trip area environments used.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

• Lifting, carrying and moving up to 50-70 lbs.
• Walking and being outdoors for extended periods of time on a regular basis is part of the job
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and an ability to adjust focus.
• May use telephone, computer, copier, and other office equipment in the course of a day.
  

Senior Yukon Trip:

The mission of the Senior Yukon trip is to provide an opportunity for the senior class, advisors, and faculty to share a wilderness experience, connect broadly and widely as a class community, reflect on the senior year, including graduation and life beyond high school, and take time to acknowledge meaningful relationships and repair injured ones. 

Each Spring, the trip takes place outside the town of Whitehorse, Yukon at Fox Bay on Lake Laberge. The core themes of the trip always include students confronting uncertainty and discomfort, exercising skills to navigate complexity, functioning in a group, reflecting on the high school experience, and having meaningful conversations in large and small groups. 

Through a series of shifting campsites, students move from and between peer groups and assigned rotation groups. Days include structured and unstructured activities, allowing students to spend ample time in conversation around a campfire and/or creating and enjoying unplugged and analog activities in a beautiful wilderness setting. Some evenings include sharing circle-style conversations, encouraging students to speak to each other authentically about themselves and their school experience. Often, students and adults will stay up late in an attempt to see the Northern Lights. 

March 1-15, 2026 with actual Trip Dates: March 5-14, 2026 plus occasional zoom trainings.

Compensation:

Instructors are hired on a temporary, part-time agreement basis. Pay is highly competitive within the industry at $300-$300 a day for March 1-15, 2026, plus travel, food and accommodations. All meetings outside of the above dates will be paid at $30 -$30 per hour.

Benefits:

This part time position does not qualify for benefits.

How to Apply:

A copy of your resume and cover letter are required to apply.  

Seattle Academy provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with the applicable federal, state, and local laws. 

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