Naturalist Tour Guide & Driver

Join the team in Skagway for an exciting customer service oriented position that involves driving guests participating in our adventure tours in Skagway, Alaska.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Naturalist’s main responsibility is to carry out the company’s mission of providing passengers with a safe, enjoyable, and educational experience. The naturalist will escort guests in buses, vans, and airporter vehicles on a series of trips which travel around to local attractions, visit outdoor recreation sites, take scenic drives as far as the summit of Chilkoot Pass. Naturalists lead the guests through the entire tour, narrate during the drives, and assume responsibility for overall guest experience. In addition to providing an enjoyable and informative tour for the guests, naturalists are also responsible for logistical aspects of the tour such as taking and counting tickets, helping to set up and take down the lunches, escorting guests to the restrooms, etc. Naturalists have the option to obtain a CDL license; CDL training is provided by the company.

Description of Guided Programs: Skagway Adventure Hike, Gold Rush Scenic Drive, Skagway Extended Summit Drive, and various CDL and non-CDL driving.

General Overview of Tours:

Summit Drive: Guest are met at the pier by the driver/guide. This is a narrated driving tour along the Klondike Highway to/from Carcross in the Yukon. Various roadside overlooks allow for multiple photo opportunities. Guides for this tour are expected to possess knowledge on a variety of topics in order to narrate and entertain guests for about 5 hours. We provide a bag lunch on this tour for all guests. Passports are required for guests and guides on this tour.

 Gold Rush Scenic Drive: Your small, intimate group will board a van and drive through Skagway’s historic district and residential district en route to the backcountry and the gold rush era town of Dyea. On this excursion in Skagway, guides will share tales about Skagway’s time as a gold rush boom town and point out some of its historic buildings. 

Other driving: As mentioned above, this position is best thought of as a “utility guide” position. The majority of alternate tasks would include driving 15 passenger vans and 24 passenger buses for our Klondike Rock Climbing & Rappelling Adventure and our Adventure Park & Zip Line Adventure. Other tasks may include office support, dock repping (gathering other tours on the pier), and other miscellaneous tasks.

JOB DUTIES

• Have and maintain a clean driving record in order to be insured by company automotive insurance.
• Must be a safe driver and obey all traffic laws.
  
• Responsible for following a strict daily schedule.
• Responsible for cleanliness and excellent maintenance of buses, tour equipment, and the locations that the tours visit.
• Responsible for communicating all gear and vehicle issues to maintenance staff.
• Complete appropriate driver checklists & paperwork at the end of each shift.
• Collect waivers, tickets and making sure all guests have signed waivers.
• Responsible for communicating all incidents to Haines Program Manager.
• Guest safety first, then entertain guests, educate guests, and last but not least engage guests with questions.
• Must at all times be clean, well-groomed, courteous, honest and reliable.
• Must possess a positive attitude that is friendly, considerate, strong, and energetic.
• Provide information about SE Alaska environment, history, and the surrounding flora and fauna.
• Must possess the desire to continually improve his/her knowledge and skills.
• Must be willing to work as a strong team member, assisting in the maintenance of group morale.
• Help load and unload guests and gear throughout the trips.
• Assist with other jobs/projects as needed by AMG administration, this may include but is not limited to:
  • Associated program maintenance needs.
  • Non-CDL driving of passengers or equipment.
  • Assist with grounds/lodging maintenance, cleaning, and general support.
• You may be required to cross train in other areas to assist with other tours.

REQUIREMENTS

• Be at least 19 years old by April 2024
• Must possess a valid passport and be able to enter Canada.
• Completion of company Driver training program.
• Must be willing to become certified or possess current certification in at least CPR and First Aid.
  
• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds repeatedly throughout each day.
• Must be able to carry loads over uneven ground.
• Prior guiding, leadership, and tourism experience are helpful.
• Possess a friendly, outgoing, professional demeanor at all times during interactions with guests and other employees.
• Good leadership skills, ability to communicate and facilitate groups up to 30 people.
• Must possess a strong work ethic.

MID-SEASON OPERATIONS

Early to mid-June through late-August is the height of the cruise line season. In this period staff may be required to work 40+ hours a week. During the height of the season long periods of time off will likely not be able to be provided. This is the heart of the season and flexibility, and dedication are required from the staff to meet the demand of our cruise line clients and our other long trip programs.

LIVING SPACE AND RENT STRUCTURE

Employee housing is located in downtown Skagway, the grocery store and other attractions are within walking distance from housing. Accommodations consist of shared rooms typically 2-4 beds to a room, although the largest room is a 6-occupant bunkroom. Each house features shared bathrooms, a kitchen area, and living room. Employees residing in housing are expected to respect others and maintain a clean living area. Rent procedures are outlined in the Employee Manual. The two downtown houses share a large yard and mountain views, providing a fantastic base for our team.

Additional Notes

• Rent deductions are made twice a month with 50% of the month’s rent deducted from the 1st and 2nd paycheck.
• Rent is prorated for the first month, rent for the last pay period will be deducted in full even if you vacate housing early.
• Employees must vacate housing within 48 hours of their final shift unless other arrangements have been approved by management.
• Failure to abide by rules outlined in the employee manual and housing agreement may result in immediate expulsion from employee housing.
• Pets - No Cats, No Dogs. First season employees may not have pets in employee housing. Any other pets must be approved by management.

TRAVEL AND LOGISTICS

Employees are responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from Skagway, AMG will assist wherever possible in helping outline necessary steps in travel plans. Please make arrangements with a few days on either end of the season for mishaps. Alaska weather can delay planes/ferries bound from Juneau or make driving conditions difficult or impassable.