Summary

The Director of Programs and Safety is a senior leader responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, mission-aligned programs that manage risk well across Colorado and Utah. This role provides strategic leadership across programs, safety and risk management, education and training, facilities, and staff supervision, while collaborating closely with the Senior Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and external partners. The Director of Programs and Safety has four direct reports.

Description

Organizational Overview

The Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) is a non-profit experiential-based education organization that emphasizes personal growth through challenge and adventure. For over 60 years our wilderness courses have focused on inspiring responsibility, teamwork, confidence, compassion, and environmental and community stewardship.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Colorado Outward Bound School celebrates diversity and strives to create an inclusive environment for all employees. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nation origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is based on qualifications and business needs. Outward Bound has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse and neglect and will report any suspected abuse or neglect.

We want to be transparent with all applicants that working at the Colorado Outward Bound School means joining a growth-minded community where we are actively dismantling our organization’s white supremacy culture. This conversation shows up at all levels of the organization – in our trainings, in our meetings, on our courses, and in our daily lives. Anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion work can be messy at times and we remain committed to navigating that together. Challenge and discovery are what we do and (un)learning is a fundamental part of our practice. COBS was originally built for and by white men, and now in support of our community members with marginalized identities – at COBS, in the outdoor industry, and beyond – we are actively working on changing that story to support individuals with different identities to empower themselves as we address barriers related to race, culture, socioeconomics, ability, gender, identity, geographic location, and mental health. While we are committed to learning and making necessary changes, we recognize we have a long way to go and want to notify applicants of that up front.

Position Summary

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership, Strategy & Collaboration

Collaborates as a member of the COBS Senior Leadership Team to identify school-wide needs, set strategic direction, and advance the organization’s mission.
Leads a strong culture of safety, risk management, and continuous learning and improvement across programs and operations.
Advances organizational goals across programming, training, and staff development.
Serves as primary staff liaison to the Board Safety Committee; participates in all Board meetings and provides regular briefings on safety, programs, and risk-related matters.
Oversees program functions to ensure cross-department alignment, including course scheduling, program quality, facilities planning, and financial forecasting, with an emphasis on operational efficiency and simplicity.
Emphasizes and role models a culture of psychological safety and focus on learning to improve systems as well as emotional and physical well being of staff and students on course and in the workplace.

People Management & Organizational Support

Supervises, mentors, and evaluates Program Directors, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, inclusive programs that manage risk.
Supervises and supports the Safety Manager to meet strategic and operational goals and annual safety priorities.
Supervises the Facility Director and provides oversight of facilities and base infrastructure to ensure they meet programmatic, safety, risk management, and regulatory requirements; collaborates on facility planning, maintenance priorities, and capital improvements.
Ensures performance management processes are implemented consistently across programs and directly manages performance for all direct reports.
Partners with Sales and Admissions to maximize program capacity, align scheduling, and support enrollment processes including admissions criteria, eligibility requirements, and medical screening.
Works closely with the Human Resources Director to support staff recruitment, hiring, scheduling, training, and employee relations.
Advocates for COBS in public land use, regulatory, and policy processes at the local and national levels.
Develops and manages the department’s revenue and expense budgets.

Safety & Risk Management

Serves as COBS’s Safety Director and provides overall leadership for organizational, program, reputational, and financial risk management and ensures compliance with Outward Bound USA National Safety Standards.
Partners with the Board Safety Committee to develop, prioritize, and implement safety goals and initiatives.
Oversees the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of safety systems through training, data analysis, policy development, organizational culture, mentoring, as well as safety reviews and audits.
Ensures the Emergency Response Plan is current and that staff are trained in emergency procedures; oversees on-call reporting and incident response.
Leads incident investigations through resolution and collaborates with Outward Bound USA on recommendations and compliance with National Safety Standards.
Ensures quality incident reporting and analysis, and timely completion of required safety documentation.

Education, Training & Program Quality

Leads the development and implementation of a school-wide vision for educational practices and curriculum, ensuring exceptional student and family experiences.
Ensures consistency and quality in curriculum design and delivery across all programs.
Oversees field staff and base management orientation and training to maintain high professional and safety standards.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Strong alignment with the COBS mission and demonstrated integrity, initiative, and leadership presence.
Recommended minimum of 3 years of director-level experience overseeing programs, teams, and operations in outdoor education, experiential learning, or a related field, including responsibility for people management, performance management, risk and safety systems, emergency response, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects and meeting firm deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to staff, leadership, and board-level audiences.
Demonstrated commitment to creating access and belonging in programming and organizational culture.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Acts as Incident Commander during emergency response and is on call to support leadership manage incidents on course.
Travel to the basecamps for visits with staff, students and in person board meetings as required. About 8-10 times a year depending on location.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Compensation and Benefits

Annual salary range: $85,000-$100,000
Benefits eligibility for medical, dental, and vision insurance, where COBS pays a significant amount toward healthcare premiums and provides employer-paid short- and long-term disability coverage and basic life insurance
20 days of Paid Time Off that accrues throughout the first year, with an additional day of PTO added with consecutive years of service
56 hours of paid Sick Leave
401K eligibility available after one year of service
ProDeal eligibility

Application Process

Please address cover letter and resume to Executive Director Amber Barnett (she/her). Applications will close January 16th.

**Colorado Outward Bound School is an E-Verify Employer**

Salary Description
$85,000-$100,000