Shift Lead, Snow School

What the role is all about

At WinSport, we're seeking passionate individuals committed to sharing their love for the sport of skiing and snowboarding. If you're interested in leading, mentoring, and sharing your passion for winter sport we encourage you to apply. 

In this role, you'll support leading a team of instructors who deliver high-quality, tailored ski and snowboard lessons to our guests, contributing to their skill development and love for winter sports. You'll work in a dynamic, supportive setting, and collaborating with your team to ensure excellent, safe and engaging guest experiences in and out of lessons. 

Our Snow School lessons run 7 days a week primarily on evenings and weekends. Lessons are for preschool, youth, teen and adult aged participants. Our snow school offers a variety of lesson lengths including daily, multiday, and multiweek programs up to 8 weeks long. For those available Monday to Friday, we offer our lessons to School Groups during the day Monday to Friday.  Freestyle and our new Alpine Racing programs run to the end of the season, starting late November, in January, and mid-February.

Key responsibilities include leading instructors and coaches to take exceptional care of participants in and out of their lessons, support team members in fulfilling their role, ensure check-in and outs operate effectively and smoothly, model and mentor exceptional teaching and coaching, provide meaningful feedback and performance manage instructors. Ensuring upcoming program launches will go smooth for instructors or coaches and guests is central to the role including assisting with schedule maintenance and lessons assignments. You will also communicate with guests to address any concerns; in-person, on the phone, and via email, and support in coordinating group level swaps to ensure a safer, high quality guest experience.

You will strive to approach your work to align with our four key behaviours which are at the core of who we are and what we do at WinSport.

We are Safe

We are Welcoming

We are Inspiring

We are Creative

Team Member Leadership

• Support in the development and execution of Team Member training working in collaboration with Team Leads and Management
• Lead formal and informal front lines performance check-ins and support performance management conversations with Team Members in a consistent, fair, and professional manner, escalating more serious and continued concerns. 
• Lead by example being a role model, inspiring instructor engagement and facilitating high quality lessons.
• Address concerns or feedback in a timely manner, communicating with relevant parties to provide appropriate solutions.
• Inspire a safety culture within our Team Members.

Engaging Experiences

• Provide exceptional customer service and guest-focused experiences.
• Teach and inspire guests and instructors to connect with the sport of skiing and snowboarding.
• Support with the communication and coordination of participant level changes to guests, team members and other leadership team, ensuring instructors and coaches have the tools and training to have these conversations.
• Coordinate and assist in Snow School set-up and take-down, rental shop support, lesson check-ins and outs, waiver confirmations and delivery, and school group organization.
• Support team members in their pursuit of delivering the safest and highest quality of lessons.

Communication

• Communicate with guests and team members in ways that align with our core values; safe, welcoming, inspiring and creative. Ensure team members understand and adhere to these values themselves.
• Exhibit strong communication and interpersonal skills to foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for Team Members and guests of all ages, abilities, and personalities.
• Role model effective coaching and feedback through clear, concise, and intentional communication. Ensure yourself and team members communication aligns with guests' needs, age, stage, goals and utilizing a constructive positive-first feedback approach.
• Maintain professional communication with guests and navigating lesson concerns by listening with the aim to find and create positive outcomes.
• Ensure guests are receiving lesson feedback that is meaningful, professional, and aligned to our values of safe, welcoming, inspiring, and creative

Operational Effectiveness

• Lead coordinating Snow School area set-up, guest check-in, check-out, and area take down.
• Lead coordinating staff arrival and departure for efficient, effective labor management. Maintain accurate records of staff arrival, departure and any relevant staffing changes/updates/concerns.
• Maintain high personal and professional standards and hold team members accountable for maintaining their own high personal and professional standards. Arrive on time, in uniform, ready and equipped for the day ahead, considering changing conditions. 
• Collaborate with management in the effective accommodation of escalated guest needs with a mindset focused on guest service, problem solving, and adaptability. 
• Collaborate with instructors and management to ensure the successful execution of ski/snowboard programs, maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.
• Demonstrate proactive problem-solving skills and adaptability to meet the diverse needs of our Team Members and guests.
• Plan and lead or support in delivery of regularly scheduled instructor training sessions centered on instructional topics and riding development

Safety/Risk Mitigation

• Actively contribute to a safe and welcoming environment by identifying and mitigating hazards, adhering to and upholding the Alpine Responsibility Code, and ensuring compliance with all safety policies and procedures. 
• Ensure Team Members are safely executing ski/snowboard lessons tailored to each guests' needs, age, stage/level, goals, maintaining a safe lesson progression, following certification bodies training and WinSport's safety protocols.
• Create and lead daily team huddles providing Team Members on-going updates and training.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of all ski/snowboard products to assist guests and make informed recommendations. 
• Communicate WinSport policies and procedures accurately to Team Members in clear, understandable ways and ensure they are applied.
• Support with management auditing WinSport policies and procedures to ensure we are delivering to a high standard 
• Other duties as required.

• Current Level 1, 2, 3, or 4 certification with CSIA/CASI/PSIC or equivalent; or
• Current Fundamentals or Comp-Intro or other freestyle certification.
• Dual Ski/Snowboard certification and Freestyle/Park certification are considered assets.
• 3 years of leadership experience in a related or other field.
• 5 years of working with youth and adult programs.
• Strong communication skills and a positive, coachable attitude.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Fluency in other languages is considered an asset.
• Organization, multi-tasking, and prioritizing skills are required.
• Strong decision-making skills are essential.
• Strong pedagogy and mentoring skills are essential.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Previous experience working with a large and diverse team is considered an asset
• Previous conflict resolution experience is an asset.
• Experienced understanding of Ski/Snowboard industry is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of Computer programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel or PowerPoint is considered an asset. 

You will be:

• Working in a dynamic environment. Outdoors on varied natural and man- made terrain in changing weather conditions.
• Prepared to work in all weather conditions. Some indoor activities and preparation are required.
• Healthy and prepared to be outdoors skiing/snowboarding every day.
• Able to lift, carry, push, or pull objects up to 20lbs occasionally.
• Able to assist with chairlift loading/unloading.

• Seasonal position from October to April, start date is weather and operationally dependent.
• Full-time and part-time consistent schedules are available.
• Weekend and holiday availability is required.
• Lessons are offered during all operational hours.
• School Groups programs are offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays during the daytime. 
• Compensation for this position is starting at $19.15

In addition to helping develop the next generation of winter athletes, WinSport team members also receive the following added benefits:

• Free WinSport Winter Season Pass
• Off-shift training opportunities at WinSport
• Reciprocals at other ski resorts
• Discounts on food, beverage, retail, and programs
• Access to our Performance Training Center

We also provide a culture where we value and take care of our people. We have a robust workplace wellness program that supports the physical, emotional, social and financial wellness of our team members.   

Discover, Develop, and Excel with WinSport: 

Working with WinSport means you will be part of one of the most unique sport institutes in the world. At WinSport we pride ourselves on providing exceptional services to support our guests in training and maintaining an active lifestyle. We are a key provider within the local Ski and Snowboard community providing people of all ages and abilities with a place to progress their riding. We will support you along your pathway as you discover, develop and excel in your role at WinSport.