Alaska Wildland Adventures (AWA) seeks high energy, people-oriented staff persons. The staff members at AWA are the backbone of the company. Without the unique personalities and professional talents possessed by our staff, achieving the top-quality trips we provide would be impossible. We welcome your enthusiasm in our company and hope this web site will provide you with a 'behind-the-scenes' view of working at AWA.

At our Kenai Riverside Lodge - located two miles downstream of Kenai Lake between the Kenai River and the Sterling Highway - staff live in a camp-like atmosphere, sharing food, bath, and laundry areas. We bunk in 10' x 12' Yukon-style, canvas wall tents (two staff per tent) without electricity. Staff on trips away from camp overnight in tents, motel rooms, or cabins. Staff facilities include bathrooms with toilets, electricity and hot showers, and a lounge and kitchen. Telephones are available for outgoing charge calls only and we receive/send mail daily.

AWA's goal is to operate safe, fun, small group, participatory style trips in a comfortable manner - but without overemphasizing comfort - that immerse participants in areas of wild Alaska with a genuine care and concern for the environment. Our trips have a mixture of organized tour activities and wilderness experiences. Most participants range in age from 30 to 75 (with occasional children) and commonly come to us for a different sort of vacation. Prospective staff members should recognize and consider the service element to this type of work. Staff must be as comfortable and amiable chatting with guests during dinner as they are interpreting wildlife signs, searching for a lost piece of luggage, leading a hike, serving a meal, or handling a complaint. We strongly encourage you to look over our brochure and/or web sites and know that we strive to faithfully fulfill every statement made in our promotional materials.

Our days are long and require plenty of extra energy. A day of guiding may include: gearing up boats, rowing the river, preparing lunch, hosting dinner, discussing the next day's activities, and stoking the sauna. Hospitality staff members' responsibilities include preparing program and staff meals, cleaning cabins and the bathhouse, and helping with various base camp operations. Base camp support staff do maintenance on equipment, drive shuttles, and provide general behind-the-scenes support of all base camp operations. Those working in our office facilitate day trip bookings, gift shop sales, and staff/manager communications.

Attention to detail and good first impressions are imperative. Positive, "how can I help" attitudes, flexibility, and an awareness of others are key character traits of AWA employees. Hours can be long, and by mid-season, taxing, but throughout the summer we strive to maintain a supportive work environment. We have high expectations that our staff members consistently maintain a professional demeanor and that work is completed in a high quality, careful, and safe fashion.

The majority of staff members work and live on site. Given the number of staff and small amount of space, it is critical that all staff members can share a small amount of space with all sorts of people. Access to outdoor recreational areas and Alaska's "midnight sun" allows us plenty of time for extracurricular activities.

Our management style is a team approach and we do our best to support each other. We balance hard work with a spirit of adventure and the knowledge that our business has a positive impact on Alaska's environment and economy.

Our trips are not strictly wilderness adventures, although each day features an active and immersing experience in a wild area. These positions will not satisfy your needs if you expect to spend everyday in the backcountry. However, if working with people in a wild Alaska setting is your main interest, then you will probably love this job and the work environment at Kenai Riverside Lodge.

If all of this sounds like the ideal working and living environment and you are ready to strive in excellence towards guest service, please check the job descriptions here, download an application, and then send it in to us.

Kenai Riverside Camp Community Living Mission Statement

At Alaska Wildland Adventures, we seek highly motivated, personable and respectful employees to spend their summers with us. We have high standards from all staff in community relations, group living skills, and stewardship of the surrounding land.

Community Relations: Our facility is located in the small community of Cooper Landing, and with our summer staff numbering over 65 people, our impact on our neighbors can be significant and potentially negative. We ask that staff members respect the community and use discretion when attending public venues in the town, whether they are the library, grocery store, a softball game or local restaurants and bars. As a representative of Alaska Wildland Adventures, be considerate and courteous to the community, both on and off duty.

Group Living: At Alaska Wildland Adventures' Riverside Camp, staff are housed in two-person Yukon tents with limited amenities. Most creature comforts are available in facilities shared by staff, such as the Lounge, where meals are served; the bathroom, with showers, toilets, and sinks for staff; and the Palace, for reading, game playing and movie watching.

We become family-like in many ways, for better or worse, during our time at this facility. This requires respect for oneself as well as peers and co-workers. We have established guidelines for the communal areas to provide a positive group living experience for all staff members, including quiet hours and housekeeping of communal areas. You will be asked to take part in communal living maintenance throughout the season. These guidelines may be less than or more than what you do in your own space. We try to allow for the greatest flexibility with a minimal impact on the health and well-being of the entire
staff.

Stewardship: In order to provide excellent customer service to our guests and promote a stable group living environment, we strongly encourage staff to explore and take advantage of the numerous recreational opportunities that abound in the local area. Quality days off are needed to maintain the busy pace of our operations. Staff must be self-motivated to get out and appreciate the surrounding landscape, and learn what the Kenai Peninsula has to offer. The scenic natural beauty and grandeur of Alaska is a primary attraction for all of our staff, and we ask that our employees respect and care for this natural resource to benefit future generations.

The success of Alaska Wildland Adventures depends on the actions of our high quality staff. We ask all staff to use tact, respect and common sense during all interactions with the community of Cooper Landing, other staff members and the surrounding landscape. Staff members ability to co-exist harmoniously with other staff is equally important as delivering top quality service to our clientele.