Trail Operations Manager

Role Summary:

The Trail Operations Manager is a leadership role responsible for overseeing the company’s walking tour operations at the Herring Cove site, ensuring smooth daily tour flow, exceptional guest experiences, and effective coordination of guides and resources. This role follows a seasonal schedule, with increased hours during the tourism season and reduced hours during the winter season. This position provides strategic direction that strengthens tour quality, operational excellence, and alignment with the company’s Vision, Mission, and Values. The Trail Operations Manager works closely with tour guides, site leadership, and internal and external teams to maintain alignment with company goals and values.

Key Outcomes:

• Leads the planning, scheduling, and day to day execution of walking tours, ensuring operational efficiency and an outstanding experience for every guest.
• Provide strong leadership to guides and supervisors, fostering a collaborative, growth oriented culture. Manage scheduling, mentor staff, and cultivate high morale through consistent communication and support. Address employee concerns and work toward timely, fair resolution of incidents and complaints.
• Handles housing issues as they arise to ensure a safe, fair, and well‑maintained living environment for all seasonal staff.
• Step in to support daily site operations as needed, including responding to radio calls, assigning work projects, completing incident reports and withdrawal documentation, and coordinating complex schedules for both walking tour and the zipline operations teams.
• Maintain a working understanding of zipline operations to ensure daily course inspections, safety protocols, and operational standards are consistently upheld, if needed.
• Manage cruise line communication and Weekly Shorex Sales Reports daily to ensure accurate tour allocations. Execute strategic resource planning that aligns staffing availability with demand, maximizing revenue opportunities and supporting overall growth targets.
• Collaborate with co-managers in ongoing strategic planning sessions focused on proactive forecasting and operational readiness. Assess future revenue goals, evaluate staffing requirements, and ensure alignment with Kawanti Adventures’ long term growth objectives.
• Work closely with internal and external teams including Zipline, Retail, Food & Beverage, and Karts Managers as well as the Sales & Services, Transportation, Marketing, and Grounds & Facilities teams to deliver a cohesive, high quality guest experience.
• Strengthen partnerships with external vendors, such as Shore Excursion teams, to streamline communication and enhance operational efficiency.
• Recruit, interview, and hire all Trail Guides and Trail Operations Supervisors.
• Design, refine, and maintain training programs that support guide development, operational consistency, and exceptional guest engagement.
• Lead training initiatives, ensuring all educational materials remain accurate, accessible, and up to date through Trainual and other learning systems.
• Maintain organized and accessible records, including incident reports, guest waivers, and employee documentation, ensuring compliance and operational efficiency.
• Document and standardize operating procedures to support continuity during leadership transitions, staffing shortages, and other operational challenges. Ensure processes are clear, consistent, and adaptable to changing business needs.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• Take on additional responsibilities to support the success of the organization and uphold company values and strategic goals.

Core Competencies:

• Directs daily planning, scheduling, and execution of walking tours while ensuring efficiency, safety, and exceptional guest experiences.
• Leads guides and supervisors, mentors staff, builds morale, resolves concerns, and fosters a collaborative, growth oriented team environment.
• Manages cruise line communication, Shorex reports, and staffing alignment to meet demand, maximize revenue, and support long term organizational goals.
• Works closely with internal teams and external vendors to streamline communication and strengthen relationships.
• Designs training programs, leads learning initiatives, maintains accurate materials, and documents SOPs to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational continuity.

Success in This Role Looks Like:

• Walking tours run smoothly, schedules stay on track, and guests consistently receive a safe, organized, and memorable experience.
• Guides and supervisors feel well led, communication is clear, morale is strong, and staffing concerns or incidents are resolved promptly and professionally.
• Training programs, SOPs, and safety protocols remain accurate, accessible, and consistently followed, ensuring continuity and reliability across all operations.
• Demonstrates alignment with company values through leadership behaviors and decision making.
• 100% compliance with internal safety policies and DOT regulations.

Requisite Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Effectively interact, lead, and communicate with peers, managers, and other Department employees.
• Independently manage work, planning and scheduling to meet all deadlines and expectations.
• Skilled problem solving, ability to identify solutions, and execute standard relevant processes.
• Currently obtains, or are willing to obtain, First Aid and CPR certification.
• Work effectively in a team environment, collaborating across work segments and departments with diverse personalities and requirements.
• Reliable and timely attendance, flexibility to work early mornings and evenings, holidays, or weekend days, when workloads require.
• Recognize opportunities to contribute and collaborate with other areas and departments when individual workloads are light.
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, product, service, or area of customer service specialization.
• Exceptional customer service, verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and systems such as CoolWorks, FareHarbor and Clover.
• Conduct oneself with the highest level of integrity and confidentiality.

Physical Demands and Requirements:

• Mobility throughout the site.
• 50–60 hours per week during the tourism season (April–September) and a minimum of 20 hours per week during the winter off season (October-March).
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds intermittently.
• Ability to manage stress and simultaneous demands.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors with exposure to noise, heat, and cold.
• Ability to work at a fast pace with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to interact professionally with the public, maintaining appropriate appearance and attire.

ADA: The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Experience/Education Requirements:

• No felony convictions or criminal convictions that would interfere with job responsibilities.
• Minimum 18 years old.

Disclaimer:

The knowledge, skills and abilities listed above are typically acquired through the levels of education and experience listed. However, any equivalent combination of education and/or experience, which provide an applicant with the listed knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of the job, is acceptable.

This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time as needed.

This job description is not an employment agreement or contract and subject to change without notice.