Outward Bound NZ Instructor Application

Thank you for your interest in an Instructor position at the New Zealand Outward Bound School.

This page describes the role of an Instructor at Outward Bound New Zealand and lays out the skills and experience you need in order to secure a job with us.

The role of an Outward Bound Instructor:

Outward Bound New Zealand aims to inspire personal and social development through value-based experiential learning in an outdoor environment. Our Instructors are integral to the high quality of the courses that Outward Bound New Zealand delivers and the work of an Outward Bound instructor is both challenging and rewarding.

During an Outward Bound course, two Instructors work with each group of 14 students. The instructors stay with their group or ‘watch’ for the whole course, so we need to employ ‘generalist’ instructors who can lead groups white water kayaking, tramping, sailing, rock climbing, and in the high ropes course.

Instructors also need to have excellent people skills and must be able to both manage the safety of their students in challenging backcountry outdoor settings and facilitate learning and development by delivering the Outward Bound New Zealand Kaupapa.

Skills and experience:

This table outlines both the level of skills and experience you should have before coming on a staff selection course and the qualifications required before you start your contract. Items in italics are desirable, but not essential.

NB: All logged experience should be recorded from over the past 10 years

An important aspect of life at Outward Bound is the wider community. All Instructing staff live on-site and therefore must have the ability to work with and live alongside their colleagues, partners and families. The average age of Instructors is around 30 years old.

Up to 14 potential Instructors will be invited to attend a 5-day staff selection course. The staff selection course gives us a chance to get to know you and for you to get an accurate picture of life at Outward Bound. Staff selection courses are held annually. Successful applicants will be notified once applications have closed.

If you have good skills and experience in most of these areas, but not all, it is certainly worth applying. There is a time lag of between 2 and 6 months between the selection course and the start of a contract, so it is possible to boost a weaker area of skill during this time.

If you wish to proceed with your application, please:

complete the application form below
include your relevant experience/skills/qualifications
and attach your CV

If you are unsure whether your current level of skill and experience meets the requirement, please contact us for guidance.

Thank you again for your interest in working at Outward Bound.

Sharon Nicholas
Outward Bound NZ Training Manager

If further information is required please contact Kim Green via email anakiwa@outwardbound.co.nz or phone 03 520 8290.

For those applying from overseas please note:

All successful applicants will need to attend a selection course. Our selection courses are run several months (2 – 6 months) before we have positions available.

Instructors at Outward Bound New Zealand are contracted full time for a minimum of 3 years (including a training/induction period of 4 – 6 months).

The New Zealand Immigration Service imposes a work visa restriction of one year for non-New Zealand residents. For Outward Bound New Zealand to contract an overseas applicant for longer than 12 months we have to clearly substantiate that your skills and experience are not available in New Zealand. This is becoming increasingly difficult. Those considering working at Outward Bound New Zealand may want to consider applying for New Zealand residency and should apply for residency or a long term work permit (without assistance from OBNZ) before applying to work at Outward Bound New Zealand. For further information on work visa’s and residency conditions contact NZIS at www.immigration.govt.nz

Internships / Short-term positions:

Outward Bound offers internships each year with no fixed starting dates as it is dependent on the applicant however we intend to ensure that we can offer at least two places over summer. Please also use this form if you wish to apply for an internship position.

Please contact Rob de Leeuw for more information: rdeleeuw@outwardbound.co.nz

Fields marked with * are required.

Application Form

Full Name *

Date of Birth *

Place of Birth *

Gender *

My preferred pronouns are *

What words would you like us to use when not using your name, such as; he, she, they etc

Nationality/Residency Status *

Type of Work Visa (if applicable)

Contact Address *

Contact Phone Number *

Email Address *

Are you able to perform in a position which requires regular, vigorous physical activity? *

Yes

How did you hear about this position? *

Referees

Please give the name and contact details for three professional or personal referees who we are able to contact regarding your application.

Referee 1 Name *

Referee 1 Position/Role *

Referee 1 Address *

Referee 1 Phone Number *

Referee 1 Email Address *

Referee 2 Name *

Referee 2 Position/Role *

Referee 2 Address *

Referee 2 Phone Number *

Referee 2 Email Address *

Referee 3 Name *

Referee 3 Position/Role *

Referee 3 Address *

Referee 3 Phone Number *

Referee 3 Email Address *

All Instructors are required to live on-site at Anakiwa as part of their employment. To help us with our accommodation plan, please indicate which type of staff housing you would require:

Single

Partner/Spouse

Partner/Spouse and Children

What NZ driving licenses do you hold? *

Class 1 (Car)

Class 2 (Heavy Vehicle)

Passenger Endorsement

Please note the issue date for each of the driving licenses you hold: *

If you do not hold a NZ driving license, what do you hold?

What First Aid qualifications do you have? Please list current (in last 2 years) and previous (older than 2 years) *

Experience Summary

The purpose of this summary is for you to clearly outline your personal and professional experience, skills and qualifications relevant to working as an instructor at Outward Bound New Zealand.

Please do not feel unqualified if you do not have experience in all of the categories below.

Consider 2 hours = ½ day and 4+ hours = 1 full day.

TEACHING, INSTRUCTING AND LEADING EXPERIENCE

Please note your total number of days: 1) Teaching 2) Instructing 3) Leading: *

Please note your total number of days: 1) Teaching 2) Instructing 3) Leading in the LAST TWO YEARS: *

Briefly describe the most challenging or rewarding instructing or leading role you have had: *

FACILITATION EXPERIENCE

Total number of days facilitating: *

Number of days facilitating in the LAST TWO YEARS: *

Please briefly describe the most challenging or rewarding facilitation you have done: *

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

Total number of days of environmental education undertaken: *

Number of days of environmental education undertaken in the LAST TWO YEARS: *

Please briefly describe the most challenging or rewarding environmental education you have undertaken: *

OTHER RELEVANT EDUCATION / LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE:

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - BUSH

Total number of days bush experience (tramping/navigation) 1) Personal days on track 2) Off track 3) Instructing *

Number of days bush experience (tramping/navigation) 1) Personal days on track 2) Off track 3) Instructing in the LAST TWO YEARS *

Qualifications / Courses attended: *

Briefly outline the most interesting or rewarding bush trip you have undertaken (date, location, trip length): *

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - WHITE WATER KAYAKING

Total number of: 1) Personal days 2) Paddling Grade 3) Instructing Days

Number of: 1) Personal days 2) Paddling Grade 3) Instructing Days in the LAST TWO YEARS

Qualifications / Courses attended:

Briefly outline the most interesting or rewarding white water kayak trip you have undertaken (date, rivers kayaked, grade):

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - SAILING

Total number of: 1) Personal days 2) Instructing days

Number of: 1) Personal days 2) Instructing days in the LAST TWO YEARS

Qualifications / Courses attended:

Briefly outline the most interesting or rewarding sailing experience you have had (date, location, trip length, boat and crew details):

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - ROCK CLIMBING

Total number of: 1) Personal days 2) Climbing grade 3) Instructing days

Number of: 1) Personal days 2) Climbing grade 3) Instructing days in the LAST TWO YEARS

Qualifications / Courses attended:

Briefly outline the most interesting or rewarding rock climbing experience you have had (date, location, climbs and grades, personal or instructing):

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - GROUP MANAGEMENT

Total number of days spent managing groups of people in outdoor situations:

Number of days spent managing groups of people in outdoor situations in the LAST TWO YEARS:

Briefly outline your most challenging or rewarding experience of managing a group outdoors:

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE - BOAT DRIVING (LAUNCH / SMALL POWERED VESSELS)

Experience / Qualifications:

OTHER RELEVANT TECHNICAL / ACTIVITY EXPERIENCE:

Please describe other areas of outdoor activity experience and qualifications that show your experience as an outdoor practitioner (e.g. alpine, sea kayak, high ropes, waka ama, coasteering etc)

Upload your CV here

Declaration

I declare the above information to be correct and authorise Outward Bound New Zealand to contact my referees and/or request verifications from the people or institutions mentioned in my application. I also authorise Outward Bound to contact anyone else they deem relevant to this application. I understand that I must undergo a medical examination, drug test, and that Outward Bound will undertake a police record check prior to commencement of employment.

Declaration *

Please tick if you agree to the declaration above.