Cultural Ambassador Safety Lead

Department: Indigenous Stewardship Programs
Location: Juneau
Exemption Status: Non-Exempt
Pay Grade(s): 7/8

Purpose: The Cultural Ambassador Safety Lead supports safe and respectful coexistence between humans and wildlife at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Working in close coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, Cultural Ambassadors, and site operations staff, the Safety Lead is responsible for proactive visitor education, real-time monitoring of bear activity, and response planning to minimize conflict while upholding Tlingit & Haida’s stewardship values and co-management responsibilities.

Essential Functions. An individual in this role must be able to perform the following functions with or without reasonable accommodation:
• Serve as the primary point of contact for bear activity and safety concerns during the summer season.
• Monitor and document bear sightings and behavior in visitor-heavy areas, including the Photo Point, Nugget Falls trail, and Steep Creek.
• Coordinate and communicate safety protocols with Forest Service staff, Tribal programs, cruise ship tour operators, and concessionaires.
• Develop and deliver public education around bear safety that incorporates both scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems.
• Lead or support incident response in the event of bear-human interactions, including trail closures, crowd control, or visitor redirection.
• Contribute to daily safety briefings and inter-agency coordination calls.
• Maintain and distribute signage, radios, and bear safety equipment as needed.
• Provide coaching or training to front-line staff (e.g. Cultural Ambassadors, maintenance crew) on bear-aware practices.
• Track and report on trends in bear activity, visitor compliance, and effectiveness of interventions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities. A comprehensive set of capabilities required to perform job tasks effectively:
• Experience working in outdoor education, wildlife safety, or public land management.
• Familiarity with bear behavior and/or wildlife safety protocols.
• Ability to remain calm and exercise sound judgment in high-stress situations.
• Strong communication skills, especially with large or diverse public audiences.
• Comfortable working in a cross-cultural, multi-agency environment.
• Knowledge of or connection to Southeast Alaska’s Indigenous communities and stewardship values is a strong plus.

Minimum Qualifications (education, experience, skills):
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous field experience working in bear country (e.g., hiking, surveying, guiding, or managing public land).
• Previous experience with public safety, environmental education, or wildlife conflict mitigation.
Preferred Qualifications (education, experience, skills):
• Two (2) years’ experience in safety and/or interpretive guide work.
• Education or experience with Tlingit and Haida community, culture, and language.
• Experience as a Naturalist or knowledge of the local area.
• Related experience within the tourism industry.
• Post-secondary education in a relevant field.
• One (1) year experience in supervision, work lead, shift lead, team lead, or program coordination.

Physical Requirements. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation:
• This position will require the selected employee to be in good physical condition and capable of hiking and walking trails in the MGVC area, including leading large groups on trails and boardwalks in various weather conditions.

Work Environment. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job:
• Some travel may be required on small aircraft or ferry.
• Certain positions at Tlingit and Haida may have exposure to certain hazardous materials or conditions. The supervisor will review these if applicable.