Create Your Experience of a Lifetime!
Come work and play in the mountains! Whether it’s your first-time seeing snow or you were born on the slopes, joining our team means discovering (or re-discovering!) a passion for the outdoors while building lifelong connections with teammates and guests from around the world.
With 40+ resorts across 3 continents, you can join our team for a season or stay to build a career. From day one, you'll receive some of the highest compensation rates in the industry, free pass(es) along with free ski and snowboard lessons, 40% retail discounts, the chance to grow through Epic Service - our leading training and development experience, and wellness benefits to fuel your success.
Hiring for our seasonal positions occurs on a rolling basis. Applications will be accepted until December 15th or until the positions are filled (whichever is first).
Employee Benefits
• Ski/Mountain Perks! Free passes for employees, employee discounted lift tickets for friends and family AND free ski lessons
• MORE employee discounts on lodging, food, gear, and mountain shuttles
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Excellent training and professional development
• Referral Program
To Learn More, please review the Benefits Eligibility Summary
Job Summary:
At Vail Resorts, our mission is to create the Experience of a Lifetime for our employees so they can, in turn, create the Experience of a Lifetime for our guests.
As a Ski Patrol Manager, you will work in coordination with the Patrol Senior Manager to lead a team of Ski Patrol Supervisors and oversee all departmental functions; including staffing, training, budgeting, snow safety, medical preparedness and response, lift evacuation, and interdepartmental and interagency collaboration. This position requires both strategic and tactical thinking, an enterprise mindset, and a deep commitment to fostering a culture of excellence.
The ideal candidate will exhibit strong leadership abilities and experience as well as experience in professional avalanche mitigation at a leadership level.
Success in this role is measured by your ability to lead effectively in a dynamic physical and mental environment. This includes emotional awareness, a high level of physical fitness, adaptability, accountability, and a continuous focus on customer service and the safety of our employees and guests
Job Specifications:
- Starting Wage: $85,000.00 - $92,000.00
- Employment Type: Winter Seasonal 2025/2026
- Shift Type: Full Time
- Minimum Age: At least 18 years of age
- Housing Availability: No
Job Responsibilities
- Staff Management
- Evaluate and facilitate employee development
- Develop leaders within the patrol to improve leadership within current roles and prepare them for growth.
- Manage employee performance in conjunction with providing employee guidance and support
- Conduct mid-season and end of season reviews with comprehensive documentation
- Oversee recruitment, hiring, training and subsequent qualification of ski patrol candidates
- Oversee and ensure that all patrollers maintain skills commensurate with their designation (Entry, Intermediate, Advanced, Specialist)
- Understand and manage within the framework of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
- Hold Supervisors accountable for managing to expectations set forth in the Employee Manual, Patrol Programs, and CBA
- Conduct routine inspections to ensure compliance with internal and external standards and protocols
- Oversee proper scheduling for the patrol
- Manage overtime appropriately to the needs of the business
- Operational Oversight
- Oversee daily operations, ensure tasks are completed efficiently, and implement strategies to achieve departmental goals
- Oversee avalanche mitigation efforts, rescue operations, and related training
- Oversee terrain opening and closing with a focus on safety and operational efficiency
- Oversee daily weather and avalanche hazard reporting and documentation program
- Monitor all aspects of departmental training
- Ensure adequate staffing, training and employment of Specialized Teams
- Accident Investigation
- Lift Evacuation
- Snow Safety
- Ensure planning, preparedness and oversight of low frequency, high consequence operations such as lift evacuation, out-of-bounds search and rescue (SAR), and Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI)
- Budget Management
- Monitor and manage the department's budget, ensuring expenses are within budgetary constraints
- Provide fiscal oversight of departmental budgets, including capital, labor, and supply expenditures
- Manage equipment inventories for all areas of patrol
- Continuous Improvement
- Identify areas for improvement and implement changes that make sense for the department and are aligned with both the resort and enterprise
- Actively engage with peers at other Vail Resorts and across the region
- Communication and Collaboration
- Ensure open and clear communication regarding operational goals, expectations, and updates with team members
- Collaborate and coordinate with other departments to support all mountain operations
- Compliance
- Ensure departmental adherence to all Company, local, state and federal regulations
- Licensing & Certifications
- Medical – CO OATH, NREMT, DEA
- Explosives – ATF, State & local ordinances
- Tramway, OSHA
- Colorado Ski Safety Act
- Guest Experience Satisfaction
- Remain focused on guest satisfaction and ensure that Ski Patrol provides a high level of customer service with all guest interactions
- Safety
- Lead and facilitate a culture of continuous risk assessment and re-assessment that promotes operational changes consistent with evolving conditions
- Empower all members of the team to use good judgment and make decisions regarding their personal safety, as well as that of other employees and guests
- Work with Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) to develop a reasonable and relevant Operational Safety Plan
- Union Relations
- Foster a positive relationship with the union
- Serve as a management representative in relevant contract negotiations
- Serve as a Patrol Director designee for grievance and safety meetings
- Problem-Solving
- Address and facilitate resolution of issues that arise within the department, both operational and interpersonal
- Maintain a positive relationship with and support resort leadership across all departments and disciplines
- Establish and maintain positive relationships with external agencies
- Medical Director and Emergency Urgent Care (Mtn Clinic) staff
- Gunnison County Sheriff
- Crested Butte Mountain Rescue
- Crested Butte Fire
- Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics
- Irwin Guides
- Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements:
- Alignment with Vail Resorts’ Mission and Values
- Professionalism
- Appearance, demeanor, and commitment
- Leadership
- Dependability, decisiveness, initiative, and enthusiasm
- Communication
- Clear articulation, active listening, and timely responses
- Organizational
- Time and resource management
- Problem-Solving
- Ability to recognize and anticipate changes to the operation (weather, high patient volume) and proactively allocate resources
- Practice Observe – Orient – Decide – Act (OODA Loop)
- Financial Management
- Overall awareness of costs to the business
- Mindfulness to avoid undue costs
- Understanding the relationship between cost and value
- Interpersonal
- Tactfulness, understanding, and empathy
- Technical
- Competency in all aspects of ski patrolling
- Proactively facilitate and influence a positive culture
- Proactively facilitate positive change and continuous improvement
- Purposefully drive positive employee engagement
- Ability to communicate with guests in a positive, professional and empathetic manner
- Willingness and availability to work flexible shifts, weekends and holidays as required
- Winter seasonal availability approximately September-April
- Certifications, Licenses, and Experience
- Current Colorado EMT (or higher level of medical certification with focus in emergency medicine or critical care) or ability to obtain within 1 year
- Hold a valid State Drivers License
- Hold a current Colorado Type 1 Explosives Permit or ability to obtain within 1 year
- Eligibility to be a “Responsible Person” with the ATF
- Professional Level 2 Avalanche School preferred
- Advanced snowmobile operator preferred
- 10+ Seasons avalanche mitigation experience preferred
- Maintain ability to perform all duties of an Advanced Ski Patroller
- Expert Alpine Skier
- Ability to lift and ski with a minimum of 50 lbs.
- Ability to stand, walk, sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl in all weather conditions in a high alpine environment
The expected pay range is $85,000.00 - $92,000.00. This is the pay range we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Individual compensation decisions are based on a variety of factors.
In completing this application, and when submitting related documentation, applicants may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, and/or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
We follow all federal, state, and local laws including restrictions on child/minor labor. Minors hired into this position will not be asked or permitted to engage in any activities restricted to adult workers.
Vail Resorts is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law.
Requisition ID 512622
Reference Date: 11/19/2025
Job Code Function: Ski Patrol
