Director of Operation

Organization: Idaho BaseCamp (IBC)

Location: Ketchum, ID

Reports to: Executive Director

Position Overview

The Director of Operations (DOO) is a newly created position that is responsible for the systematic health and daily execution of Idaho BaseCamp’s mission The DOO reports to the Executive Director and the Chairman of the IBC Board and oversees a staff that fluctuates between 10 and 50 seasonal and full time employees. The DOO works in partnership with the CFO who together with the ED form the executive leadership of Idaho BaseCamp.

This role serves as the critical link between high-level strategy and operational reality, ensuring that facilities, program logistics, and administrative systems are professional, automated, and scalable. The DOO owns organizational systems and accountability, translating strategic goals into clear plans, internal execution, and rigorous follow-through.

A primary focus for this role is leading a "system revamp" to modernize IBC’s operations—transitioning manual processes into streamlined digital workflows. The DOO manages all aspects of day-to-day operations, including facilities, human resources, risk management, and resource allocation, while working directly with internal leaders to drive efficiency and mission alignment.

The Partnership: ED vs. DOO

• The Executive Director (ED): Focuses on the "Vision and External Growth"—overall fundraising, board relations, partner organizations, and community advocacy.
• The Director of Operations (DOO): Focuses on the "Internal Engine"—operational decision-making, staff oversight, infrastructure, and ensuring the organization’s internal health matches its external vision.

Key Responsibilities

1. People Management
2. Team Structure: Recommend the organizational structure, reporting lines, job descriptions and salary bands of the operations team and seasonal workers. Establish clear roles and responsibilities to foster a positive, professional work culture and eliminate organizational ambiguity. Identify staff development opportunities and succession plans as appropriate.
3. Program Execution: Supervise the Program/MAT Directors who deliver all IBC programs including OHL, Explorers, Sprouts, 5th Grade and MAT, as well as the maintenance and support staff.
4. Recruitment & Hiring: Oversee hiring processes, onboarding, personnel documentation, benefits, and termination processes in coordination with the Executive Director and Program Managers.
5. Performance Management: Create and implement systems to set expectations, agree annual Key Performance Indicators, evaluate performance with survey (2x annually for full time staff), facilitate annual appraisals, and make year-end bonus recommendations for mid-level, junior and seasonal staff.
6. Operational Management
7. Safety & Risk Management: Develop, own, and enforce a formal risk management framework across all facilities and outdoor programming. This includes maintaining a comprehensive risk matrix, incident tracking systems, emergency protocols, escalation standards, and conducting regular reviews to proactively mitigate operational and safety risks.
8. Operational Strategy: Develop and implement plans that ensure Program Managers and Maintenance Managers have the necessary resources to succeed, including access to equipment, transportation, credit cards, training, delegated authorities, and escalation mechanisms.
9. Policies: Together with the ED, CFO, and Board, as appropriate, gradually develop and establish operating policies that allow the organization to scale with consistent program quality, reliability, safety, and financial health. Continuously improve internal systems and processes to support long-term sustainability.
10. Administrative Automation: Modernize student and teacher workflows by transitioning teacher packets, permission slips, and enrollment documents to fully online, automated systems. Seek out vendors and service models that support cost efficient, digital, resilient, automated (as appropriate) program management.
11. Digital Presence & Marketing: Oversee the IBC website, including enrollment, client service portals. Work with the ED service providers to implement an annual marketing and communication plan
12. Permitting & Compliance: Manage granular "permit oversight" and required end-of-year reporting for federal and local agencies, including the USFS, BLM, and SNRA.
13. Vendor Relations: Manage all third-party service providers and contractors to ensure quality and fiscal accountability.
14. Sustainability: Lead initiatives to integrate environmentally sustainable practices into daily operations, including waste reduction and energy conservation.
15. Property Management
16. Real Estate Assets: Ensure that IBC’s 4 properties (Owned: Big Lost Campus & Hailey Buttercup Housing, Leased: Bellevue Roots and Ketchum HQ Office) are properly insured, serviced, maintained, and managed to support their dominant functions.
17. BLC: Safe year-round residential out-door education programs
18. HBH: Safe year-round affordable staff housing
19. Roots: Safe year-round outdoor education programs
20. Ketchum HQ: Program administration, fundraising and governance
21. Big Lost Campus: Lead the operational "system revamp" for third party rentals. Manage inquiries, booking logistics, contracts, and coordinate cleaning schedules to ensure a professional guest experience.
22. Buttercup Staff Housing: Seek consistent full utilization of this property, including lease execution, policies, maintenance and resident transitions.
23. Fleet Management: Provide executive oversight of the IBC vehicle fleet (vans), including usage policies, maintenance, insurance, third party rentals, and availability.
24. Outdoor Gear: Develop systems that allow program managers to reliably select, use, return program gear such as tents, packs and bikes. Implement tracking systems for maintenance and inventory to ensure resource longevity.
25. Maintenance Staff: As the primary supervisor for dedicated maintenance staff, ensure that they have systems, resources, delegations, 24/7 coverage and other tools to deliver full functionality of all buildings, grounds, and equipment.
26. Financial Management
27. Budget Management: Work with the Executive Director and CFO team to develop and manage the annual operations budget, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation.
28. Development Activities: From time to time, provide additional oversight for the development and fundraising activities of IBC, which are the primary responsibility of the Executive Director.
29. Financial Administration: In collaboration with the CFO, manage IBC’s financial administration and accounting professional(s) to ensure prudent expenditures, reliable financial reporting, payroll, and other program related services.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in operations management, ideally within nonprofit or outdoor education sectors, including people management.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Nonprofit Management, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Systems Thinker: Proven ability to build or "revamp" administrative systems using digital tools and software.
• Leadership: Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of supervising diverse teams and managing complex facility logistics.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with risk management and federal land permitting (USFS/BLM) is highly preferred.
• Passion: Passion for the outdoors and for the mission of the organization.

Compensation & Application

• Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience.
• Benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO) and mission-driven work environment.
• To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to Mathew@idahobasecamp.org with “Director of Operations” in the subject line.

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