Head of Community

Our Purpose

Welcome to Gearhouse! Started in September 2021, we’re on a mission to make life more interesting - together. Bringing people together through the outdoors and shared passions to make lasting, shared memories. We're a place that gives Seattlites reasons to leave work and get out of the house, to explore all there is to offer here without any barriers to knowledge, people, or gear in a one-stop shop. We're an urban trailhead for adventurous souls connecting people one another and to the life they want to lead.

We’re dedicated to making Seattle home for those that want to get after all that the PNW has to offer by offering opportunities to connect and learn. When combined with a welcoming and warm social space and unlimited access to gear, we're a powerful tool to helping people make the most of their time here. We break down the barriers to entry that intimidate new adventurers by encouraging peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and providing opportunities to find new adventure partners and try new activities. We aim to introduce and develop a love of the outdoors for those new to exploring while also providing opportunities and paths for those already dabbling to develop more skills and expand their limits.

Job Overview

Big Picture

As Head of Community, you are responsible for curating a custom member experience, developing an evolving and unique array of community and adventurous events and connecting with members to help them connect with each other. You are responsible for structuring and stewarding the overall experience of the being a member of the Gearhouse community. Through engaged membership and inspired offerings, you ensure a welcoming community for Gearhouse as a whole and deliver on Gearhouse’s potential to provide belonging and support in the outdoor community.

You’ll bring a high level of stoke for the outdoors and break down barriers to accessing it, while understanding the importance of building a sense of welcoming, belonging, and community for all.

The Day to Day

As Head of Community, you reliably plan and execute a full calendar of activities, both in our community space and in the field. You directly engage with members in and outside of Basecamp Cafe to better understand how to connect them together and to develop a range of events that may appeal to all Gearhouse members or may be tailored to experiences, activities, or social events giving members opportunities to get to know each other and to develop a sense of confidence in their outdoor pursuits while fostering opportunities for connection with other members. You’ll work with gear and cafe staff and our Head of Adventures to ensure a seamless experience for all visitors, guests, and members.

Responsibilities and Duties

Develop and execute an overall community strategy in collaboration with existing and potential members, teammates and the founder.
Develop seasonal and perennial programming and events.
Execute landmark events across the year.
Ideate and implement systems and infrastructure that improve the execution of events and experience of community members.
Identify new areas of opportunity for expanding and deepening membership engagement.
Host in-person events and spend time connecting with members and educating non-members in the cafe about Gearhouse.
Cultivate a welcoming and warm environment for all attendees across all experiences.
Collaborate with the other areas of Gearhouse (Cafe, Gear, Marketing) to create mutually beneficial events.

Qualifications

Location and Availability

Must be local to Seattle and able to run in person weeknight events at our Capitol Hill location and occasionally around the PNW and occasional weekend events in the field and at our Capitol Hill location regularly. Must be able to support a total 10 hours per week "social hours" in person at the cafe several days a week with other team members to interact with cafe visitors.

Education

No minimum education criteria.

Experience

Event creation, group experiences (through teaching, instructing etc.) or other event, community or people-facing experience.

Specific skills

Highly capable with computers and using various software programs for project management, internal communications

Personal characteristics

Passion for the outdoors and interest in varied outdoor activities.
Cultural sensitivity and love of other’s diverse backgrounds and experiences.
High level of flexibility and adaptability
High energy and enthusiasm for others
Self awareness of communication styles, personal areas of growth and work-related needs
Ability to advocate for ideas and express opinions

Physical Abilities

Able to handle outdoor gear, bending, reaching, lifting large items of varied shapes (such as kayaks, skiing equipment, folding tables etc.)

Preferred

Knowledge of the natural regions of the PNW.
Wilderness First Responder
Valid driver’s license and comfort driving vans with passengers
Able to participate in various outdoor activities

Compensation

Compensation commensurate with experience ranges from $35,000-$48,000/yr for a 75% full-time role ($47,000-$67,000/yr equivalent full-time salary). Opportunities for expansion of hours, responsibilities, and pay and bonuses based on performance.

Benefits:

Gearhouse sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance
Paid Time Off
Volunteer Time Off
Free instructional courses (WFR, AIARE, etc)
Gearhouse membership

As a Gearhouse employee, you will also have access to events and available inventory for your own adventures. Hate your pack and want to try a new one? Never tried an folding kayak before? Using our gear will help you provide a better customer experience, so we encourage you to take out our stuff!

Gearhouse believes in work/life harmony and taking care of its employees. Opportunities for advancement and benefits based on Gearhouse’s continued growth and success.

How to apply

Email your resume, and a couple of paragraphs on why you’re a good fit for the role to evan@joingearhouse.com, ryan@joingearhouse.com, and tonyc@joingearhouse.com.