About this role
JOB DESCRIPTION: BACKCOUNTRY RENTAL TECHNICIAN
POSITION TITLE: Backcountry Rental Gear Technician
REPORTS TO: Evergreen Backcountry Guides Operations Manager
DEPARTMENT: Evergreen Backcountry Guides (EBG)
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Rental Gear Technician is a multi-faceted position, dealing with backcountry equipment and will also include organization, maintenance, repair, and storage of all backcountry gear equipment. This position will be very hands-on, working with touring skis, split-boards, ski bindings, snowboard bindings, snowshoes, skins, and backcountry touring equipment. Strong customer service skills and solid working knowledge of backcountry equipment is necessary for this position. This position will work within the framework of our backcountry tour operations at Evergreen Backcountry Guides (EBG).
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide guests with friendly and knowledgeable service and advice for renting and using EBG backcountry touring equipment.
• Organize and maintain the fleet of skis, split boards, and equipment. Setting up ski and split-board bindings.
• Assist guides with pre-tour meetings and rental gear hiring.
• Assist guides with end of tour rental returns and re-sets.
• Preparing company vehicles in the morning.
• Maintaining a safe work and office space.
• Tracking usage and assisting with ordering new gear.
• Ensure that your personal schedule and availability is accurate; communicate absences and lateness as soon. as possible.
KEY SKILLS:
Friendly personality and enthusiasm for customer service.
• Extensive backcountry gear/equipment knowledge.
• Experience in rental or ski shop/ retail.
• Abilities to repair, maintain and organize equipment.
• Good organizational skills and effective communication skills.
KEY ATTRIBUTES:
• Be able to anticipate guests’ rental needs and offer appropriate service and equipment.
• Dedicated focus towards guests’ comfort, safety, and satisfaction.
• Working knowledge of backcountry touring equipment.
• The ability to adjust and change to both environmental and human factors.
• Be able to organize and be assertive regarding rental needs and equipment usage.
• Punctuality and dependability are essential.
• International Driver’s License or Japanese Driver’s License.
ADDITIONAL KEY DUTIES
• Rental gear technicians will also clean off snow and ice from company vehicles, prepare and drive company vehicles to and from staff parking lots to our base of operations. Staff will be expected to follow Japan road and driving laws, drive defensively, change tires (if flat tires w/ spare), and park company vehicles in appropriate areas.
• Rental gear technicians will be expected to be at our “Pre-Tour Meetings” with our guests to distribute and set up rental equipment/gear and attend to any question’s guests may have about the gear.
• Rental gear technicians should have a friendly personality and show enthusiasm for their job and understand the rental gear they set up.
• Rental gear technicians will be expected quickly establish professional rapport with the guests work with the guest to choose and set up appropriate backcountry equipment.
• Rental gear technicians should also possess solid organizational skills and have effective communication skills.
• Guides will be expected to participate in company required in-house training.
JOB DUTIES MAY ALSO INCLUDE:
Snow clearing from roof and or front and back door areas, tidying up front and back of office space, replacing and or fixing and purchasing rental gear and equipment, assisting with staff accommodation and personal room clean-up /maintenance, picking up and dropping off guests at locations within Hakuba/Nagano, replying to emails or providing information to our admin staff regarding guest’s situations or guests’ conditions/sentiment/feelings/feedback.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES:
Due to the many variables that affect business operations, occasionally, employees may be asked to perform other duties or assist in efforts outside their primary area of responsibility, when admin staff deems it necessary. This may include performing in any subordinate position.
SUPERVISORY DUTIES:
If the Rental Gear Technician is highly experienced and highly trained, they may be requested to do; rental set up training, driving, and parking training, snow clearing training, maintenance, and repair training.
GENERAL DUTIES:
Prepare rental gear for guests for all their tours. Dry, hang, reset, replace, fix, or replace damaged gear. Organize rental fleet, keep a log of gear and gear condition.
DAILY:
• Prepare, clean off, warm up and drive company vehicles to the base of operations, clean front of the house of snow or ice (entrance/roof), prepare rental gear, assist guides with getting guests set with their rental gear.
• Do any last-minute settings/adjustments prior to groups departing.
• End of day: Receive, check off on the rental sheet and dry/return reset rental gear; return company vehicles to the parking lot.
WEEKLY:
• Monitor rental gear for maintenance, repair or retiring. Follow staff housing/accommodation cleaning rosters and attend meetings for guides/staff housing.
MONTHLY:
• Attend company meetings.
SEASONAL:
• Attend company pre-season or mid-season trainings, end-of season wrap ups. Receive and return any EBG ID cards, Season’s passes, radios, cell phone & chargers, maps, EBG uniforms.
PREREQUISITES:
• Ability to work legally in Japan: Work visa or Working Holiday Visa for Japan.
• Japanese Driver’s License or International Driver’s License.
• Thorough knowledge of touring skis/split-boards and ski/board bindings.
• Thorough knowledge of adjusting bindings and DIN settings.
• Thorough knowledge of beacons/probes/shovels/skins/ski poles.
FAVORABLE QUALIFICATIONS/ASSETS (not pre-requisites but valuable assets/experience):
• Binding Technician Certification.
• Customer Service experience.
• Ski Rental shop experience.
• Ski and snowboard tuning experience.
• Backcountry touring experience (ski or splitboard).
POSITION COMPETENCIES
The following competencies may be demonstrated in this position, among others:
• Analytical - Synthesizing diverse information, using intuition and experience to complement data. Demonstrating attention to detail.
• Problem Solving - Identifying and resolving problems in a timely manner. Gathering and analyzing information skillfully. Using reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Customer Service - Managing difficult or emotional customer situations. Responding promptly to customer needs. Responding to requests for service and assistance.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focusing on solving conflict, not blaming. Maintaining confidentiality Listening to others without interrupting. Keeping emotions under control.
• Oral Communication - Speaking clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations Listening and getting clarification. Responding well to questions. Demonstrating group presentation skills. Participating in meetings.
• Organizational Support - Following policies and procedures. Supporting Evergreen goals and values.
• Judgement - Exhibiting sound and accurate judgment.
• Planning/ Organizing - Prioritizing and planning work activities. Using time efficiently
• Professionalism - Approaching others in a tactful manner. Reacting well under pressure Treating others with respect and consideration, regardless of their status or position. Accepting responsibility for own actions.
• Quality/ Quantity - Demonstrating accuracy and thoroughness. Monitoring own work to ensure quality. Completing work in a timely manner.
• Safety and Security - Observing safety and security procedures. Determining appropriate action beyond guidelines. Reporting potentially unsafe conditions. Using equipment and materials properly.
• Adaptability - Adapting to changes in the work environment. Ability to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Dependability - Is consistently at work and on time. Following instructions, responding to management direction. Taking responsibility for own actions. Committing to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals. Attending required staff meetings.
• Initiative - Volunteering readily; asking for and offers help when needed.
Additional tasks not enumerated in this job description may be assigned. Reasonable requests by Management are considered valid job assignments.