Employment



Thank you for your interest in working with Odyssey Expeditions

As a leader in the field of international adventure travel programs for teenagers, we attribute our continuing success to the quality of our staff and the strong relationships we build in pursuit of our mission. Below you will find more information about us and how you can begin your path towards an exciting and rewarding summer experience.

Company Overview

23 years of experience in the field of experiential education. Odyssey Expeditions offers international sailing, scuba and leadership training programs for teenagers and our mission is to provide incredible adventures that promote social, emotional and intellectual growth.

Over the years, we have taught thousands of teens to sail and scuba dive. All of our programs involve a combination of these sports along with water-sports, marine biology and ecology. These are the hard skills. More important are the soft skills that our students learn in the process of living and working together in small teams aboard a sailing vessel: Communication and leadership skills, personal effectiveness and integrity. Our philosophy is to educate, instruct and facilitate the development of both the hard and the soft skills, thereby arming our students with a new set of tools for the future.

Employment Information

Odyssey Expeditions is proud to attract and recruit the best in our field. Our summer staff consists of avid world travelers, highly qualified professionals, and fun and experienced facilitators and educators. All members of our team are dynamic, multi-talented and passionate individuals with an unending devotion and commitment to the safety and experience of our students.

The average age of our summer staff is 26. Almost all are 21 years or older. Most of our staff are U.S. citizens, though a wide range of nationalities are represented every year. We accept applications on a year round basis but begin our summer hiring process between January and March. Contracts vary in length from 7 to 11 weeks depending on the location(s) assigned. We seek summer staff for the following positions:

Job Description:

The role of an Odyssey Skipper goes far beyond that of simply piloting the vessel. Our skippers are primarily responsible for the safety of the students and work closely with the other staff aboard to oversee everything from cooking and cleaning to scheduling and support during the team building and leadership training. Our staff live aboard the vessels full time and so must be used to living and working in a close quarters type of 'expeditionary' environment. The words 'But I'm the skipper' do not apply at Odyssey, where roles are diverse. One minute you could be running the ski boat, the next teaching knots and splices. The position is not only fun and high paced but also carries an enormous amount of responsibility.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • USCG Captains License or equivalent, such as RYA Yachtmaster
  • Considerable documented experience skippering a vessel of 45-ft
  • Capable of teaching to the standards of the US Sailing and ASA (instructor certification a bonus but not required)
  • Be familiar with yacht systems and basic maintenance on diesel engines and electronics.
  • Experience working with teenagers.
  • Be confident in their own boat handling and instructional abilities that they can let the students take the helm and learn by doing.

Job Description:

Odyssey Expeditions is a PADI 5 Star Facility. We offer certification courses to our students which run from the Open Water Diver Course through Divemaster and include a number of different specialties. The level of experience that an instructor has will determine which Odyssey Expeditions program they are likely to instruct. Our dive instructors live aboard the yachts full-time and will aid the skipper with all aspects of running the vessel and the program. This includes helping with the cooking, cleaning and sailing as well as the team building and leadership training. When the sails go up, the instructors do not go down! A lot of our instructors comment at the end of the program that actual dive instructing was a minor part of their job description!

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Hold a minimum of the PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Certification
  • Active teaching status
  • Reasonable knowledge of equipment maintenance
  • Experience in dinghy operation
  • Experience working with teenagers
  • Be fit and healthy with a love of teaching

Additional helpful qualifications:

  • Some marine science background
  • MSDT status, or specialty instructor
  • Wreck
  • Night
  • Underwater photography
  • Naturalist
  • Navigation
  • Search & Recovery
  • Boat
  • Over 25 Certifications

Job Description:

Marine biology and ecology are part of all Odyssey Expeditions voyages. This course is very practical in nature and includes oceanographical, marine biological and geological elements. Our marine biologists live aboard the vessels and interact with the students on a full time basis. The position includes helping with all aspects of the program from sailing, cooking and cleaning, to filling tanks, running shore excursions in the dinghy and aiding in the facilitation of the team building and leadership training aspects of the program. Our marine science program includes PADI specialty courses, so we look to fill our positions with PADI instructors first and then PADI Divemasters if additional help is needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Hold a minimum of a Bachelors degree in marine biology or an associated subject
  • Be a PADI Instructor or PADI Divemaster
  • Feel comfortable preparing and presenting material to the group
  • Have a love for teaching and be able to bring the subject alive
  • Experience working with teenagers
  • Be fit and healthy

Compensation and Benefits

Odyssey offers compensation packages competitive within our field. Compensation is dependent on many factors including staff qualifications, experience, position and responsibilities, program location and duration. Compensation packages include round trip air tickets for US staff from a major airport to the program's starting/ending point (we offer a flight cost stipend to those joining us from other countries), staff apparel, room, board, and a temporary medical insurance plan. Most staff are afforded the opportunity to join us for multiple summers. Please contact our office at [email protected] if you have specific questions regarding compensation and benefits.

Staff Expectations

Our professional staff need to be the embodiment of the Odyssey Expeditions mission, philosophy, policies and procedures. We place high expectations on our summer staff, thus applicants should consider all of the following before applying.

  • Our staff must be enthusiastic and young enough at heart - as well as physically, mentally and in all ways able - to work with teenagers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in an environment that is highly active and adventurous, is physically and mentally demanding and lacks personal privacy, space and time off.
  • Safety comes first in everything we do at Odyssey. Staff are expected to create a safe, fun and educational environment for our students, as well as be a positive role model.
  • As international travel, living aboard sailing vessels and work with teenagers is in many ways unpredictable, staff need to be able to think on their feet and be flexible enough to handle change and associated challenges.
  • Although English does not need to be a first language, staff are expected to be fluent.
  • Staff need to maintain professional conduct and present a professional appearance at all times.
  • Most of our summer programs start in the first week of June and run through until the third week of August. Most staff would be required full-time during this period. Prior to the arrival of our students, all staff are required to join us for Staff Training which typically runs June 8 - June 15 in the British Virgin Islands.
  • All staff are required to be trained in First Aid and CPR. Special consideration is given to applicants with advanced medical training such as Wilderness First Responder or EMT.
  • We are a strict tobacco, alcohol and drug-free program for our students. As our staff are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are models of the behavior we expect from our students, our staff must be able to maintain tobacco, alcohol and drug-free behavior. All staff agree to random drug testing in the workplace.
  • Employment is conditional upon successful completion of Odyssey Expeditions Staff Training, a passing background check and an acceptable medical history form and/or examination by a licensed physician.

How to Apply

If you think you have what it takes, not just the right qualifications but also the right outlook, motivation and commitment to our programs, we'd love to hear from you! To apply, Send full Resume including references and photo to: [email protected] If you have any questions before application, please e-mail us at [email protected].

Please note that our employment process is highly competitive. Upon receipt of an Application for Employment, Odyssey Expeditions is only able to contact potential candidates for interviews but you should feel free to follow up with us by phone or email.

Employment


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