Grandfather Mountain is inviting folks to take their careers to new heights – literally.
The Linville, N.C.-based nonprofit nature park and preserve, owned and operated by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is hiring across its various departments for the 2024 season and beyond. Both seasonal and year-round positions are available, offering mountains of opportunities for job- and career-seekers.
The organization is kicking it all off with the Grandfather Mountain Job and Volunteer Fair on Thursday, Jan. 18 from 2-5 p.m. The event will take place in the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery’s Classroom in the Clouds. Nine departments from across the mountain will be represented. Attendees will be able to chat with staff members from each department, learn about Grandfather and the open positions on the mountain and enter to win door prizes.
New this year, the event will also provide the chance for those interested in being a volunteer to hear more about this program, for which the nature park is currently recruiting.
“We encourage folks who are in search of either a job or a volunteer opportunity in the area to join us on the mountain for our Job and Volunteer Fair,” said Tommy Oakley, vice president of operations for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “We have a lot of fun here, and we plan to make this a fun and informative event. The team looks forward to sharing more information about working at Grandfather and what types of opportunities are available at the park this year.”
It is an exciting time to join the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation team as the park continues to add learning spaces (like the new Williams Outdoor Learning Space that features an amphitheater with terraced seating and a pavilion!), programming and experiences for guests.
In June 2022, the park opened the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, a building with 10,000 square feet of education space, including state-of-the-art museum exhibits, three classrooms and an ADA-accessible auditorium, as well as enhanced food-service facilities to allow for catering and serving educational groups and expanded capacity for hosting conferences, seminars, receptions and community events.
The park is seeking staff to assist with its slate of expanded programming and experiences for guests, as well as the work it takes to operate the nature preserve on a daily basis. Grandfather Mountain is extending such opportunities for positions in many departments, most of them seasonal unless otherwise noted. Seasonal employment runs from roughly mid-February through mid-November (though this time frame will vary depending on the department), and applicants of all ages, including high school and college students, are welcome to apply.
Positions are currently available in the following departments:
- Education
- Entrance Gate
- Facilities
- Food and Beverage (Full-time)
- Habitats
- Maintenance (Full-time)
- Natural Resource Management
- Park Support/Operations
- Retail (Full-time)
“Grandfather is such a special place to work – not only because of its beautiful setting, but, more importantly, because of the people on this mountain,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “There are staff members who have been here for decades. This is indicative of the emphasis put on taking care of our employees and making the work we do both fun and meaningful, always aiming to have an impact.”
As a nonprofit, Grandfather Mountain strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of the mountain.
Aside from the powerful purpose of the organization and the park being one of the most scenic workplaces in the world, Grandfather Mountain has a mile-high list of employment perks: competitive pay; a friendly environment; free access to approximately 20 area attractions, including destinations in Western North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia; employee discounts; and more.
Those with an interest in learning more about job and volunteer opportunities at Grandfather Mountain for the 2024 season, as well as for year-round roles, are invited to attend the Jan. 18 Job and Volunteer Fair. The event will run from 2-5 p.m., with 1:45 p.m. being the earliest that attendees will be able to enter the park. No advance registration is required to attend the event. Casual or business casual attire is welcome, and bringing resume copies to share is encouraged.
To learn more and see the positions currently open, visit www.grandfather.com/jobs.
To learn more about the organization’s volunteer program, visit www.grandfather.com/volunteer.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
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