LINVILLE, N.C. — 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 2023 season and beyond, offering mountains of opportunities for job- and career-seekers.
The organization is kicking it all off with a job fair on the mountain on Feb. 15 from 2-5 p.m. The event will take place at Mildred’s Grill, the nature park’s restaurant located in the new Wilson Center for Nature Discovery. Nine departments from across the mountain will be represented at the job fair. 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.
“We welcome all folks who are looking for a job in the area and are curious about what it means to work at Grandfather Mountain to attend the Feb. 15 job fair,” said Tommy Oakley, operations manager for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “This is a fun place to work, and we are planning a fun event. We look forward to meeting everyone and sharing all the employment opportunities the organization is offering this year.”
It is an exciting time to join the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation team as the park continues to add learning spaces, 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.
Guests will enjoy the park’s new Williams Outdoor Learning Space, including an amphitheater with terraced seating and a pavilion, when it opens this spring.
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 typically runs from March or April through October or early November, 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
- Habitats
- Maintenance (Full-time)
- Natural Resource Management
- Park Support/Operations
- Retail
“Grandfather Mountain is unlike any other place I’ve worked,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “What’s fun is when you look around, you see co-workers who’ve been here for decades. It’s apparent that this is a place that takes very good care of its employees, and it makes work fun — and meaningful. Being an employee at Grandfather Mountain, you really feel like you’re striving to achieve a mission.”
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, family 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 opportunities at Grandfather Mountain for the 2023 season are invited to attend the Feb. 15 job 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. Light refreshments will be provided.
To learn more and see the positions currently open, visit www.grandfather.com/jobs.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.