National Safety Committee – External Member (Volunteer)

Outward Bound Canada is committed to inclusion and strives to have broad representation that reflects the diversity of Canada. We encourage applications from candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Colour or People of the Global Majority, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and all other equity-deserving groups.

WHO WE ARE

Outward Bound Canada (OBC) is a charity that equips youth for the future through adventures in nature. These experiences develop resilience, social and emotional intelligence, and environmental leadership to prepare youth with skills to contribute to a better, more compassionate, and resilient society. Read about the impact of our work and our statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.The Training Academy for Outdoor Professionals is an OBC initiative to address challenges within the outdoor sector related to high unemployment by providing training for aspiring outdoor instructors. Equally importantly, it addresses barriers to access for marginalised populations to ensure Canada’s next generation of outdoor sector employees reflect Canada’s diversity.

The role

Field Risk Management is an integral part of the training and experiential process of Outward Bound. It is woven into all Outward Bound programs and exemplified by the words and actions of each instructor. Risk Management involves not only overt precautions to prevent incidents, but also a “what if” attitude toward every experience, balanced with the instructor’s active judgment of a students abilities as to their personal comfort and aptitude with the activity.

The National Safety Committee (NSC) is an internal operational advisory committee comprising internal staff and industry expert volunteers.

Outward Bound’s National Safety Committee is composed of a Chairperson, OBC’s National Safety Officer (NSO), Regional Safety Officers (RSOs), Head of Program, Executive Director (ED), and 4-7 External Members deemed appropriate and suitable by the ED, NSO and Chair of the NSC.

The prime responsibility of an External Member of the National Safety Committee (NSC) is to provide support and advice for operational risk management in order to support the staff of Outward Bound Canada in consistently adhering to OBC’s Risk Management Objectives. External Members usually represent an area of expertise that is not already represented within Outward Bound Canada.

WHAT WE OFFER

Location: Remote
Salary: Volunteer, 2hrs/month
Term: 3-year contract term
Supervisor: Chairman of the NSC
Application Deadline: Until position is filled; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
Anticipated Start Date: March 2024

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Provide support and comment to OBC’s Safety Officers on an advisory basis on all matters related to the management and mitigation of field operational risk at OBC.
  • Review and approve all new safety policies.
  • Contribute to the investigation of all safety matters referred to the NSC and report any findings to the Executive Director and Chair of the Risk Oversight Committee, with recommendations as appropriate.
  • Review and approve all New Program Plans (NPPs), confirming that they conform to OBC’s Risk Management Policy and that associated risks related to student well-being are carefully considered.
  • Review and endorse the Annual Regional Risk Management Reports and Annual Risk Management Report.
  • Confirm that OBC’s Regional Program & Safety Reviews are carried out as required by OBC’s Risk Management Policy.

 

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

  • A broad range of experience working with youth groups, guiding backcountry trips, adaptive recreation programming, or experiential education.
  • A comprehensive understanding of risk management principles within the outdoor industry.
  • Demonstrates a high level of educational skill and expertise in one of the following areas:
    -Wilderness Medicine
    -Legal Liability in the Outdoor Sector
    -Risk Management Field Practices
    -Psychology and Mental Health
    -Diversity and Inclusion

 

ADDITIONAL ASSETS

  • Demonstrated experience contributing to an inclusive and equitable working and learning environment.
  • Deep understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion principles, especially within the outdoor sector and a demonstrated personal commitment to dismantling systems of oppression and colonialism.
  • A strong understanding of decolonization practices in the outdoor sector, specifically within outdoor educational programs.
  • Demonstrated experience in the development and implementation of programs that serve the needs of a diverse range of participants.

 

Outward Bound Canada strives to have a broad representation that is reflective of the diversity of Canada and values the diversity of people and communities and is committed to inclusion in our organization. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people who will increase representation and invite applicants to outline their unique perspectives in their application.

WORKING CONDITIONS

External Members are expected to attend monthly NSC meetings and review OBC materials such as Incident Reports, New Program Plans or policy drafts in between monthly meetings. Average time commitment is no more than 2 hours each month.

If interested in this position, please send your resume and cover letter to Emily Boyes emily_boyes@outwardbound.ca