Adult Program Front Desk

Reports To: Adult Program Manager(s)

Status: Part-Time Seasonal

Description Last Updated: 2/15/2024

Courageous Sailing

Courageous Sailing is a nonprofit community sailing and youth development organization committed to providing people of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to learn, sail, and enjoy the waterfront. We work at two locations in Boston: the Charlestown Navy Yard on Boston Harbor, and the Historic Jamaica Pond boathouse in Jamaica Plain. Our mission is to transform lives through sailing programs that inspire learning, personal growth, and leadership. 

Why Courageous? 

Working at Courageous is an opportunity to join a close-knit and diverse community committed to fostering a positive educational environment for staff and participants on and off the water.

Courageous Staff receive paid training and professional development as well as recreational access to our fleet of boats which range from dinghies to mid-size keelboats and cruising boats. 

By joining our team you will make a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of our participants and will be a critical part of fulfilling our mission to get people from all walks of life out on the water. 

Dates/Time: This is a part time seasonal position, with the potential for weekday, evening, and weekend hours. Typical weekday hours are 11am-8pm and weekend hours are 9:30am-8pm, with predictable adjustments for daylight and events.

Position Overview

During the May 1st to October 31st sailing season, Courageous operates a weeknights-and-weekends Adult Sailing Program.  Our Front Desk is the first stop on-site for all who come to use our facilities, the contact point for customers trying to book lessons, and an integral part of our day-to-day operations. 

Responsibilities

Participate in and contribute to a safe, engaging, and respectful work environment by:

• General:
  • Monitor and manage daily bookings, phone calls, emails, and other customer service platforms
  • Monitor the weather, members’ destinations and locations, boathouse needs, etc.
  • Engage with the public and Courageous members and students
  • Communicate with other Courageous staff in order to keep track of members and boats, instructors’ schedules, and boathouse events
  • Manage organization of physical front desk space, as well as associated digital/informational spaces
  • Maintain attentiveness on multiple platforms, especially during times of incoming weather or emergency
  • Maintain the resources and tools of Courageous in coordination with other staff
  • Be proactive
  • Provide clear, effective, and timely communication with leadership staff
  • Leave Courageous better than you found it

• Safety:
  • Responsibly manage risk so that students, members, and patrons feel comfortable stepping outside of their comfort zones, asking questions, and engaging with the facility on various levels. 
  • Complying with and encouraging students and members to learn Courageous’ set of sailing safety standards and reiterate their importance whenever possible. 
  • Attend all days of staff training and staff meetings and/or complete online training. (Job training days are position dependent and vary from position to position.)
  • Exercise sound judgment and decision-making. Assess and mitigate foreseeable hazards
  • Remain up to date on what roles and responsibilities you may take on in the event of an emergency and review the EAP with a direct supervisor. 

• Respectability:
  • Maintain the Courageous fleet and facilities by completing everyday tasks as discussed in training and documented in daily checklists
  • Reduce and help manage the disposal of waste in and around Boston Harbor
  • Cultivate a kind and inclusive community

• Engagement :
  • Build rapport with students, members, and patrons
  • Provide active and engaged feedback to daily questions and interactions
  • Lead, facilitate, and participate in on-land responsibilities for general upkeep of the boathouse during downtime. 

Qualifications

• Excellent customer-facing skills and attitude
• Self-starter in terms of completing both immediate customer-service tasks and digital database entry tasks.  Employees who can identify dynamic needs and tend to them, while also completing enumerated daily tasks will do best in this role.
• Strong computer skills–front desk staff must be able to confidently and fluently interact with our customer management software and organizational spreadsheets. Attention to detail and logical thinking is a must.
• No sailing or boat handling experience is required. Training to identify pertinent problems around the fleet will be provided.
• Willingness to work weekday evenings and weekends within a consistent schedule. Some flexibility to pick up additional shifts may be possible within this role. 
• Ability to relay needs, issues, and solutions between members, staff, and administration
• At least 2-3 years of customer service preferred
• Can effectively work and communicate with a wide variety of age groups and populations from diverse backgrounds
• Able to communicate clearly and directly
• Comfortable giving and receiving feedback
• Able to build rapport easily with students, members, patrons, and coworkers
• Comfortable working outdoors, regardless of weather
• Able to practice proper self-care and energy management while on the water or behind a desk for extended periods of time
• Able to maintain composure, exercise sound judgment and decision-making, and assess and mitigate risk under extended periods of stress
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude
• Excellent references
• Willing to authorize a federal background check
• Hold, or are willing to obtain before start date, current First Aid and CPR certification

Compensation

The pay range for this position is $18-22 depending on experience and relevant certifications.