Employment

Year-Round Positions

We currently do not have any open year-round positions. If you’d like us to be in touch if something opens up, make sure to fill out our General Inquiry form!

Seasonal Positions

The High Mountain Institute is seeking to hire two Summer Term Interns and two Summer Programs Interns for the summer of 2025 to support HMI Summer Programs. All interns will help lead wilderness expeditions, facilitate our residential life program, and assist with a variety of tasks related to summer program logistics and campus operations. Specific responsibilities will vary by the internship.

About the High Mountain Institute: HMI joins the best of a traditional independent school environment with top-class outdoor education opportunities. HMI seeks to connect our students to the natural world and teach them essential leadership and communication skills through participation in a rigorous academic program, extended wilderness trips, and a community of shared responsibility. For more information, please visit www.hminet.org.

Position Responsibilities:

Work closely with Summer Programs Director and Staff to support summer programs by:

  • Serving as an instructor-in-training on backpacking expeditions 
  • Helping lead afternoon and evening activities
  • Helping prepare and clean up community meals
  • Participating in campus maintenance and cleaning

Additional Responsibilities of Summer Term Interns: 

  • Serving as a cabin-head (which includes overnight supervision) to help mentor students and facilitate community building
  • Helping facilitate the writing seminar

Additional Responsibilities of Summer Programs Interns: 

  • Assisting with wilderness program administrative duties, including: Gear issue, food rationing, and gear repair
  • Working with Summer Programs Director to support the Lake County Backingpacking Trip and Educator’s Expedition  

Dates:

June 16, 2025 – August 2, 2025

Position Benefits: 

  • Work with experienced outdoor educators and receive coaching in trip leading and student mentorship
  • Room and board provided
  • Reimbursement for travel (and other internship relevant expenses) up to $1000

Required Qualifications:

  • 21 years of age by June 16, 2025
  • Able to pass criminal and driving background checks

Preferred Qualifications: 

    • Prior leadership experience 
    • Enthusiasm for working with teenagers 
    • Interpersonal skills, ability to interact appropriately with a diverse array of students, parents, and colleagues
    • Outstanding communication skills, ability to write and speak in an articulate manner
    • Awareness of the various dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, and ethnicity
    • Personal competency in the outdoors; able to take care of self and assist beginners
      • Physical fitness sufficient to participate in the outdoor portions of the program 
    • Strong work ethic and ability to work independently 
    • Highly organized
    • Current Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certification

How to Apply:

Please submit a cover letter and resume clearly stating the applicant’s preferred internship to Madeline Short, Director of Summer Programs, via email at mshort@hminet.org by January 20, 2025. 

We will begin our initial review of applications after January 20, 2025 and will continue reviewing applications until the positions are filled. Due to the amount of inquiries received, we are not able to respond to all submissions. Correspondence via e-mail is preferred. 

HMI’s Diversity Statement:

The High Mountain Institute is an equal opportunity employer that strives for diversity by honoring the differences of each member of the community. We seek to build a community (of trustees, faculty, staff, and students) that represents ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity and that brings a diversity of experience, background, talent, and perspective.

Apprentice Program

Are you a recent college graduate or about to graduate college? Apply to our Apprentice Program, a semester-long paid fellowship in classroom and outdoor education. 

Interested in HMI but don’t see a job listed? Fill out this General Inquiry form so we can reach out when something opens up!

Have you thought about applying for a job at HMI but decided against it? Take one minute to fill out this survey to help HMI hiring!

Hear From Our Employees

I love working with a community of individuals who inspire me to be more intellectually curious, culturally competent, and kind. The same could be said for our student population. I am compelled to be a better educator and instructor by the caliber of our students. They are a uniquely wonderful group of beautiful nerds.
The HMI Staff in August, 2024

Benefits Available to all Full-Time HMI Employees:

  • 403(b) retirement savings plan; 4-9% matching contributions starting after one year
  • Health & dental insurance; vision and mental health reimbursement
  • On-campus housing available by seniority–typically available after 0-2 years
  • On-campus residents do not pay for utilities or internet. Electric vehicle owners can charge for free on-campus.
  • 4-8 weeks paid vacation for staff positions
  • Short term and long term disability insurance, life insurance
  • Pro-deals (steep discounts on outdoor gear for outdoor professionals) 
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Paid parental leave 
  • Free meals on campus when school is in session 
  • 4-month paid sabbatical available after ten years

Non-Discriminatory Statement

HMI admits students and employs faculty and staff of any gender, race, color, religion, disability-status, sexual preference, national and ethnic origin, and accords them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students, faculty and staff of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual preference, national and ethnic origin or disability status in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, and other school administered programs.

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