Assistant Staff

Assistant Staff

The most essential criteria for Assistant Staff is that they can be sensitive and self-aware enough not to scare the wolves.

All volunteer staff members participate in community chores: cleaning, feeding and watering wolves, and processing meat. All staff learn to give hour-long educational tours to visitors of all ages. For most of the summer, we focus our energy on education: teaching thousands of visitors about wolves, ecology, and sustainability.

We divide our work into six areas: animal care, education, non-profit management, facilities and vehicle maintenance, communications/scheduling, and sustainability. We have Sanctuary Caretakers who oversee operations in these areas. Assistant staff work alongside the Sanctuary Caretakers.

We choose staff based on experience, and try to have a well-rounded skill set among our community. Every member of the team is valuable and flexibility is key. We expect staff to work in the area they are most experienced in, but we encourage everybody to branch out and learn about all five areas.

Strong preference will be given to applicants who are able to come out as short-term volunteers for a working interview, prior to their intended commitment.

Assistant Staff Requirements

Commitment:

During our off-season (September through May), we are looking for long commitments. We give priority to those who can stay for six months or more, spending the summer at Mission:Wolf on either end of their stay. We try not to have new staff arrive in the winter, since the living is hard and it is much more difficult to get new staff up to speed when they are getting used to the Colorado mountain winter. Year-long commitments or longer are ideal.

Experience/Education:

We are looking for volunteers who have solid skills and life experience. In general, our staff is “good at stuff,” using experience and judgment to do things they aren’t familiar with. People who grew up on farms typically fall into this category, understanding machines, living creatures, and the interconnectedness of all things. Successful volunteers have lived on their own, held a job, and participated in group activities. We give priority to applicants who have extensive practical experience in one or more of our six areas of work. We have no education requirements, though many of our staff have a college education or are in college. We need staff members who can understand the science behind what we do and communicate it clearly to a public audience.

Community Living:

Mission:Wolf operates as a close-knit community, isolated from towns and cities. Our staff need to have great communication skills, experience working with people, and be comfortable living and working with others in close proximity. We set no minimum age, but we do set high expectations for how our volunteers will do their work, interact with the public, and contribute to the community. We judge people based on the work they do and their maturity in human and animal interactions.

Benefits

Housing: We have heated living spaces for our winter and spring staff. Fall staff may live in tents until early October, when freezing temperatures begin. A heated space is either a tipi with a wood stove, or an unheated space to store personal items and a bed in a heated community space. Staff have access to our community kitchen building and staff bathroom (towels provided), as well as access to our washing machine.

Food: Mission:Wolf provides the food for all Assistant staff (staples, not junk). You prepare breakfast and lunch on your own, and we all participate in daily community dinners.

Transportation: Transportation to and from local airports, or bus and train stations. Parking space for a car if you choose to drive.

Technology: Wireless internet, access to community laptops, access to a landline with free long distance and limited international calling.

Compensation: After two months, staff begin receiving an expense reimbursement of $15 per week. After four months, this amount increases to $25 per week for Assistant staff and $40 per week for satellite staff. After one year, both Assistant staff reimbursements increase to $50 per week. Due to the increased responsibilities of assistant staff, they also begin to receive a small, taxable income after one year, which increases annually.

Bonus Stuff:

• Staff camping trips funded by Mission:Wolf several times each summer

• Access to our collection of outdoor equipment

Work Examples

Below are some examples of work that you might do on a given day at Mission:Wolf. Each Assistant staff member will specialize in the areas they have skills, though flexibility is key. 

Applications

We mainly bring in new staff prior to the Summer and Fall seasons. If you would like to come another time of the year, send an email to info@missionwolf.org.

We try to notify volunteers of acceptance no later than two months prior to their start date. For international volunteers, we try to give three months notice to allow for visa applications.

Fall Applications

Application deadline: July 15 (Early applications are appreciated, since we prefer to interview qualified candidates. However, applications received before May 15 will be be placed on hold, and reviewed after our Summer staff arrive on May 15)

Notification date: August 1 (For international applicants, July 21 or earlier to allow visa application time)

Summer Applications

If you are planning to arrive in the summer, please apply as Summer staff (you can mention in your application/interview that you are interested in staying past summer).