Teach With Us
Instructing for Aerie can be a fun and rewarding experience. Instructors train and travel together and teach for a wide variety of student groups and organizations. We are looking for talented, motivated, and knowledgeable people to join our staff.
Aerie continually accepts instructor applications and then conducts official interviews during the fall of each year. New instructors complete onboarding and training during November and December and generally begin teaching early the following year. The amount of days an Aerie instructor teaches each year varies widely and depends on each instructors availability. Aerie has the greatest need for instructors from January through June each year, instructors should be prepared to focus their availability to teach during some or all of these months. Aerie does hold classes year round and instructors may be contracted during summer and fall months, though less frequently.
Experience
Aerie instructors bring knowledge, skills, and abilities from the following three areas:
- Medical experience
- Teaching experience
- Professional outdoors experience
The minimum level of medical license for our applicants is EMT, or higher, in the prehospital field or RN, or higher, for hospital based providers.
Positions
Aerie Backcountry Medicine has two types of instructor positions. Both positions start new Aerie instructors as ‘assistant instructors’, regardless of previous experience in the medical or education fields. The speed at which an instructor moves from an assistant instructor position to a possible lead instructor position will be at the discretion of the Aerie Backcountry Medicine management team, as well as dependent on the individual instructor’s previous experience and working knowledge of Aerie. Of particular interest to Aerie will be to have instructors based out of the greater Missoula or Bozeman areas.
Full time seasonal instructor
Full time instructors commit a block of three to six months to Aerie during the January through June timeframe. They work directly with the staffing manager to create a schedule that provides regular, full time pay and a teaching schedule that promotes a health work-life balance.
Part-time instructor
The majority of Aerie instructors work on a part-time at-will basis. In this model, instructors sign contracts only for individual courses. This allows for instructors to teach for Aerie while holding another job or attending school. These instructors may work
Compensation
Aerie instructors are paid based on the pay scale below. Instructors that hold advanced provider licenses or Masters degrees may start at a higher base wage at the discretion of Aerie Management. Instructors climb the pay scale based on days of teaching experience with Aerie.
Aerie instructors regularly travel away from their hometown to teach. Instructors are paid their daily teaching rate for each day spent traveling. In addition, Aerie pays for all travel, lodging, and food while an instructor is on contract.
Every Aerie instructor can participate in a Simple IRA retirement plan, regardless of how many courses they teach. Aerie matches employee contributions up to 3% towards this plan.
| Lead | Assist | |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 days to 10.0 days | $158 | $138 |
| 10.0 days to 20.0 days | $163 | $143 |
| 20.0 days to 35.0 days | $168 | $148 |
| 35.0 days to 50.0 days | $173 | $153 |
| 50.0 days to 70.0 days | $178 | $153 |
| 70.0 days to 100.0 days | $183 | $158 |
| 100.0 days to 150.0 days | $188 | $158 |
| 150.0 days to 200.0 days | $193 | $163 |
| 200.0 days to 250.0 days | $198 | $168 |
| 250.0 days to 300.0 days | $203 | $173 |
| 300.0 days to 350.0 days | $208 | $178 |
| 350.0 days to 400.0 days | $213 | $183 |
| 400.0 days to 500.0 days | $218 | $188 |
| 500.0 days to 600.0 days | $223 | $193 |
| 600.0 days to 700.0 days | $228 | $198 |
| 700.0 days to 800.0 days | $233 | $203 |
| 800.0 days to 900.0 days | $238 | $208 |
| 900.0 days to 1000.0 days | $243 | $213 |
| 1000.0 days to 2000.0 days | $248 | $218 |
How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter, and a resume with at least two references. In your cover letter, briefly explain your qualifications, why you want to work for Aerie Backcountry Medicine, and which instructor position interests you (see above). All documents must be submitted at the same time via email with your name saved in the file title. Applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants will be contacted to set up an interview.
Submit to:
Hiring / Training Manager
Each instructor’s pathway to teaching courses with Aerie will be unique. It is designed to accommodate each person’s skill-set and background. The hiring staff will be able to answer specific, targeted questions on this customized pathway.
