Field Training Supervisor

Position Responsibilities

• Deploys to Antarctica during the Austral Summer and will work several months in the U.S remotely during the Austral Winter.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a relevant and effective field safety training course curriculum for the US Antarctic Program. Evaluates each individual course’s effectiveness at the end of each season through participant and instructor feedback, and adjusts these courses accordingly to fulfill the USAP field safety training requirements established by the NSF. Each Field Safety course is developed around a syllabus that focuses on both basic knowledge acquisition and specific skill competency that must be delivered to and understood by participants with various learning styles.
• Oversees instruction on cold weather related health and safety issues, survival techniques, risk management, critical thinking skills, incident response processes, radio procedures, area and terrain familiarization, local weather patterns, fundamental mountaineering skills, glacier travel/crevasse rescue techniques, and safe sea ice travel.
• Demonstrates use and basic maintenance of field equipment; camp stoves, tents, sleeping bags, sleds, communications equipment, and climbing gear.
• Recruits, supervises and trains the Field Safety Training Programs FSC staff. Required to provide seasonal expectations and performance reviews.
• Updates/Creates in-house training documents and manages the updates in coordination with the Search and Rescue (SAR) Supervisor.
• Reviews each individual grantee group’s Support Information Packet (SIP) for potential field safety and personnel issues, dedicated FSC support requirements, and field safety training needs. Completes course requirements and direct field safety support for all science events in Research Support Plans (RSP). Participates in on-ice science support meetings.
• Directly communicates with science teams to develop safe Antarctic field plans through specific terrain assessments, satellite/radar image examination and Risk Assessment processes.
• Contributes to the overall Field Risk Assessment and Field Plan process, working closely with the Field Risk Manager, the FS&T Manager, the Field Support Supervisor and the SAR Supervisor.
• Plans, schedules, and executes the Field Safety Training Program’s multiple different courses for USAP personnel as required. Continually evaluates developing needs for curriculum changes and improvements.
• Responsible for maintenance and oversight of the sea ice in McMurdo Sound, including finding and flagging safe routes to various locations. Ensures accurate record keeping, route information, current condition reports, and ongoing safety with all aspects of the annual sea ice and ice edge. Coordinates closely with all departments involved in annual sea ice operations.
• Manages the field Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) inventory. Responsible for seasonal allocation of the units and upkeep on current technology, in coordination with the SAR Supervisor.
• Responsible for the management of GPS data for recreational and operational GPS routes in the McMurdo and Erebus areas. Manages these in coordination with the SAR Supervisor.
• Responsible for the general daily maintenance, reporting and allocation of work center vehicle resources; Hägglunds, snow machines, Pisten Bullys, Mattracks and other light vehicles. Coordinates needs closely with the SAR Supervisor.
• Participates as an active member in Joint Antarctic Search and Rescue Team trainings and actual emergency responses. Coordinates closely with the USAP SAR Supervisor on staffing and scheduling needs.
• Assists in the management and training of the FSC responsible for Winter SAR.
• Assists the Peninsula Field Supervisor in coordinating sea ice and FSC support when needed.
• Responsible for management and procurement of Field Safety inventory.
• Participates in Science Proposal Review as required.
• Interacts directly with National Science Foundation, ASC Station Management, AntNZ, military and other agency officials, both over the telephone and in person, in a professional and tactful manner.
• Handles confidential matters (personnel actions, management reports, etc.) in…