Job Summary

Job Title: RecWell Challenge Facilitator - Student Service
Division: Student Life
Department: Recreation and Wellness

Compensation: $11.25/hour                           

Hours/Week: Variable, increased hours in March-October.
                              
Required hours may include days, evenings, weekends, overnight hours and holidays

Job Description
The RecWell Challenge Facilitator plays an integral role in the success of the Challenge Course program at Purdue by facilitating low and high ropes course experiences and portable team-building initiatives for student, staff, faculty, and community groups. Facilitators guide participants through engaging activities designed to foster trust, communication, and collaboration while maintaining high safety standards and positive group dynamics. This position offers valuable experience in leadership, experiential education, and outdoor facilitation, helping students develop transferable skills in teamwork, risk management, and group development. The goal of this position is to give students valuable real-world experience in an outdoor recreation environment. This position is variable on hours per week, with an increase of hours in April-October. Those hours may be worked in any combination, at the discretion of the direct supervisor. The RecWell Challenge Facilitator position must be reliable, organized, responsible, and flexible. They must also be ambitious, detail-oriented, creative, and driven. 

Employment Summary
The Division of Student Life is committed to making every experience at Purdue University a learning opportunity for students. Employment within our division provides you the opportunity to work with other great students and leaders. As part of your employment, we incorporate the Leadership and Professional Development Competencies and the Steps to Leaps Learning Pillars into your learning and performance management experience to ensure you are building the skills employers want. Purdue Student Life develops welcoming communities that engage and support students while enabling individuals to flourish on their unique and personal path.

Employee Class

Benefits Eligibility

FLSA Status

Prerequisite(s)

The ideal candidate must hold or be able to obtain CPR, AED, and First Aid certification. They also must be comfortable working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and minimum of one semester of college coursework successfully completed
• Enjoy being outdoors and working in a dynamic team setting.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written
• Flexible and dependable with a strong attention to detail
• Problem solving, logic and reasoning skills
• Customer service oriented
• Be timely and organized

Position Responsibilities

• Facilitate group programs on low and high ropes course elements and portable initiatives.
• Conduct group briefings, debriefs, and team-building discussions with professionalism and adaptability.
• Set up and take down challenge course elements and equipment.
• Maintain equipment and assist with inspections as directed.
• Exhibit friendliness, diplomacy, and tact in responding to participants and clients.
• Attend all scheduled trainings and staff meetings.
• Maintain confidentiality and exhibit professionalism at all times.
• Serve as a positive ambassador for the Challenge Course and Recreation & Wellness department.
• Maintain confidentiality and exhibit professional conduct when handling sensitive information 
• Responsible for all scheduled shifts (based on class/exam schedules for the semester)
• Assist with risk management and emergency procedures as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Transferable Skill Development

Students employed in this role will develop and demonstrate a number of transferable skills essential for future employment success and be reviewed on these skills in their performance evaluation.  

Communication (Verbal, Written, Non-Verbal, Listen & Observe, Summarize & Distill Information)

• Demonstrate professional verbal communication in all interactions
• Demonstrate enthusiasm; engage and connect with customers to promote excellent customer experience
• Verbally communicates to staff on situations that may arise due to problems
• Written communication to complete accurate food usage records and food temperatures according to established procedures 

Ways of Thinking (Systems Thinking & Planning, Reflective & Analytical Reasoning, Idea Generation, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Ethics)

• Utilize policies and knowledge to proactively make decisions and solve problems for area assigned
• Develop new or novel ideas through critical thinking and creative processes that address issues and/or lead to change 
• Understand standards and expectations for personal and professional ethical behavior
• Demonstrate knowledge of the position and operation

Collaboration (Organization Behavior & Teamwork, Appropriate & Productive Relationships, Helping Others & Working Together, Cultural Intelligence & Inclusion, Service & Social Responsibility)

• Working together with co-workers and demonstrate flexibility in a fast-paced, team atmosphere
• Establish productive relationships with customers and staff
• Acknowledge and support customers and staff with unique needs and differing backgrounds
• Work independently to complete responsibilities 
• Proactively and willingly acquires new skills, tasks, procedures and projects
• Provide support to fellow team members

Self-Awareness (Self-Understanding, Continuous Learning, Initiative & Follow-Through, Personal Responsibility, Resiliency)

• Demonstrate time management skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrate initiative; Understand and respond to the various needs of customers and staff
• Maintain positive attitude and enthusiasm in times of ambiguity and peak time of demand
• Complete work independently in an efficient time manner
• Demonstrate dependability and responsibility within operation
• Demonstrate punctuality by always being on time to each shift