Adventure Cycling Association

.Position: Tours Operations Manager
Start Date: Immediately
Salary: $50,000-$54,000
Reports to: Director of Experiences

Position overview:

Adventure Cycling Association seeks a dynamic and well-organized manager to help execute the Tours Department's operational goals; collaborating with the Director of Experiences to help further our mission of inspiring, empowering, and connecting people to travel by bicycle. This is a challenging and fulfilling opportunity to guide one of the largest and most visible bicycle tour operations for North America's largest cycling membership non-profit organization. We seek an individual who is passionate about bicycling, thrives on interacting with people, and has great attention to detail. The position is based at Adventure Cycling's headquarters in bike-friendly and beautiful Missoula, MT.

About Adventure Cycling:

As the largest nonprofit cycling organization in the country, Adventure Cycling has an impactful voice in policies and programs that advance the safety and accessibility of cycling. Adventure Cycling serves through its members and the bike travel community. Our cycling community encourages and supports countless cyclists each year as they explore the beauty and history of America while tending to their mental and physical well-being. For nearly half a century, Adventure Cycling has created life-changing experiences that deepen appreciation for our country’s diverse cultures, communities, landscapes, and people. Adventure Cycling headquarters are based in Missoula, MT, and we acknowledge and honor the Indigenous peoples who consider this land their home. The area’s natural abundance was stewarded by many peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone, Cheyenne, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreilles and Salish for millennia before colonization, and continues to be to this day.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

The Staff and Board of Directors of Adventure Cycling Association believes in the power of bicycle travel to open minds and change the way the world explores. We envision a future where this organization draws staff, tour leaders, members, board members, and riders from the whole of our society. For this to occur, bicycle travel has to be available for everyone.

We are committed to listening to BIPOC, LGBTQ, and other marginalized peoples and understanding the systems contributing to oppression while also working to provide more resources and support for these communities.

The Adventure Cycling Association acknowledges its place in this power dynamic. As an organization we have benefitted from white privilege omnipresent in the United States and must use our power to hire, support, empower, and create safe spaces for Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQIA+, and Femme/Trans/Women communities.

Key Responsibilities:

The Tours Operations Manager will collaborate with the Director of Experiences and supervise staff, work with Adventure Cycling Leaders and contractors, manage governmental tour permitting, oversee and improve communications with contractors, ensure outstanding customer service, and manage vehicles and certifications. The Tours Operations Manager will lead the yearly operational responsibilities of the Guided Tours program.

The Tours Operations Manager shall participate in and oversee the logistical operations related to the Tours Slate. This includes but is not limited to:

• Work with Tours Operations Specialists in management of each individual’s portfolio of tours;
• Manage Tours equipment and gear;
• Manage Tours vehicles - owned, leased, and rented - including movements, storage, maintenance, leasing contracts, procurement, and DOT requirements;
• Oversee the Tours Permitting Process, assuring that proper federal, state, and local permits are applied for and followed, including reporting requirements;
• Be ‘on call’ for Tours Emergencies in the field (approx. 12-18 weeks per year).

In addition, the Tours Operation Manager will participate in the daily operations of the department with the Tour Operations Specialists, including but not limited to:

• Manage a portfolio of tours (5-15) yearly;
• Provide necessary information to the Tours Customer Experience team to answer customer inquiries;
• Work with contracted tour leaders in the production and review of tour leader notes, tour expenses, budgets, and necessary certifications;
• Develop a thorough knowledge of our travel offerings;
• Assess, acquire and manage all the necessary permits required for federal, state and local jurisdictions for tours;
• Manage the creation and updating of informational packages, maps and related documents for new and existing tours;
• Assist in the design and planning of new tours and the creation/update of Tour Planning Documents on an annual basis;
• Assist with copywriting for tours marketing and social media programs;
• Provide other general operational and administrative support for the Tours Department and its programs, as necessary;
• Become a qualified tour leader and serve as a fill-in tour leader as needed;
• Some travel may be required on occasion to conferences or on tours; and
• Rotating with other Adventure Cycling Staff, provide tours of the Adventure Cycling facilities to visiting cyclists.

The Tours Operations Manager supervises the Tour Operations Specialists.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong organizational, supervision and interpersonal skills.
• Keen attention to detail
• Exceptional customer service skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked, quick response environment.
• Outstanding written and oral communications skills.
• Strong budgetary skills and business acumen.
• Proficiency in working with all Microsoft Suite Applications (Word, Excel, OneDrive, SharePoint, Calendar) and Microsoft Access, including complex formulae, lookups, calendars, groups. Understanding of applications for smart devices (phones and tablets).
• Proficiency in working with all Google Suite Applications (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar) and Microsoft Access, Excel, and Word including complex formulae, lookups, calendars, groups. Understanding of applications for smart devices (phones and tablets).
• Self-starter with proven decision making and problem solving ability; leader who can collaborate with colleagues and partners.
• Understanding and willingness to engage with issues of institutional and structural racism or bias and their impacts on our organization and community.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion and to learn and respect differences of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, ability, religion and socio-economic circumstances and class.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with people very different from yourself.
• Bicycle travel experience, solo or with groups
• Leadership/Guiding experience for adventure programs
• Valid Drivers License and experience driving large vehicles and trailers

Physical Requirements:

Elements of job duties may require occasional moving of up to 50 pounds and the ability to occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift items over your head; candidates not able to meet such demands can possibly work with staff or others

Compensation, Schedule and Benefits:

This is a full time, exempt position (average 40 hrs/week). Schedule varies by supervisor, but is generally M-F, 8am-5pm MST. Occasional night/weekend work and travel may be required. The position is located at Adventure Cycling’s headquarters in beautiful and bike-friendly Missoula, Montana. Benefits include paid time off, holidays, an additional fully paid one-week bike vacation (a.k.a. “bike respite”), medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and retirement plan. We have a wonderful office in downtown Missoula, with plenty of bike racks! Adventure Cycling Association is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary range: $50,000-$54,000

How to apply:

Please answer the following question in the last paragraph of your cover letter: “Describe why inclusive and accessible opportunities in the outdoors are important to you?”

Application deadline: We begin reviewing applications and requesting interviews on May 26, 2023, and applications received by this date will be guaranteed consideration. The position will remain open until filled.

To apply, submit your cover letter and resume to our Submittable portal.

Position: Financial Controller
Start Date: June 1
Salary: $70,000-$90,000
Reports to: VP of People and Operations

Position overview

The Controller oversees Adventure Cycling’s accounting operations, including revenues, expenses, property, cash flows, assets, and liabilities. Along with providing financial reporting expertise and cost analysis, the controller also ensures compliance with all applicable regulations and fiscal policies and procedures.

The Controller has direct contact with the management team, leadership team, board members, and staff, as well as with external auditors, and various local, state, and federal agencies. In addition to serving Adventure Cycling, the Controller works collaboratively with leaders concerning business operations. The Staff Accountant reports directly to the Controller.

About Adventure Cycling

As the largest nonprofit cycling organization in the country, Adventure Cycling has an impactful voice in policies and programs that advance the safety and accessibility of cycling. Adventure Cycling serves through its members and the bike travel community. Our cycling community encourages and supports countless cyclists each year as they explore the beauty and history of America while tending to their mental and physical well-being. For nearly half a century, Adventure Cycling has created life-changing experiences that deepen appreciation for our country’s diverse cultures, communities, landscapes, and people. Adventure Cycling headquarters are based in Missoula, MT, and we acknowledge and honor the Indigenous peoples who consider this land their home. The area’s natural abundance was stewarded by many peoples including the Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone, Cheyenne, Kootenai, Pend d’Oreilles and Salish for millennia before colonization, and continues to be to this day.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Staff and Board of Directors of Adventure Cycling Association believes in the power of bicycle travel to open minds and change the way the world explores. We envision a future where this organization draws staff, tour leaders, members, board members, and riders from the whole of our society. For this to occur, bicycle travel has to be available for everyone.

We are committed to listening to BIPOC, LGBTQ, and other marginalized peoples and understanding the systems contributing to oppression while also working to provide more resources and support for these communities.

The Adventure Cycling Association acknowledges its place in this power dynamic. As an organization we have benefitted from white privilege omnipresent in the United States and must use our power to hire, support, empower, and create safe spaces for Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQIA+, and Femme/Trans/Women communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the accounting operations and provide financial reporting expertise for Adventure Cycling leadership
• Assist leadership with important financial decisions using cost analysis, risk and opportunities, and other forecasting methods. We are looking for someone who can get their head above the trees!
• Transactional activities including accounts payable, accounts receivable (revenue recognition and billing), and payroll, general accounting, reconciliations, month-end close, and maintaining workpapers
• Analysis and data visualization, budgeting and forecasting
• Grant management, allocations, and funder reporting
• Prepare financial documents such as business reports, financial forecasts and statements
• Oversee and direct budgeting, audit, accounting, and financial forecasting.
• Assure procedures and systems necessary to maintain proper records and to afford adequate accounting controls and services. Recommend and implement improvements.
• Supervise employees who work under the Controller to oversee accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll
• Keep up-to-date on the financial market to understand how to maximize programs and find new expansion areas
• Present at monthly and quarterly board/leadership meetings on financial state
• Financial reporting for management and Board decision making and presentations

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit financial management
• Prior supervisory experience
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and FASB pronouncements
• Comprehensive knowledge of annual financial reporting audit processes
• Comprehensive knowledge of Federal and State annual reporting requirements
• Demonstrated knowledge of management practices within a complex budgetary environment
• Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and projections
• Excellent planning, organization, and communication skills to interact effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization
• Advanced proficiency in business applications, such as Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of automated financial systems
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of work-related information and materials
• Ability to operate strategically and on a detailed level
• Understanding and willingness to engage with issues of institutional and structural racism or bias and their impacts on our organization and community.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion and to learn and respect differences of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, ability, religion and socio-economic circumstances and class.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MIP/Abila and other accounting software
• Experience working with people very different from yourself.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Physical Requirements

Elements of job duties may require occasional moving of up to 15 pounds and the ability to occasionally stoop, kneel or crouch; candidates not able to meet such demands can possibly work with staff or others to accommodate.

Compensation, Schedule and Benefits

This is a full time, exempt position (average 40 hrs/week). Schedule varies by supervisor, but is generally M-F, 8am-5pm MST. We are located at Adventure Cycling’s headquarters in beautiful and bike-friendly Missoula, Montana, but are open to remote applicants within the United States. Preference will be given to candidates from Montana or who leave near major airport hubs. Travel to the Missoula office is expected about four times a year. Benefits include paid time off, holidays, an additional fully paid one-week bike vacation (a.k.a. “bike respite”), medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and retirement plan. We have a wonderful office in downtown Missoula, with plenty of bike racks! Adventure Cycling Association is an equal opportunity employer.

How to apply

Please answer the following question in the second half of your cover letter: Explain how you would approach analyzing a company's financial health, considering both the micro-level details and the macro-level trends. Discuss the specific financial metrics, ratios, and qualitative factors you would assess, as well as how you would synthesize this information to draw meaningful conclusions about the company's overall performance and future prospects.

To apply, submit your cover letter and resume to our Submittable portal.

Position: Ad Sales Contractor, Adventure Cyclist Magazine

Start Date: As soon as filled

Salary: Commission-based, starting at 20%

Reports to: Editor-in-Chief

Adventure Cyclist magazine is hiring an ad sales contractor. The right candidate will have knowledge of the world of outdoor recreation, especially bicycle travel, and experience in selling ads for both print and digital media. This position requires an ability to build and maintain relationships, set and adhere to deadlines, communicate well with both small sole-proprietor businesses as well as major industry players, and stay organized when dealing with multiple contracts, agreements, and ad placements across multiple issues. Ideal candidates will have pre-established relationships in the world of bicycles and outdoor recreation, as well as a motivation to find and pursue leads with brands that are both obvious and less obvious members of the adventure cycling community. 

This is a contract, commission-based, remote position.

Physical Requirements:

This is a remote position that requires the ability to use a computer, internet, and occasionally telephone. Occasional travel to trade shows is optional.

Thank you for your interest in Adventure Cyclist magazine. We accept queries and manuscripts on a rolling basis year-round. However, since our very small staff is primarily focused on producing each Adventure Cyclist, we'll be reviewing them on a roughly quarterly basis. This is a time-consuming process among our many other duties, so please be patient and bear with us.



Please make sure to thoroughly read our submissions information. Note: We only accept submissions through this Submittable portal.



Time Frame: If a story idea is accepted, the typical period of time until publication is approximately 12-18 months from the time of acceptance.



GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Adventure Cyclist is a bicycle-travel magazine published nine times yearly by Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for bicyclists. Adventure Cyclist is dedicated to publishing stories about bicycle travel and other recreational cycling subjects.

Adventure Cyclist generally uses two types of stories from freelancers:

1. Feature-length stories. These should be about specific areas and must be accompanied by high-quality photos, both in terms of content, composition, and size.

1. The Final Mile. These are essays less about locale than about a singular experience while on a bicycle trip. These run at 1,200-1,500 words and don't require accompanying photos. Note: we do not buy Final Mile essays based on queries, we want to see the full manuscript.

What we pay is negotiable, but generally ranges from $.30 to $.60 per word, depending on various factors. We buy first rights and will consider simultaneous submissions as long as we are informed of the other publications considering your manuscript. Your manuscript should be typed with single returns between paragraphs — no indentations — and single-spaced.

Photos: Feature submissions should be accompanied by electronic images (300 dpi is standard) or color transparencies. Special focus and humor pieces do not require photos, but if you have something good, by all means, send it. And remember, we are always looking for stunning verticals to go on the cover. (See more about photos here). When you send us photos through Submittable, you are only allowed to upload three files, however, if you create a .zip file from your collection, this will only count as one single file. If you don't know how to create a .zip file, use the links below or simply Google it:

4 Ways to Zip a File on a Mac - wikiHow

4 Ways to Compress Large Files - wikiHow



Adventure Cyclist staff does not guarantee that you will receive a response concerning your story nor will we guarantee the return of unsolicited materials.



For further and more detailed information, visit adventurecycling.org/submit

Editor-in-Chief, Carolyne Whelan

magazine@adventurecycling.org

Adventure Cycling Association

150 E Pine St

Missoula, MT 59802

Interested in becoming an Adventure Cycling Tour Leader? Please fill out this questionnaire and upload your Cover Letter and Resume. We are currently accepting applications for our 2023 Guided Tours. We are reviewing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis. You can find the full job description and more information on our website.

Thank you for submitting your photos and videos from the recent event you attended. 

By submitting your photos, you are giving Adventure Cycling Association permission to publish your photos. Please provide the highest quality photos possible and include a name for photo credits. 

Thank you for your interest in Adventure Cyclist Online. We love to share bike travel. We accept pitches and stories on a rolling basis year-round, reviewing submissions quarterly and responding as quickly as we can. It's a time-consuming process, so please bear with us.

Guidelines for Contributors & Freelancers

• Adventure Cyclist Online only publishes original content from real people doing bicycle travel.
• Photos make all the difference, so please submit high-quality photography with your submission.

Adventure Cyclist Online generally publishes the following:

Inspiring, Historical, or Amusing Stories related to bicycle travel. Click here for an example.

How-To Articles on ways to plan, navigate, pack, prepare, and handle any obstacle of a bicycle trip. Click here for an example.

Trip Reports: There’s nothing like a good story of a bicycle trip or bike overnight of where you went, what was special about it, and how others can do it too. Click here for an example.

Photo Essays: A set or series of photographs that are intended to tell a story. Please include captions with all photographs.

No length requirements: Posts should simply be high quality and comprehensive.

Compensation

What we pay is negotiable, but generally ranges from $150-250 per article, with the lower end of the scale representing what we pay first-time writers and the higher end what we pay repeat writers. We buy first rights and will consider simultaneous submissions as long as we are informed of the other publications considering your submission. We do not pay for photography separately.

Not-So-Fine Print

• We prefer a well-written and high-quality, original article.
• We prefer an article that reflects the writing style and tone of Adventure Cyclist Online.
• Include a short author bio including a maximum of 1 anchor text link to your own website.
• Include proper attribution of photos, data, quotations, and other third-party content referenced in the article.
• The Adventure Cyclist Online team reserves the right to copy-edit content as we see fit and update it in the future for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
• Adventure Cycling reserves the right to include calls-to-action to Adventure Cycling content, including but not limited to newsletters, campaigns, and downloadable content.

Send Us Your Story or Inquiry

All inquiries, text documents, and images must be sent to us through Submittable. If you don't already have an account with Submittable, you will be prompted to start one. Accounts are free and will allow you to track your submission as it makes its way through our system.

For additional information or questions regarding a pitch, please email the online editor, Jessica, at jzephyrs@adventurecycling.org.