WHO WE ARE
Lindblad Expeditions is the pioneer in the Expedition Travel space, from taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, to opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, to leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, to launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004. Now taking nearly 25,000 guests per year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 16 ships, we do whatever it takes to ensure our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.
SUMMARY
This position supports the expedition as the expert and specialist in culture for particular regions around the world. Additionally, the cultural specialist will work with the rest of the field staff in the delivery of the itinerary on a daily basis.
The cultural specialist should expect contract periods a minimum of 3-5 weeks at a time with varying hours each day, based on the itinerary. The cultural specialist is responsible for creating and presenting engaging presentations, recaps, and in-the-field interpretation. It is essential that this person has excellent social skills as they will be expected to dine with guests and work in a multi-national environment, while living in close quarters.
The cultural specialist must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Additional duties may be added or assigned at any time.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- Leading engaging walks and offering relevant field interpretation throughout the voyage.
- Participating in evening recaps to highlight guests’ daily experiences.
- Preparing several PowerPoint (or similar) presentations of 30-40 minutes in length, highlighting particular and relevant themes of the voyage.
- Writing the Daily Expedition Report one or more times during the voyage, to encapsulate the guests’ daily experiences.
- Responding to requests in a timely manner and being highly visible to guests throughout the voyage.
- On more culturally-focused itineraries, accompanying guests ashore with local guides, and acting as the representative of Lindblad Expeditions. Monitoring quality control of these excursions.
- Possessing general comfort with public speaking.
- Possessing excellent problem solving skills, the ability to make sound decisions quickly, and exercising good judgment.
- Mitigating guest complaints as best as possible and bringing them to the attention of the expedition leader, as needed.
- Consistently representing Lindblad Expeditions with integrity and professionalism.
- Eating meals with guests and making an effort to dine with a variety of people over the course of each voyage.
Promotion/Sales
- The cultural specialist must be familiar with the company philosophy and various programs offered by Lindblad Expeditions. Should be able to address and field questions from guests regarding the various programs offered.
Conservation/Sustainability
- Should become familiar with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic’s conservation and sustainability programs and be able to discuss the particular efforts in any itinerary where scheduled.
Zodiac Operations
- Should be prepared to assist with many aspects of Zodiac operations for shore excursions. Familiarity with Zodiacs and ability to drive a strong preference, but not a requirement. If a US-citizen, a USCG license to drive Zodiacs is preferred.
Safety
- Should be prepared to participate in on-board safety training, meetings and drills, including abandon ship and fire drills. Will also participate in shore-based training as required by the Company. Must be very familiar with the Field Staff Handbook.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
- In-depth cultural knowledge of destination.
- Adaptable to diverse geographic regions.
- Previous experience guiding or working in destination.
- A team-player with excellent training skills and a proven educator.
- Works well independently and is a self-starter.
- Strong communicator with individuals and groups, even-tempered demeanor, and remains calm under pressure.
- Must be able to handle multiple tasks at one time with keen attention to detail.
- Bachelor’s degree or four years of work experience in related industry.
Communication Skills
Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
While performing the duties of this position, this person is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. This person will also be required to write and type. Occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The physical demands per position are described in the Job Analysis sheet and are available to all applicants upon request.
COMPENSATION STATEMENT
Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for contracts and positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted daily range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT
At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.
Lindblad Expeditions is an equal-opportunity employer. Individuals seeking a contract or employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.
