PO Box 2310 North Conway, NH 03860-2310 603-356-2137 Fax: 603-356-0307

Job Description: Summit Operations Manager

Basic Function The Summit Operations Manager manages the day to day operations conducted at the Observatory, located at the top of Mount Washington, NH. This position reports directly to the Director of Science & Education. The manager assumes a leadership role in advancing the mission, strategic plan, and goals of the Observatory. S/he oversees, integrates, and coordinates all Observatory activities on the summit, builds and maintains a team of staff dedicated to the achievement of the mission and goals of the Observatory, and plays an instrumental role in identifying and prioritizing the proper uses of summit resources.

Basic Responsibilities The Summit Operations Manager is responsible for all Observatory activities on the summit, including but not limited to:  Weather observations, transmission of data hourly to NWS, and other related activities, such as radio shows and contract support.  Positive interaction with the scientific, educational, and other professional communities, as well as with the membership and the general public.  Supervise and lead two shifts of Observers, year round transportation, logistics and maintenance personnel, including all aspects of shift change.  Manage the recruitment and use of Interns and Weather Observers to support weather, research and testing programs with support from shift leaders and other staff.  Cooperation and coordination with, and support of, all other Observatory departments and activities, including research projects, corporate & media relations, IT, Edutrips and seminars and other programs, Museum activities, and Advancement activities on the summit.  Identifying and communicating as well as scheduling maintenance and repair of Observatory facilities and support equipment in conjunction with appropriate support staff and outside partners (facilities, IT, State Park, Auto Road).  Positive interaction with members of the summit community, including the Mount Washington Commission members; New Hampshire State Parks, White Mountain National Forest, the Cog Railway, Mount Washington Auto Road, Town Square Media and others.  Oversight of schedule and operation of MWO Maintenance Garage activities including support from the Transportation Coordinator who is responsible for operator scheduling

Dated 2/25/19 and vehicle maintenance (one 4x4 Pickup truck, one 4x4 Passenger Van, One 2x2 Passenger Van and one SNOWCAT).  Budget development for all Summit activities and resources with prioritization and backup documentation.  As a staff member of MWO, the Summit Operations Manager serves as a representative of the Observatory and performs other tasks as needed, along with other staff and Board members, in advancing the Observatory’s mission of working to advance understanding of Earth’s weather and climate.  Oversight of Summit volunteer coordination with support from Administrative Assistant.

Direct Reports

The Summit Operations Manager is responsible for the supervision and performance evaluation of personnel in the following roles:  Weather Observers  Summit Interns with support from the Weather Observers  Snowcat Operators with support from the Transportation Coordinator

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Knowledge of the weather in the White Mountains and forecasting models and techniques, in order to make critical weather-dependent decisions quickly and effectively and assist in weather observations and forecasting. 2. Knowledge of safety procedures in the alpine environment. 3. Ability to interact with people including excellent listening, empathy and compromise skills as well as the ability to guide, motivate and lead teams. 4. Ability to establish and work within budgets. 5. Ability to read and interpret contracts, technical procedures, and government regulations that pertain to MWO. 6. Ability to use common computer software and special applications software necessary to perform the job. Intermediate experience with MS Office is a must. 7. Excellent organizational, planning and communication skills. 8. Able to drive the Mount Washington Auto Road in a 4x4 truck or van during operating season (nonwinter). Ability and familiarity with snowcat operations and qualification to schedule and direct snowcat operators with support from the Transportation Coordinator. This position is responsible for year round activities at a remote weather station and requires at a minimum weekly meetings to conduct shift change and other meetings as appropriate. 9. Ability to proficiently read, write and speak English including the ability to prepare reports and correspondence as required. 10. Physical ability to “self-evacuate” from the summit. This means having the physical ability to get oneself down the mountain, even in extreme conditions, regardless of season.

Dated 2/25/19 Qualifications Required

 Bachelor’s Degree.  Five years of direct meteorological experience in the military or civilian employment will be considered in lieu of degree.  3-5 years of demonstrated leadership and management experience. Qualifications Desired

 Robust knowledge of weather observation and forecasting in either civilian or government sectors.  Familiarity with the White Mountains Region.

Evaluation The performance of the Summit Operations Manager will be evaluated in part by:

 Safe, successful operation of summit services and transportation.  Positive performance of operations budget.  Positive performance of summit and maintenance garage-based staff.  Effective communication, delegation and teamwork on projects involving multiple staff at various levels and abilities.  Effective oversite and development of appropriate QA/QC protocols for weather observation, forecasting and instrument care.  Quality of weather data and forecast services provided to the public and to MWO’s internal database.  Successful development and/or support of summit based research and product testing in conjunction with MWO Research Scientist.

Time and Compensation This position is considered an “exempt” position. While a standard work week will be five, eight-hour days (Monday through Friday), additional hours or days may be required on a regular basis and the schedule will require flexibility. The Summit Operations Manager is expected to make frequent trips to the summit weather station in all seasons and is required to attend most Wednesday shift changes on the mountain whenever possible. The Summit Operations Manager needs to be sensitive to and generally available for off-hour or weekend events, as well as facility or operational emergencies. Compensation for the position includes a salary plus the standard Mount Washington Observatory benefit package.

Employee at Will The Summit Operations Manager is an employee at will under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.

Dated 2/25/19 Edit #2 3/13/19 OBS.SummitOpsMgr.03.13.19.edit2

Dated 2/25/19