Rental gear technician – Hakuba Valley, Japan Full Time

POSITION SUMMARY: The Rental Gear Technician is a multi-faceted position, dealing with backcountry rental equipment and will also include organization, maintenance, repair and storage of all backcountry gear equipment. This position will be very hands-on, working with touring skis, split-boards, ski bindings, snowboard bindings, snowshoes, skins and backcountry touring equipment. Strong customer service skills and solid working knowledge of backcountry equipment is necessary for this position. This position will work within the framework of our backcountry tour operations at Evergreen Backcountry Guides (EBG).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Provide guests with friendly and knowledgeable service and advice for renting and using EBG backcountry touring equipment.
• Organize and maintain the fleet of skis, split-boards and equipment. Setting up ski and split-board bindings.
• Assist guides with pre-tour meetings and rental gear hiring
• Assist guides with end of tour rental returns and re-sets
• Preparing company vehicles in the morning
• Maintaining a safe work and office space
• Tracking usage and assisting with ordering new gear
• Ensure that your personal schedule and availability is accurate; communicate absences and lateness as soon as possible

KEY SKILLS:

• Friendly personality and enthusiasm for customer service
• Extensive backcountry gear/equipment knowledge
• Experience in rental or ski shop/ retail
• Abilities to repair, maintain and organize equipment
• Good organizational skills and effective communication skills

KEY ATTRIBUTES:

• Be able to anticipate guests rental needs and offer appropriate service and equipment
• Dedicated focus towards guests comfort, safety and satisfaction.
• Working knowledge of backcountry touring equipment
• The ability to adjust and change to both environmental and human factors
• Be able to organize and be assertive with regard to rental needs and equipment usage
• Punctuality and dependability are essential
• International Driver’s License or Japanese Driver’s License

ADDITIONAL KEY DUTIES:

• Rental gear technicians will also clean off snow and ice from company vehicles, prepare and drive company vehicles to and from staff parking lots to our base of operations. Staff will be expected to follow Japan road and driving laws, drive defensively, change tires (if flat tires w/ spare) and park company vehicles in appropriate areas.
• Rental gear technicians will be expected to be at our “Pre-Tour Meetings” with our guests to distribute and set up rental equipment/gear and attend to any questions guests may have about the gear.
• Rental gear technicians should have a friendly personality and show enthusiasm for their job and understand the rental gear they set up.
• Rental gear technicians will be expected quickly establish professional rapport with the guests work with the guest to choose and set up appropriate backcountry equipment.
• Rental gear technicians should also possess solid organizational skills and have effective communication skills
• Applicant will be expected to participate in company required in-house training.

JOB DUTIES MAY ALSO INCLUDE: 

Snow clearing from roof and or front and back door areas, tidying up front and back of office space, replacing and or fixing and purchasing rental gear and equipment, assisting with staff accommodation and personal room clean-up /maintenance, picking up and dropping off guests at locations within Hakuba/Nagano, replying to emails or providing information to our admin staff regarding guests situations or guests conditions/sentiment/feelings/feedback.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

Due to the many variables that affect business operations, occasionally, employees may be asked to perform other duties or assist in efforts outside their primary area of responsibility, when admin staff deems it necessary. This may include performing in any subordinate position.

SUPERVISORY DUTIES:

If the Rental Gear Technician is highly experienced and highly trained, they may be requested to do; rental set up training, driving and parking training, snow clearing training, maintenance and repair training.

GENERAL DUTIES:

Prepare rental gear for guests for all their tours. Dry, hang, reset, replace, fix or replace damaged gear. Organize rental fleet, keep log of gear and gear condition.

Daily: Prepare, clean off, warm up and drive company vehicles to base of operations,  clean front of house of snow or ice (entrance/roof),  prepare rental gear, assist guides with getting guests set with their rental gear. Do any last minute settings/adjustments prior to groups departing. End of day : Receive, check off on the rental sheet and dry/return reset rental gear; return company vehicles to parking lot.

Weekly: Monitor rental gear for maintenance, repair or retiring. Follow staff housing/accommodation cleaning rosters and attend meetings for guides/staff housing.

Monthly: Attend company meetings

Seasonal: Attend company pre-season or mid-season trainings, end-of season wrap ups. Receive and return any EBG ID cards, Season’s passes, radios, cell phone & chargers, maps, EBG uniforms

PREREQUISITES:

• Ability to work legally in Japan: Work visa or Working Holiday Visa for Japan
• Japanese Driver’s License or International Driver’s License
• Thorough knowledge of touring skis/split-boards and ski/board bindings
• Thorough knowledge of adjusting bindings and DIN settings
• Thorough knowledge of beacons/probes/shovels/skins/ski poles

FAVOURABLE QUALIFICATIONS/ASSETS (not pre-requisites but valuable assets/experience):

• Binding Technician Certification
• Customer Service experience
• Ski Rental shop experience
• Ski and snowboard tuning experience
• Backcountry touring experience (ski or split-board)

PLEASE NOTE: Successful candidates will have to be available for the following dates:

Christmas: 24th DEC- 31st DEC,

Chinese New Year: 25th JAN- 31st JAN,

Large School Group: 4th FEB-7th FEB

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