Safety and Program Director

Who We Are

Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is a national nonprofit educational organization with a mission to spark lifelong growth through challenge—outside. For more than 60 years, we have worked to expand access to transformative learning experiences for young people across the country. Our work is guided by a bold vision: generations of youth empowered to realize their potential—rising with courage, leading with compassion, and building more connected, resilient communities.

OBUSA serves as the national organization for Outward Bound in the United States. We charter and empower the network of OB schools, steward the Outward Bound brand and trademark, and set national standards for safety and risk management. Through scholarship fundraising and national initiatives, we work to remove barriers to participation and strengthen the Outward Bound system's overall impact.

Position Impact

Guided by our Vision for Impact 2030, OBUSA advances this work through targeted initiatives designed to:

• Create new and expanded capacity within network Schools by positioning Outward Bound as a valued educational partner to families, schools, and community-based organizations
• Accelerate access to outdoor and experiential learning for historically underserved communities
• Strengthen a leading-edge research and development engine to continuously improve program quality and outcomes.
• Cultivate a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional outdoor educators and mission-driven professionals across the system

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Safety and Program Director provides OBUSA network leadership for safety by overseeing and maintaining the National Safety Standards and by supporting and advising OBUSA and School leaders on safety management. This role leads OBUSA’s crisis response and incident investigation functions and oversees the implementation of nationally aligned program models consistent with OBUSA’s mission and Theory of Change. 

Our Culture

At Outward Bound USA, our work is grounded in trust, courage, accountability, and service. We foster openness and inclusion, communicate honestly, and value the perspectives each person brings. We embrace challenge, take thoughtful risks, and learn from both success and failure. We hold ourselves responsible for our commitments and show up in service to one another and to the OB network Schools we exist to support.

We believe in being crew, not passengers. Everyone contributes, every voice matters, and we move forward together.

Key Responsibilities and Functions

Safety Leadership

• Lead the maintenance and evolution of the National Safety Standards (NSS) that apply to the OB system in the US so they remain relevant and practical. 
• Oversee and support Schools in meeting OBUSA Safety Objectives and the NSS, so Schools have clear expectations, actionable feedback, and support for continuous improvement. 
• Lead the review of School safety performance during Charter Reviews and monitor compliance with the NSS throughout the OB system in the US. 
• Consult with Schools regarding the efficacy of their safety management systems. 
• Analyze and identify safety trends in order to establish avoidance and mitigation plans for the OB system in the US, translating findings into actionable recommendations that strengthen mitigation and decision-making.
• Chair the National Safety Directors Committee (NSDC), convening periodic calls and coordinating the annual NSDC conference to strengthen alignment, share leading practices, and advance system-wide safety learning. 
• Work with the Chair of the Safety Committee of the OBUSA Board (SCB) to prepare the agenda for quarterly SCB calls and bi-annual calls with the School Safety Committee Chairs. 
• Represent safety on the Board Risk Management Committee. 
• Supervise the Safety and Program Manager.

Emergency Management and Incident Investigation 

• Lead the OBUSA Crisis Response Team and assist in the management of OBUSA resources during critical incidents. 
• Support incident response at Schools, and interface with the crisis communication consultant as required. 
• Lead the development and maintenance of OBUSA’s incident investigation methodology and procedures. 
• Work with Schools and OBUSA Risk Management Counsel to provide oversight of significant incidents. 
• Lead incident investigations in collaboration with individual Schools as required. 

Program Management

• Review and approve New Program Plans, ensuring appropriate risk management procedures and alignment with our mission and Theory of Change (TOC). 
• Support the administration and implementation of nationally aligned program models throughout the OB system in the US. 
• Support access and belonging principles across the student course experience, including program admissions and safety, to expand participation, strengthen belonging, and improve outcomes for marginalized and underrepresented groups. 

Competencies

• Self-Management: You set and follow through on goals independently, anticipate roadblocks, and support others in managing their commitments. 
• Communication: You are skilled in developing messaging that connects with a wide range of stakeholders, from community members to decision-makers, fostering engagement and long-term relationships. 
• Cultural Competence: You lead effectively across differences by demonstrating cultural awareness, inclusion, and respect. You foster environments where diverse perspectives are valued and people can contribute fully. 
• Collaboration: You work effectively within a federated system, collaborating with various teams (e.g., Development, Marketing, Communications) to align strategies and achieve organizational goals. 
• Conflict Management: You manage and resolve conflict independently, even in high-stakes situations and across differences or hierarchy. 
• Continual Learning: You actively pursue growth, apply learning from experience and feedback, and adapt as new challenges and information emerge. You foster a culture of reflection, development, and continuous improvement. 
• Manages Complexity: You make sense of complicated, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. 
• Organizational Knowledge: You understand how the organization, its mission, and its people function and how to navigate through organizational politics, spheres of influence, and bureaucracy to get things done. 
• Risk Management: You anticipate, mitigate, and engage in healthy levels of risk to help the organization achieve its goals. 
• Stakeholder Management: You apply concepts, practices, and techniques to identify, engage, influence, and monitor relationships with individuals and groups connected to or who have a vested interest in a work effort. 

Education and Work Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in outdoor experiential education, with 5+ years in a leadership role responsible for safety and risk. 
• 5+ years of experience working within nonprofit, education, or mission-driven organizations, with responsibilities spanning program delivery, evaluation and safety management. 
• 5+ years of experience leading or collaborating with cross-functional teams—including programming, people and culture, evaluation and safety and risk management. 
• 5+ years of experience developing, tracking, and reporting safety-related metrics. 
• 5+ years of experience in crisis management and responding to critical incidents. 
• Demonstrated experience partnering with senior leaders and governing bodies to align safety strategy with organizational goals, policies, and governance practices. 
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, consultants, or project resources, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities. 
• Familiarity with trends in wilderness and outdoor education risk management, and knowledge of national and state-level policies relevant to our industry. 

Location and Physical Requirements

• Permanent work authorization in the United States is required to apply for this position. We welcome applicants from AZ, CO, CT, FL, IA, IN, ID, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NY, NM, OR, PA, VT, and WA. 
• Up to 20% of work time may be spent traveling. 
• The ability to lift and carry 40- 60 lb objects (such as a backpacking pack) may be required occasionally.
• Ability to engage in, observe, and assess most of the remote and technical activities in the Outward Bound course offerings.  
• Field observation days and overnights may require the ability to sleep on the ground and maintain nutrition, hydration, and general well-being in hot, cold, or wet environments. 

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a full-time, remote (in AZ, CO, CT, FL, IA, IN, ID, IL, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NY, NM, OR, PA, VT, and WA), exempt position. 
• We are committed to transparency in our hiring process. The full salary range for this position is $115,000 - $135,000 annually. Based on the skills and experience of the selected candidate, the starting salary can be expected to fall within the lower half of the hiring range.  
• OBUSA offers a competitive benefits package, including health/dental/vision insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance, plus a 403(b)retirement plan with an employer match after 6 months. 
• OBUSA offers PTO, a combined sick and vacation bucket that accrues to 15 days a year, with an additional day for each year of service. We offer ten federal holidays and additional paid time off for the last week of the year.

Application Process

Submit resume and cover letter. Cover letters may be addressed to Mike Pigg (he/him), COO. 

Anticipated closing date of June 21, 2026

Outward Bound has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse and neglect and will report any suspected abuse or neglect.

Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is an equal opportunity employer and values the inclusion and collaboration among employees of diverse backgrounds and experiences. OBUSA prohibits discrimination against, and harassment of, any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable state or federal law. Outward Bound USA also promotes respect for all people and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics nor on differences based on gender identity or expression.