Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort

Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort is located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies about 1.5 hours west of Calgary and we offer an amazing employment experience as a ski and snowboard resort. As our resort continues to grow, there has never been a more exciting time to work at Sunshine Village. Our employees come from all over the world with many different countries, backgrounds and cultures. The one thing we all have in common is our passion to ski and snowboard while having the best time of our lives!

Does your organization have other locations besides Calgary?

Our main location is 20 minutes west of Banff and a few kilometres off of Highway 1. We have also a Calgary office. This is where some of our Sales & Marketing and Executive team are based. Generally the majority of our entry level seasonal employees work at our resort in Banff.

How many employees does your organization employ?

Approximately 750 during peak season.

What type of positions do you offer?

  • Full-time, part-time, seasonal and year round.
  • Approximately 80 year-round full-time, and the rest are usually seasonal full-time. There are some part-time roles, but not too many.

What are some career opportunities that your organization offers?

A few of the available jobs are listed below:

  • Rentals attendants and technicians
  • Cashier
  • Housekeeper
  • Server
  • Bartender
  • Barista
  • F&B Supervisor
  • Dishwasher
  • Prep cook
  • Cook 1
  • Sous chef
  • Retail
  • Guest service agent
  • Hotel front desk
  • Lift attendant
  • Gondola operator
  • Trail crew
  • Base Area attendant
  • Warehouse
  • Groups assistant (Sales & Marketing)
  • Admin roles including accounting, HR and staff events
  • Supervisors with experience in the majority of the above roles

What is your hiring process?

This depends on the time of year we are hiring.

1) We recruited through the following methods for the 2010/11 season from June through October. Our recruiting methods are subject to change for the 2011/12 season.

2010/11 Interviews and Hiring Fairs

  • Australia - through the company IEP (International Exchange Program)
  • England & Czech Republic - through the company Go International
  • Ottawa, Toronto & Halifax - job fairs arranged by Sunshine Village
  • Gap Year Canada - a local Banff company that hires English gap year students
  • Banff - Hired in September and October through our Banff seasonal office and a one day HiringFair (by appointment only) in mid-October.

Those in Calgary interested in general seasonal hiring should review our website or contact us in June or July to confirm the best method for the 2011/2012 season as it will be associated with our Banff interview process.

2) For jobs that emerge ad hoc through our season we generally conduct in person interviews in Banff or at our resort. For jobs available at our Calgary office we would conduct the interview there. Through the ski season (November - May) we hire for positions as they emerge. The bulk of our staff is hired before November and from there we cannot forecast which positions we will need to hire for.

How can one apply?

  • By visiting http://www.skibanff.com/jobs/. When a position is listed under Current Vacancies applicants can follow the directions about how to apply, which is generally by submitting an online application or emailing jobs@skibanff.com with their resume and cover letter.
  • By submitting a resume to jobs@skibanff.com as a submission of interest for future jobs that may become available. Generally from July - November if a resume is submitted we do request more information; and that is listed on our website.

What do you look for in employees?

This is very dependent on the position. However some things are standard at our resort:

  • Adhere to the grooming policy
  • Commitment to working for the duration of our ski season, from November until May. If starting mid-season then from start date until May.
  • Enthusiasm for working at our resort and in the mountain environment.
  • If candidate does not ski or snowboard then we usually look for someone who is keen to learn.
  • Customer service experience for the majority of our jobs.
  • A positive attitude and a keen interest in learning new skills and meeting new people.

What type of education/training/equipment do you require?

We have dozens of available positions so this is very dependent on the role as well. Here are a few examples:

  • Lift Operators - require their own skis or snowboard to get to/from lift location. Should have customer service experience and it's a benefit if the candidate has worked in an outside job previously.
  • Trail Crew - a pair of rock skis and a pair of regular skis, and an avalanche backpack. Must be a very good skier and have worked in a manual labour role previously.
  • Ski Instructors - Ski or snowboard equipment. Minimum Level 1 CASI or CSIA instructor's qualification.

How old does someone have to be to work for your company?

Usually 18. They have to be over the age of 18 to live in our staff accommodation and to work in any Food & Beverage outlet that serves alcohol. Some positions require applicants to be over the age of 21 in order to drive our company vehicles.

How much will employees get paid?

Generally $8.80/hr - $9.25/hr for the majority of our seasonal jobs. Most seasonal positions pay a $1/hr retention bonus for every hour worked through the season if the employee stays until their completion date in May (the bonus is reviewed seasonally).

We offer many employee perks. These include:

  • Ski/snowboard at Sunshine Village and many other ski resorts for free (or heavily discounted).
  • Discounts in food & beverage outlets, retail stores and on rental equipment.
  • Ski and snowboard lessons.
  • Friends and family discounts for day tickets and at the Sunshine Mountain Lodge.
  • Staff events calendar, staff parties and transportation to/from work.
  • Subsidized employee housing for some positions.

How would someone find out about opportunities at your company?

  • We list current vacancies through the ski season on http://www.skibanff.com/jobs/. Before our season starts in November the process for employment and interviews is also listed on our website.
  • We post in the Canmore Leader & the Crag & Canyon (Banff and Canmore papers) for some positions.
  • Service Canada website for some positions.
  • Kijiji or Craigslist for some positions.
  • Various other methods of advertising, depending on the position and the time of year. The above methods are what is relevant to Calgary residents.

Please list any current corporate responsibility initiatives that your organization is currently involved in.

Specifics can be found on this section of our website - http://www.skibanff.com/sunshine-village/keeping-it-green

  • By using high-efficiency water fixtures in our resort we have reduced water usage between 29 - 38%.
  • With almost 100% natural snow we use snow farming techniques to utilize our snow, and have limited snow making which saves on water and energy.
  • As we continue to renovate our buildings, both our Sunshine Mountain Lodge West Wing and Skier Services have been brought to the latest environmental standards. An example is our hotel which uses passive solar through high-efficiency windows to maximize heat gain.
  • Staff can take a bus to and from work for free, lower fuel emissions.
  • We recycle, use butt-out containers for cigarette butts and our trail crew reclaims and rehabilitates all damaged or disturbed trail areas.