Jobs at ACE

ACE's History and Company Philosophy

ACE Adventure Resort began in 1979 as ACE Whitewater which ran commercial river trips on the New and Gauley rivers. For several years, ACE was among the smallest outfitters in West Virginia and, as late as 1986, had only 2900 paying guests. This past season ACE carried over 40,000 guests on these same rivers.

In 1987, the present ownership took over and began to aggressively grow the company. Within 8 years, ACE had grown to be the largest outfitter in the state. This growth has continued since then, culminating in being featured on the Travel Channel as North America’s Largest Adventure Resort in 2010! The resort has added to its adventure activities, Zip Lining Canopy Tours, ATV Tours, Mountain Bike Tours, Paintball Course, High Ropes Challenge, Mud Obstacle Course, Climbing Trips and most recently the Water Park. ACE Adventure Resort has become an end destination for most of our guests.

There are several obvious reasons for this unparalleled growth and success. First of all, we give our customers the best whitewater experience available in West Virginia. From our pioneering efforts with self-bailing rafts, smaller 12 and 14-foot boats, and private riverside lunch spots (with sanitary facilities and hot-grilled lunches) to our relentless and continuing improvement of offerings, we give our customers a whole lot more for their money than they can get anywhere else. Secondly, our 1,500-acre resort gives our customers a “home base” with great lodging and use of the water park and other activities. Everyone, employees and customers alike, appreciate the miles of hiking and biking trails, the swimming beach and the stocked fishing lakes that are available to them free of charge. Our dinind facility features 3 resturants serving three meals a day. The Lost Paddle Bar & Grille provides a lively nightlife scene for our guests and staff to mix and mingle. There’s simply nothing like the ACE Adventure Resort anywhere else in West Virginia and our customers keep voicing their approval by returning year after year.

Mission Statement

Our philosophy is simple: give our guests the highest quality outdoor adventure and have a great time doing it!

With a choice of over 60 different trips and activities, we can provide a quality outdoor adventure for just about anybodyfrom easy family fun trips to world-class whitewater thrills. We charge a fair price and provide top-shelf quality in all of our offerings. We treat our employees as family…and we treat our customers as guests. That’s why we have very low staff turnover and very high repeat business…and that’s why ACE is in a class by itself as West Virginia’s #1 adventure resort.

What You'll Learn at ACE

We understand that our guides are on the front linesand it's their goal to provide the best outdoor adventure experience anywhere. In order to attract the highest quality employees, we have to provide something more than just a summer job. Virtually all our outstanding managers started as guides, so there’s a career opportunity here if you want it. But even if you only stay for a few seasons, you’ll leave with a lot of invaluable skills…not to mention all the irreplaceable memories. Very few entry-level jobs allow you to develop leadership skills.

As an ACE guide, you woll be responsible for guests. It will be your knowledge and skills that provide these folks a safe and enjoyable experience…be it passage down the river or zipping through the tree canopy. It will be your decisiveness that demonstrates that skill and gives your guest the confidence to follow your lead. It will be you that leads them on their adventure. Many of your crews will be professionals: doctors, lawyers, highly paid executives…they’ll put their trust in you. Think how few people ever find themselves in such a position. There’s no doubt that every ACE guide quickly develops the kind of leadership skills that most people will never achieve in their entire lives! Whether you make your career in outdoor adventure or go on to other pursuits, those leadership skills will prove invaluable throughout your life.

You’ll be amazed to discover that most of your guests simply can’t believe that you actually live and work in what has to be one of the most beautiful natural locations on earth. It’s a regrettable fact of modern life that most people live in cities and never get to spend much time in the undiscovered outdoors. Just spending a single summer here will give you an appreciation for the finer…and simpler…things of life.  Sharing this gift with "new friends" is priceless.

Finally, at ACE we can provide you with something that you don’t often find…while learning these skills, you get paid. With over 40,000 guests to care for, we need lots of help. ACE guides, even the new ones, get more work than do guides for many other companies. During the height of the season, it’s not unusual for our staff to work six or seven days a week if they work in more than one department. We provide a variety of living styles for you at no charge. And there’s so much to learn while you’re here. Any of our activities: kayaking, ATV riding, mountain biking, climbing, zip-lining, high ropes challenge and of course, rafting…they’re all available to you at no charge when space is available.

Full-Time or Part-Time

The majority of our guides are available for full-time work throughout our season,, but some have "real" jobs during the week and help out on busy weekends. If you are able to devoted the needed time to train with us and can commit to working on our busiest days, we can tailor your schedule around your other commitments. It is not unusual for our guests to request certain guides for their adventure. ACE tries to do whatever is best for their guests. Our guide primary training classes usually begin around Apriol 1st. All first year guides will also be trained to work as reservationists and will alternate weeks between river training and reservation work throughout the training period. After training is complete, new guides will work 2-3 days per week in the reservation office plus whatever river or other work for which they are qualified. This means new staff will be earning income even before they're checked out as guides. A limited secondary training will be held starting mid-May for highly qualified prospects unable to start in April.

To be considered a full-time employee, you’ve got to be available for work at any time throughout the season. We post the schedule a week in advance so you’ll know your days off at that time. Because we need to count on our full-time employees, we can’t allow extended time off during our primary season.

Aside from the reservation office, other areas of work might be the welcome center, water park, grounds maintenance, equipment repair, food services, bartending, climbing/rappelling, zip-line, mountain bikes, kayak instruction, high ropes challenge, and ATV trips.

You will need to interview with the appropriate manager to secure your off-river position. Any guide who doesn’t want to perform some type of off-river work is considered a part-time guide.

Resort Staff Opportunities

It takes a lot of staff to run "North America's Largest Adventure Resort". From kitchen workers, bus drivers to ATV guides, there are plenty of opportunities for employment. We are always looking for the best workers. Here are few areas you may be able to find a job:

 

• Bus Drivers (must have a CDL with experience)
• Kitchen & Bar staff
• Grounds keepers
• Lake attendants
• Climbing & Zip guides
• ATV guides
• Reservation office
• Welcome center
• Video boaters
• And so much more...

Our "peak season" of mid-June to Mid-August is perfecrt for college interns - a great way to get real life skills in a fun environment!

So if you think you have what it takes and want a great job, just click the button below and fill out the form.

Benefits Include:

• Unlimited river trips for staff based on availability
• Each employee is entitled to six steeply discounted trips for family and friends per season (some restrictions apply)
• $25.00 lodging rates for family when available (prior owner approval)
• Use of water park facilities by immediate family members when accompanied by employee
• Free camping (refundable deposit required)
• Free training plus opportunity for income during training period
• Meal discouints available at all dining facilities
• Opportunity for PRO-purchases at AMS and AAG retail stores
• Flexibility in scheduling
• Training and skill development in the recreation industry
• Leadership development opportunities

Drug/Alcohol Free Workplace

ACE Adventure Resort is committed to a safe environment for its team members and guests. Pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing is required for CDL drivers and guides. Post-accident drug/alcohol testing is required of all employees filing a worker’s compensation claim. Any employee allowing drugs or alcohol to affect their work will be terminated. Remember, West Virginia’s drinking age is 21.

Personal Appearance

A professional and well-groomed appearance is an essential ingredient in ACE’s success. We request that you have a maximum of 3 ear studs, no lip, eye, nose rings and no tongue studs. We rely on your good judgment and commitment to ACE to accept this basic condition of employment. Your conduct on the job, after hours and in the community is a reflection of you and ACE adventure Resort. Please plan to respect yourself, your peers and ACE. Good personal body hygiene is essential to working with our guests.

Pet Policy

In consideration of and safety for our guests, employees and your pets: PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED on ACE property. If you must bring your pet with you, please make other housing arrangement. ACE’s property has no housing facilities for your pets.

Housing

All employees using ACE Adventure Resort housing are required to participate in a maintenance and cleaning program for living areas.

Documents Needed

Upon arrival for employment at ACE be prepared to produce a valid passport or driver’s license and one of the following documents to complete the employment process: social security card or birth certificate. Non-US citizens must have a valid passport from country of origin and US work permit. For other valid alternatives see listings on an I-9 form which can be found on the internet.