Climbing Wall Lead Route Setter

About the Role

The Climbing Wall Lead Route Setter is a member of Cougars Athletics and Recreation, which actively creates, promotes, and sustains an environment in which the Mount Royal University community is challenged and supported in pursuit of personal growth in sport and leisure. 

Reporting to the Adventure Programming Supervisor, the Climbing Wall Lead Route Setter is part of the programs and services team. The team is driven by their why: to inspire people to move so that they can be the best versions of themselves. We invite and welcome people to show up as their authentic selves; we develop people in ways that matter most to them; we build communities that connect people to what brings them joy; we create accessible and inclusive spaces, places, and programs; and we establish relationships that foster a sense of belonging.

The Lead Route Setter leads the setting team in designing, creating, and maintaining safe, creative, and inclusive climbing routes. In addition to active setting responsibilities, this role oversees weekly setting operations, manages staff scheduling and training, maintains accurate grading standards, and executes customer-facing communication strategies to engage the climbing community.

This is a flexible position with a variable schedule that may include an irregular schedule of at least three (3) hours per shift and up to thirty-five (35) hours per week. 

Responsibilities

Route Setting Coordination and Scheduling (60%)

• Coordinate and manage the weekly route setting schedule, ensuring predictable wall turnover and minimal disruption to facility members.
• Assign setting zones and volume/hold resources based on facility demands and upcoming events or competitions.
• Standardize and enforce proper route grading across the team through consensus setting, testing, and feedback sessions.
• Oversee inventory management, ensuring holds, hardware, and safety equipment are safely stored, organized, and maintained.
• Train, mentor, and evaluate junior and staff Route Setters on safety protocols, setting aesthetics, ergonomic practices, and movement theory. 
• Schedule setting shifts while managing labor budgets and facility coverage. 

Personal Route Setting & Safety (20%)

• Remove, clean, and install climbing holds for new route rotations.
• Rig and operate personal safety equipment (work-at-height systems, industrial rope techniques) adhering strictly to facility safety protocols.
• Design creative, functional, and aesthetically engaging routes across a full spectrum of difficulty levels.

Community Engagement & Customer Communication (10%)

• Develop and execute a customer-facing communication strategy to inform members about refreshed routes, wall resets, and setting philosophies.
• Design educational materials or digital updates (e.g., social media highlights, grade translation guides, setter tags) to help climbers understand movement concepts and grade scales.
• Gather climber feedback to continuously refine the setting direction and balance community preferences.

Accessibility and Inclusion (10%)

• Ensure setting practices accommodate diverse body types, heights, adaptive climbing needs, and varying ability levels.
• Foster an inclusive facility culture where climbers of all backgrounds feel supported and valued.
• Collaboratively establish and maintain facility-wide setting guidelines in alignment with broader recreation department goals.

Qualifications

• Must be a current Mount Royal University student
• Must have previous experience as a route setter
• Standard First Aid & CPR-C certification
• Training is available for new or expiring staff members as necessary
• Intermediate-level experience with climbing rope use and safety techniques
• Training for work-at-height and rope rigging systems will be provided
• Familiarity with Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) and V-scale grading systems
• Ability to utilize creativity in route design for a varied climber experience

Salary: $21.87 - $27.61 per hour 

Closing Date: September 4, 2026

A resume should be submitted in one .pdf document. Please title your .pdf document as follows: [Last Name]_[Requisition Number]_[Document Title].pdf (ex. Smith_1234_CV.pdf).