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Jobs Available

Positions for the 2025-2026 winter

Please apply for 2025-2026 winter from June 2025.


Live on-mountain. Work with purpose. Make it unforgettable.

We’re looking for incredible humans to help us deliver a next-level ski lodge experience in the Japanese Alps. If you’re positive, capable, and thrive in fast-paced, team environments — this might be the best winter of your life.


What It’s Like

Canopy is not your typical ski lodge. We serve international travelers with beautiful food, warm service, and genuine hospitality. Our lodge is small, intimate, and high-energy — and our team is the same. If you join us, expect to work hard, laugh often, and be part of something meaningful.

We don’t hire backgrounds. We hire exceptional people. People who care — about their team, their work, and the guests.


Season Dates

Start: 1 December 2025
Finish: 31 March 2026
Full availability is essential.


General Requirements

  • Valid Japanese Working Holiday Visa

  • Experience in the role you’re applying for

  • Team-oriented and solution-focused

  • Confident communicator with guests and teammates

  • Self-managing, proactive, and happy living in a shared space

  • Comfortable working in the cold and snow

  • Ready to fully immerse yourself in lodge life and snow culture

+ Lodge Operations Crew – DRIVER

4-person team: 2 Drivers + 2 Breakfast Chefs

This is the heartbeat of the lodge each morning. You’ll rotate between cooking, serving, cleaning, and transporting guests — working closely with your team to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Driver (x2 positions)

You’re the first and last face our guests see — and the one keeping the whole show moving behind the scenes. From airport pickups to trash runs, you’re in charge of getting people and things where they need to go — and clearing the snow that gets in the way.

Responsibilities include:

  • Driving guests to and from Hakuba stations and resorts

  • Snow clearing of the driveway before each drive

  • Running errands (shopping, linen, trash)

  • Rotating into breakfast service on non-driving days

  • Helping with housekeeping duties after morning shift

You are:

  • A confident, experienced driver in snowy, alpine conditions (8–10 seater vans)

  • Friendly, talkative, and calm under pressure

  • Fit, early-rising, and ready to jump into whatever’s needed

  • Naturally organised and happy to work independently or in a team

Shifts:
Average 35 hours per week
5–6 days per week
Must be available for up to 45 hours during peak weeks
Flexible hours depending on guest transport schedules

Why you’ll love it:

  • Enjoy downtime between drives — perfect for skiing or exploring

  • Get to know the whole Hakuba Valley from behind the wheel

  • A flexible schedule that balances action with freedom


Important:
Housekeeping is a shared responsibility — there is no separate cleaning team.
You’ll work together to reset the lodge after breakfast each day.

+ Lodge Operations Crew – BREAKFAST CHEF

4-person team: 2 Drivers + 2 Breakfast Chefs

This is the heartbeat of the lodge each morning. You’ll rotate between cooking, serving, cleaning, and transporting guests — working closely with your team to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Breakfast Chef (2x Positions)

You’re the first to the kitchen, setting the tone each day. You’ll prepare and serve a daily hot breakfast for our guests, then jump into housekeeping alongside the team. This role is perfect for early risers who want their afternoons free for skiing, relaxing, or recharging.

Responsibilities include:

  • Preparing and serving cooked breakfasts for ~30 guests

  • Cleaning down the kitchen and dining area

  • Rotating through breakfast service with the team

  • Helping with housekeeping tasks post-breakfast

  • Supporting drivers and ops team when needed

You are:

  • Experienced and confident in a small kitchen

  • Calm, tidy, and efficient in the mornings

  • Friendly and comfortable chatting with guests

  • Reliable and happy to pitch in where needed

Shifts:
Average about 35 hours per week 
5–6 days per week
Must be available for up to 45 hours during peak weeks
Typically 6:00–10:30am + post-breakfast cleaning

Why you’ll love it:

  • Mostly morning work — your afternoons are free

  • Be part of a tight, supportive team

  • Ski almost every day by lunchtime


Important:
Housekeeping is a shared responsibility — there is no separate cleaning team.
You’ll work together to reset the lodge after breakfast each day.

+ BAR HOST

Be the face of Canopy in the evening — part host, part storyteller, part bartender, and 100% vibe setter. You’ll welcome guests into the restaurant each night, set the tone, present dishes with a story, and bring warmth, fun, and a little magic to the dinner service.

This role is perfect for someone with strong hospitality experience and an unshakably positive attitude. If people have ever asked you, “Are you always this happy?” — you’re probably a great fit.

Responsibilities include:

  • Creating a warm, fun, and memorable atmosphere for guests each night

  • Presenting dishes with confidence and storytelling flair

  • Running the bar: pouring drinks, restocking, cleaning, and upselling with enthusiasm

  • Setting and resetting tables with care and detail

  • Connecting with guests — especially kids, who will want to see you every night

  • Working closely with the kitchen and floor team to ensure smooth service

You are:

  • An experienced hospitality professional with great floor awareness

  • Exceptionally bubbly, fun, and guest-focused

  • A natural host who makes others feel at ease and included

  • Great with kids and quick on your feet

  • Able to lift the energy of a room — even after a long shift

  • Confident upselling drinks and menu items in a relaxed, engaging way

Shifts:
3:00pm – 10:00pm
6 days per week
Average 38 hours/week
Expect up to 45 hours during peak weeks, and less during quiet periods

Why you’ll love it:

  • You’re the centre of the fun — the one who turns dinner into a memory

  • Mornings and early afternoons are all yours — ski, explore, rest

  • You get to connect with people from all over the world, every single night

  • It’s a role built for someone who loves people, stories, and making every day feel special

+HEAD CHEF

We’re looking for a professional head chef or experienced kitchen leader to take charge of our evening service. You’ll execute a set menu of either 5 or 11 courses, depending on the guest’s booking, built around seasonal produce, fire cooking, and fermentation.

The menu is already created and the systems are well established — you’re not reinventing the wheel. Instead, you’ll be responsible for running a tight, efficient kitchen and delivering the experience with consistency, organisation, and care.

Responsibilities include:

  • Lead and run a small, well-trained kitchen team

  • Execute our pre-designed 5 or 11-course set menus each night

  • Maintain quality, timing, cleanliness, and presentation

  • Follow and uphold established prep systems and workflows

  • Present dishes to guests and confidently talk about the food

You are:

  • An experienced head chef or team leader in a professional kitchen

  • Exceptionally organised, with strong prep and planning habits

  • Confident in maintaining systems and mentoring others in them

  • Passionate about flavour, fermentation, and fire-based cooking

  • Calm under pressure and maintain a fantastic, steady attitude at all times

  • Comfortable presenting and explaining dishes directly to guests

Shifts:
Start at 2:00pm (sometimes later)
Finish around 10:00pm
5–6 days per week
Average: 40 hours/week
Expect up to 50 hours during peak weeks, and less during quiet periods

Why you’ll love it:

  • Serve thoughtful, creative food — without the chaos of designing a new menu every day

  • Work in a systematic kitchen where quality and rhythm matter

  • Spend every morning however you want — skiing, relaxing, recharging

  • Join a food culture built on fermentation, fire, and purpose

+ KITCHEN HAND

This role is for someone who loves the energy of a busy kitchen and takes pride in every plate. You’ll work alongside a team of 4 to help prepare and serve a multi-course set menu using locally-sourced, house-fermented, and fire-cooked ingredients.

Responsibilities include:

  • Assist with prep, cooking, plating, and dish transitions

  • Help maintain a clean, organised kitchen

  • Bring strong energy to every shift and support the team with consistency and focus

You are:

  • Experienced in kitchens or passionate about learning more

  • Fast, focused, and good at anticipating what needs to happen next

  • Excited by flavour, technique, and growing your culinary skill

  • A positive, respectful team player who lifts the kitchen around them

Shifts:
Start at 2:00pm (sometimes later)
Finish around 10:00pm
5–6 days per week
Average: 40 hours/week
Expect up to 50 hours during peak weeks, and less during quiet periods

Why you’ll love it:

  • Learn from a unique kitchen focused on fermentation, sourdough, and fire

  • Be part of a high-functioning team with a great rhythm and vibe

  • Get your mornings free to ski, relax, or explore

Join us ~
Fill in the form below and include a resumé at the end.
Or email directly hello@canopycortina.com