Position: Full-Time Routesetter
Pay Rate: $22-$26 hourly, based on experience
Hours: 36-40 hours, weekly
Start Date: October 2026
Application Deadline: 9/1/2026
A full-time routesetter at Portland Rock Gym is responsible for the regular turn-over (stripping and setting) of routes and boulders at both of our facilities (NE Portland and Beaverton) each week. As a full-time setter, you will explore and grow both your routesetting abilities and your work-at-heights skills each week with an excited and talented crew. Portland Rock Gym will supply you with everything you need to succeed in this role, including all of the necessary gear you will need to perform and complete support from our administrative team.
Our Beaverton location is one of the largest climbing gyms in the country and has quickly become a flagship location for hosting annual USAC events throughout the season – providing our in-house setters with regular opportunities to gain hands-on competition setting experience. Our Northeast location has been a staple in the Portland climbing community for many decades and is the only climbing gym on the east side of Portland that offers rope climbing. Combined, both facilities provide our Portland climbing community with more than 400 boulder problems and over 200 rope routes to choose from any given week.
Job Responsibilities:
- Be able to work in-person at both of our physical locations within a given week:
- 21 NE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
- 10860 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, OR 97225
- Set and forerun boulders and routes 4 days a week across a variety of terrain, grades, and style
- Regularly strip routes and boulders
- Regularly clean climbing holds, features, volumes, and climbing wall surfaces
- Perform basic climbing wall maintenance such as replacing T-nuts, replacing worn out ropes, or performing basic wall repairs
- Update and maintain Kaya and Plastick as well as in house tags and signage
- Stay fit and healthy as best as you are able
- Perform your work to our high standard of safety and professionalism
Requirements:
- Proficient lead climbing with the ability to pass our Lead Test.
- Give and receive critical feedback from other team members.
- Maintain an organized, efficient, and professional work environment. Be a team player and willing collaborator.
- Meet a quota set for a quantity of high quality routes and boulders set each shift.
- Pursue excellence in all assigned tasks while embodying a growth mindset.
Desirables:
- At least 2 years of commercial routesetting experience setting both ropes and boulders.
- At least 2 years of climbing experience with a personal passion for climbing that extends beyond the workplace.
- Ability to forerun V7 and 5.12+
- USAC Level 1 or higher certification
- Experience setting for USA Climbing events
- Experience working in an aerial boom lift
Perks & Benefits:
- Up to 2 hours of paid yoga per week for wellness and recovery.
- Opportunities for paid climbing time outside of regular forerunning
- 3 Weeks (120 hours) of PTO- accrued over the course of the year
- 5 Days (40 hours) Sick Leave- accrued over the course of the year
- Paid Holidays: July 4th, Thanksgiving Day (date varies), and December 25th
- 401k eligibility after 12 months of employment provided you have worked at least 1000 hours.
- Starting on the first day of the month that follows your 60th day of full-time employment, you will be eligible for enrollment in our company health insurance plan for yourself, spouse, and dependents.
- Internal professional development days typically held on a quarterly basis by our Director of Routesetting
- External professional development support available on a per needs basis for clinics, competitions, or other continued education endeavors
- PRG Membership for yourself and significant other
- 30% discount at PRG pro shop
- Industry Pro Deal access
To Apply:
- Please email your resume and a cover letter outlining your key skills and attributes to our Director of Setting, Brandon Conaway, at brandonc@portlandrockgym.com
Even if you do not meet 100% of the job qualifications listed above we would still encourage you to apply and share your relevant experience and transferable skills. We understand that not everyone has equal opportunity to gain the technical experience above. We believe that having a diverse routesetting team will help us better serve our diverse communities and are confident in our ability to quickly train technical traits a candidate may have lacked exposure to.
