Work for us

Not just another season

Some people come to the Alps for a season. They want cheap skiing, a bit of pocket money, and a story to tell at parties.

That’s fine. But it’s not what we’re looking for.

We’re looking for people who come alive in a full room. Who find energy in a busy chalet rather than despite it. Who still care in week twelve as much as week one. Who take quiet pride in doing difficult things beautifully — and don’t need anyone watching to do it properly.

If that sounds like you, keep reading.

What AliKats actually is

We’re not the biggest chalet company in the Alps. That’s deliberate.

AliKats was founded by Al and Kat Judge — who left banking and publishing to build something they actually believed in. Fifteen years, sixteen chalets, and a few awards later (The Times, The Telegraph, Global Good Awards), the thing that still sets us apart is the same thing it always was: genuine people, looking after guests properly, in a place we all love.

We’re B-Corp certified. Carbon neutral. Independent and founder-led. We source locally and seasonally. Our kitchens run a zero-waste philosophy. We care about the mountain — not just the skiing.

For us, sustainability isn’t a marketing exercise. It’s a daily decision. And it only works if the people on the ground care too.

The kind of people we hire

We don’t hire roles. We hire people.

Every person who joins AliKats is a host in the broadest sense — whether they’re behind a stove, behind a wheel, or behind the scenes. What that means in practice: you notice things other people miss. You act before you’re asked. You hold yourself to a standard that has nothing to do with who’s watching.

The people who thrive here share a few things:

They’re genuinely passionate about hospitality. Not performing it — doing it. There’s a difference, and guests feel it immediately. A need to please isn’t a weakness here. It’s the job.

They have real professional experience. Whatever the role, we’re looking for people who’ve done this before — properly. Not necessarily for years, but in a real professional environment, where standards and pace was real. We’re looking for more than graduates who want a free ski pass.

They love the mountains. Not as a backdrop. As a reason. The best people here are the ones who feel the privilege of working in a place like this — and show up every day determined to honour it.

They care about sustainability. Practically, not performatively. The kind of person who notices waste, questions habits, and takes ownership. If that sounds like friction, we’re probably not the right fit.

They’re brilliant in a team. Not just tolerant of others — genuinely energised by working with them. They communicate before things become problems. They support colleagues without being asked. They still like everyone in March.

What we’re honest about

Working at AliKats is genuinely wonderful. It’s also genuinely hard.

Mornings are early. Service is full-on. Changeover days are relentless. Guests arrive with high expectations — and occasionally have opinions about everything.

The people who struggle here are the ones who need constant direction, who coast when no one’s watching, or who confuse a ski season in the Alps with a holiday. The people who thrive are the ones who get a genuine kick from doing it properly. Who find satisfaction in a guest who didn’t want to leave, an empty plate, a room that felt exactly right.

Conflict is inevitable when you live and work alongside the same people for twenty weeks. What matters is how you handle it — leaning in rather than away, addressing tension directly, without drama, and moving on.

And yes, you’ll ski. But that’s not why you’re here.

What you’ll get

We won’t micromanage you. We will support you, trust you, and — if you’re good — want you back.

That last part matters more than it might sound. A significant number of our chalet hosts and wider team return season after season. Not because there’s nothing else out there — but because what AliKats offers is genuinely hard to find elsewhere.

Fair compensation. We offer competitive packages plus generous performance bonuses linked directly to guest experience.

Your time off is yours. Two full days off every week — protected, not negotiable. We’re honest that we’re not looking for people who just want to fund a ski season, but we’re equally honest that mountain time matters. Access to a full Portes du Soleil lift pass and free ski or snowboard hire comes as standard, and we work hard to make sure every member of the team gets as much time on the mountain as possible. A happy team is a better team — and nothing makes us happier than making turns on a powder day.

Hard work gets noticed. In addition to performance bonuses, we plan a range of memorable team outings to celebrate work well done. Going the extra mile isn’t invisible here — it’s the thing that makes a season exceptional.

We listen. Every year, we ask our team what’s working and what isn’t — and we actually change things. The experience of working for AliKats is better than it was five years ago because the people who work for us told us how to make it so. That’s not something many companies can honestly say.

You’ll grow. Whether it’s technical skills in the kitchen, hosting confidence, driving experience, or simply learning how to work brilliantly in a high-performing team under pressure — a ski season at AliKats gives you something real to take with you. Strong letters of recommendation for high performers. A reference that means something, from a company that takes that seriously.

You’ll belong. The connections you make in a season like this — with colleagues, with guests, with a mountain community — tend to last. People come for the skiing. They come back for everything else.

How to apply

We recruit on a rolling basis. Strong candidates are offered early — don’t wait until October.

Browse our current openings and fill out our application form below. Whichever role you apply for, we ask the same thing: don’t send a form letter. Tell us why this role — not just “a ski season.” Tell us what you’ll still care about in week twelve. You should also send your CV & a recent photo but they are not as important as your ‘why’.

Once our recruitment window is open, we read every application properly.