Chief Instructor - Buckinghamshire
Woodrow High House
Salary £28,500 p/a
Contract Ongoing FTE
Hours 42 hours per week on average.
Includes evenings, overnights, weekends and bank holidays.
Summary Purpose - what you will be achieving
Our people are the heart of Woodrow. As one of three Chief Instructors, you will join the collective leadership of a team of professional, enthusiastic and passionate instructors. We are committed to providing high-quality quality outstanding outdoor learning and residential experiences, with a focus on outcomes for children and young people, and this role plays an active part in achieving that aim. We are looking for a well-qualified outdoor practitioner with a clear understanding of what effective outdoor learning looks, and with a passion for delivering learning outside the classroom.
More widely, this role works across teams to support wider operational objectives, including Sales & Marketing, Leisure Operations, and Facilities. There is regular collaboration with the wider London Youth team, and our sister centre, Hindleap Warren.
The Chief Instructor role offers an excellent opportunity for the right candidate. We are looking for someone flexible, enthusiastic, motivated, and customer-focused who brings excellent people management, organisational, and customer service skills to the role. The post requires an individual with an aptitude for training and supporting colleagues and a flexible approach to working hours.
About the role – what you will be doing (Shared between Chief Instructors)
Outdoor Learning & Residential Operations
- Oversee the activity provision, ensuring safe, effective delivery by centre operating procedures and relevant National Governing Body guidelines.
- Act as Duty Manager cover to lead the residential centre operation when required, including weekends, and be ‘On Call’ overnight, on a rota basis.
- Support activity and programme development, liaising with customers before their visit, and designing these to meet their needs using Cinolla.
- Support proactive staffing of activity operations; ensuring shifts are communicated in good time.
- Feed into the development of annual plans and budgets that support our strategic objectives
- Develop and enhance our offer to optimise visitor experience and centre efficiency, improving existing programmes and sessions as well as considering the scope for new ones.
- Support the collection of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning and Customer Experience data from customers, ensuring we are meeting our objectives on outcomes delivery for young people.
Cross-Site Operations
- Work with the Head of Centre to ensure that the operational delivery staffing model best meets the needs of the Centre, supporting recruitment and new staff inductions accordingly.
- Support the smooth running of the Leisure Centre operation, as appropriate.
- Work to ensure that our activities, buildings, and grounds are fully inclusive and accessible for all users, as much as is practically possible.
- Work with the Head of Centre to support work experience opportunities for the centre, developing relationships and links with potential partners to support future recruitment.
- Support corporate volunteer opportunities that may provide development of activity areas.
People Management
- Lead an efficient and high-performing instructor team, ensuring all operational areas are run effectively, maintaining the highest standards of safety and excellent customer experience.
- Effectively line-manage and support the development of your team through regular 121s, reviews and annual appraisals, including working on their personal CPD development.
- Encourage and motivate your team, assisting with mentoring, training and development ensuring that all training needs are met, is appropriate, targeted and stay within budget.
Health & Safety Compliance
- Ensure we maintain or surpass standards required to meet external accreditations such as the LOtC Quality Badge, AHOEC Gold and AAIAC Adventuremark.
- Manage activity equipment (including PPE), implement inspections, maintain accurate records and actioning remedial works, by statutory and/ or industry best practices.
- Ensure a compliant and professional team, supporting ongoing training and regular observations, and maintaining records to support operational delivery readiness.
- Support the Head of the Centre with the review, updating and development of activity risk assessments and operating procedures, where relevant.
- Support the Facilities Manager in ensuring buildings, equipment, grounds, and any other operational facilities are safe and fit for purpose.
Personal Development – Yourself, Others & Corporate Responsibilities
- Ensure your training and competence is achieved and maintained, taking responsibility for your ongoing professional development.
- Be an excellent role model, ensuring the messages of education and development we deliver to our clients are demonstrated personally and given honestly.
- Manage resources to the highest standards and act as a custodian of best practice.
- Demonstrate good practice and play a proactive part in the implementation of the work and policy of London Youth as a whole, supporting the vision, mission and aims of the charity.
- Reflect our inclusive culture in your day-to-day work and support a positive health & safety and safeguarding culture in your interactions with colleagues.
- Follow our organisation’s anti-racism principles and practices as you actively promote and respect diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work and working relationships.
Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably requested by London Youth’s management that ensure the ongoing operational success of the charity and delivery of excellent customer experiences.
About you – what you bring to the role
Experience, Knowledge & Skills
- Three or more full years experience delivering a range of outdoor learning activities
- Experience working with a range of customers, including young people and adults, with different backgrounds and varying needs, in an outdoor learning environment
- Experience in effectively leading, managing and motivating people
- Experience managing a complex workload, with an ability to prioritise and make confident effective decisions when faced with conflicting priorities
- Demonstrable understanding of the value of outdoor learning and associated outcomes
- Working knowledge of safeguarding matters, health and safety best practices and how this can be applied in practice to outdoor activities
- Computer literate and competent in using Microsoft Office365 applications
- Experience using Cinolla, or a similar resource management system would be advantageous
- Experience in risk management including the production of documentation would be advantageous
Qualifications
- Minimum of three of the following recognised NGB instructing/coaching qualifications: High Ropes (ERCA Traditional Instructor, ERCA Generic Rescuer); Climbing (CWI or higher); Archery GB Instructor or higher; Walking/Expedition Leading (Hill & Moorland Leader or higher); Mountain Bike Leader/ Coach (MIAS/ British Cycling Level 2 or equivalent); Bushcraft Instructor/ Leader (Level 2 or higher)
- A valid first aid qualification – Essential
- PPE Inspector – Highly Desirable
- Ropes Course Inspection & Maintenance – Desirable
- Current National Pool Lifeguarding Qualification (NPLQ) - Desirable
- APIOL or RPIOL - Desirable
- D1 Minibus Driving License – Desirable
Essential Personal Attributes
We are looking for an excellent communicator, full of passion, enthusiasm, and a willingness to help develop and support young people through outdoor learning. You must possess the following:
- Excellent people management skills, able to motivate and inspire your team and others
- A composed demeanour, able to stay calm under pressure and problem-solve effectively
- Be a collaborative team player with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
- Be an excellent role model who personally reflects our values
- Be self-motivated with a positive attitude, impeccable work ethic and a flexible approach to work
- Have a customer-centric mindset with exceptional customer service skills
- Absolute commitment to London Youth’s principles of equality, diversity and inclusion
- Demonstrate living our values of being Ambitious, Collaborative, Inclusive, and Accountable.
If this is the role for you, please submit your application through London Youth’s careers page. It is essential that in your written application you give evidence of examples of proven experience/skills for ‘what you will bring to the role’ criteria.
If you have questions regarding the role or the recruitment process, please contact: [email protected] FAO Head of Centre, Asti.