Senior Instructor

Dorset Council UK; Weymouth; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

Dorset Outdoor Education Service are looking for an experienced and motivated senior instructor to work at their lively outdoor centre, based in Weymouth.

Just five minutes from the picturesque old harbour, the centre welcomes schools and bespoke groups to enjoy educational outdoor pursuits in and around Weymouth and Portland.

The team are excited to welcome a dynamic and experienced instructor to fill a seasonal gap in the full-time team during April to September. You will be covering two days a week on Thursdays and Fridays where one of the full-time team have reduced their hours. These hours are to be worked flexibly and might require working a different weekday, or covering an evening or occasional weekend around business need.

If you are looking for a role that offers independence and out of the ordinary, then this could be the job for you. One moment you might be coordinating the team in preparation to welcome a coach full of children, the other completing equipment inspections or reviewing activity schedules. The ability to juggle priorities and work with a dynamic task list in a busy environment is a must for whoever joins the team.

The Weymouth site is just one of four Outdoor Education Centres owned by Dorset Council, providing opportunity for growth and cross working should you desire it.

The centre is an integral part of Children’s Services and the post holder will have contact with other colleagues and service users. You will be helping enrich lives within the local community offering vital support services and encourage positive starts to lives.

What You Can Expect To Be Doing

The post holder will be responsible for the safe delivery of adventurous activities, along with the mentorship of less experienced team members. The instructors are the heart and soul of the centre and inspire the people they teach, leaving customers wanting to return for more.

You will be involved in staff training and upskilling; however, the forefront of this seasonal post is the delivery of exciting and memorable day visits to school children. You will also be working with challenging young people on alternative provisions to education and with Dorset Councils children. A small element of the work involves coaching adults, though after work club style sessions, family sessions at weekends and bespoke group bookings.

The team are customer facing and expected to remain polite, courteous and enthusiastic whatever the time of day, or your working environment. For instructors this could include interacting with members of the public along the coastal path, whilst coaching climbing, or helping a customer with a query at the end of a physically tough day. The joy comes from the change of direction such interactions bring, along with the sense of worth from holding important conversations.

You will be expected to be self-contained in the delivery of activities, both onsite and taking groups out in the minibus. It is desirable that you have a D1 minibus category on your driving licence, and that you feel confident to make decisions according to guidance and the dynamic judgement of situations. We encourage the instructors to draw upon their strengths and passions, rather than providing a fully scripted style of delivery where every single session is identical. This allows an element of self-discovery and ability to expand your own instructor toolkit.

About You

The post holder is required to have a broad range of adventure sports qualifications, and hold one or more, to a high level. The candidate should demonstrate passion for their sports and be able to evidence continued personal development.

The individual must have a minimum of two years full time (or seasonal equivalent) experience in delivering outdoor adventurous activities, and at least one year working with young people in an instructor or teaching capacity. Experience working with special educational needs and those with challenging behaviours is required, along with a good understanding of safeguarding and operating procedures.

Due to the varied demands of the role, experience and flexibility is crucial. Not only will you be responsible for the day-to-day delivery of our activities, but you will also be expected to deputise for the centre manager if required.

It is expected that you will possess a 16-hour first aid qualification.

We will expect a Senior Instructor to be able to work safely in the outdoor environment, understand the importance of working to standard operating procedures, can make ‘in-the-moment’ calculated judgements and decisions along with being able to communicate clearly to the customer through a coached delivery approach.