Lead Outdoor Activity Instructor at Danbury

The team at Essex Outdoors Danbury are seeking a Lead Instructor to join them in 2025.

The Role

As a Lead Instructor based at Essex Outdoors Danbury, you will be part of a team delivering high quality outdoor learning opportunities to circa 40,000 visitors per year. Responsible for leading a team of instructors, you will help to provide an excellent service to our customers and contribute to staff development, training, and ensuring compliance with health & safety and other national governing body requirements. 

To read more about our business area, please visit: www.essexoutdors.com

Climate, Environment and Customer Services

The Opportunity

Essex Outdoors is a leading provider of outdoor experiences to schools in the East of England and is looking to grow its customer base both within this region and across the country. Our vision is to make the Essex brand recognised as the UK leader in schools’ outdoor residential provision through innovation and customer focus. Essex Outdoors operates within a commercially competitive environment. 

The Lead Instructor will support the delivery and development of quality outdoor education programmes and NGB programs in liaison with the Essex Outdoors Manager. Taking the lead in health and safety coordination across the activity areas and maintenance of equipment and resources. 

Possessing at least 2, preferably 3 national governing body qualifications and the ability to relate to, motivate and encourage young people and adults to participate in the programmes. The role will plan, develop, monitor and evaluate programmes to measure effectiveness. 

Accountabilities

• Support the development and effective implementation of the outdoor programmes. 
• Lead in the supervision and pastoral care of young people (and adults where necessary) in the centre, to act as a positive role model. 
• Will assist the senior team with inspection and maintenance regimes, organising repairs, renewals and practical maintenance to activity equipment and apparatus to ensure a safe environment. 
• Will support the senior team in ensuring compliance with the local and national Health and Safety requirements. 
• Contribute to the on-going development of Essex Outdoors offer via the development of new courses, activities and training opportunities 
• Develop and deliver training opportunities to meet the learning and development needs of both Essex Outdoors staff and young people such as apprentices and students on work placements. 
• Support quality assurance processes, ensuring the standard and quality of delivery is maintained, recording and collating as appropriate. 
• Accompany customers on visits and outings which may include outdoors activities. 
• Assist the senior team in the delivery of local training and observations of practice. 
• Liaise with customers and centre staff to gain new bookings, generating income for Essex Outdoors. Promoting Essex Outdoors on local and national forums and at conferences, trade fairs, recruitment events etc 
• Deliver outdoor education programs to customers in remote areas of the UK and abroad. 
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework. 

The Experience You Will Bring

• Possesses at least 2, preferably 3 National Governing Body Outdoor Education qualifications at coach level. A D1 & D1E driving licence category is desirable.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and good knowledge in relevant professional area 
• Evidence of significant experience of delivering outdoor provision and/or environmental programs. 
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to motivate, encourage and relate well to young people and adults. 
• Good leadership skills and behaviours with the ability to motivate a diverse team to deliver shared objectives. 
• Ability to organise and plan ahead and develop relevant outdoor youth work programmes in response to assessed educational needs. 
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the youth work curriculum that has been delivered. 
• Experience of establishing and maintaining a safe environment for the specific activity. 

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Our centres

Bradwell - Situated on the River Blackwater Estuary, a lovely stretch of sheltered tidal water with panoramic views and stunning sunsets. Bradwell is a leading provider of sailing, yachting and water sport activities as well as land-based. A residential package is available for instructors.*

Danbury – A large centre set on a 70-acre site of beautiful countryside and woodlands. Danbury runs a large range of both land-based and water-based activities.

Harlow -our oasis of urban adventure offering an amazing range of activities. Harlow includes a specialist climbing and paddle-sport centre, and one of the largest indoor climbing walls in the South East.

Mersea – A large centre in a wonderful coastal setting with views across the Blackwater Estuary. Mersea offers a vast selection of both land and water-based activities. A residential package is available for instructors.*

Full details of all our activities are available here

*Due to the rural location of our Bradwell and Mersea centres, public transport is limited. These centres may be able to offer the opportunity to stay on site. Please indicate in your application if this is something you would require. Otherwise please ensure you are happy and able to travel to the centre in your own transport on a daily basis.