Assistant Outdoor Activities Manager
| Posting date: | 05 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 30 January 2026 |
| Location: | Cromhall, Wotton-Under-Edge |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | South West Maritime Academy |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | SWMA/Lake_OAM |
Summary
The Role: A True All-Rounder
We are looking for a hardworking, practical Assistant Outdoor Activities Manager who leads by example. This is not a "desk job"; it is a role for someone who is happy to pivot from office admin to physical labour at a moment's notice. You will support the Outdoor Activities Manager in the daily running of the site, ensuring our visitors have a safe, clean, and welcoming experience. Whether you are overseeing water safety, gritting a path, or helping out in the catering unit, you’ll approach every task with the same "can-do" energy.
What You’ll Do
The Lake is a hive of activity, and your role is to ensure it stays that way. Our site is open to visitors for open water swimming, scuba diving and paddleboarding sessions running throughout the day. You will take a hands-on approach to running these sessions, ensuring that everything is correctly set up before the first guest arrives. Beyond daily operations, you will assist in helping to organise and run our calendar of exciting events, including triathlons, social gatherings, and seasonal themed events like our popular "Glow Swims."
Your daily routine will be physically active and highly varied. You will be responsible for the "behind-the-scenes" essentials that keep the site functional. This means rolling up your sleeves for site maintenance: gritting paths during frosty mornings, mopping the changing room floors, emptying bins, and carrying out necessary repairs or maintenance tasks around the quarry. You will constantly monitor the site to highlight and fix issues as they arise, ensuring the environment is always presentable and safe for our community.
When you aren't on the lakeside, you will be managing the operational "nuts and bolts" of the business. You will also assist the commercial areas by monitoring stock for the retail shop and food truck, managing deliveries, and handling end-of-day cash and reporting. You will also help maintain our social media presence, capturing the daily life of The Lake to keep our followers engaged. Above all, you are a core part of the team, stepping in wherever the business needs you most to ensure we meet our goals.
Skills – What We Are Looking For
Essential:
A Practical Mindset: You are genuinely happy to roll up your sleeves for physical tasks like cleaning, gritting, and basic maintenance.
Operational Drive: Well-organised and able to prioritise tasks in a fast-paced, outdoor environment.
Resilience: Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions and staying positive under pressure.
Customer Focus: Excellent communication skills and a friendly approach to our regular divers, swimmers, and paddlers.
Tech Savvy: Computer literate with a good eye for social media content (photos and videos).
Desirable:
A water safety qualification (OWL, NPLQ, etc.) or RYA Powerboat Level 2.
A recognised First Aid qualification.
Experience in catering or retail stock management.
A personal interest in open water swimming, paddleboarding, or scuba diving.
Working Pattern:
This role requires a flexible approach to working hours, involving alternate weekends with days off in lieu during the week.
About The Lake
Located within the rugged, scenic landscape of Cromhall Quarry in South Gloucestershire, The Lake is a premier destination for open-water swimming, scuba diving, and paddleboarding. As part of South West Maritime Academy, we pride ourselves on professional safety standards. From our crystal-clear limestone waters, featuring submerged attractions like a light aircraft and helicopter, to our popular food truck and on-site swim shop, we offer a unique environment that requires constant care and attention to keep running smoothly.
The Lake is a beautiful place to work, but it is also a remote outdoor site. We are looking for a manager who is as comfortable behind a computer screen as they are with a shovel, a mop, or a crate of stock. If you are looking for a role that is strictly desk-based, this won't be the right fit for you!
We are looking for a hardworking, practical Assistant Outdoor Activities Manager who leads by example. This is not a "desk job"; it is a role for someone who is happy to pivot from office admin to physical labour at a moment's notice. You will support the Outdoor Activities Manager in the daily running of the site, ensuring our visitors have a safe, clean, and welcoming experience. Whether you are overseeing water safety, gritting a path, or helping out in the catering unit, you’ll approach every task with the same "can-do" energy.
What You’ll Do
The Lake is a hive of activity, and your role is to ensure it stays that way. Our site is open to visitors for open water swimming, scuba diving and paddleboarding sessions running throughout the day. You will take a hands-on approach to running these sessions, ensuring that everything is correctly set up before the first guest arrives. Beyond daily operations, you will assist in helping to organise and run our calendar of exciting events, including triathlons, social gatherings, and seasonal themed events like our popular "Glow Swims."
Your daily routine will be physically active and highly varied. You will be responsible for the "behind-the-scenes" essentials that keep the site functional. This means rolling up your sleeves for site maintenance: gritting paths during frosty mornings, mopping the changing room floors, emptying bins, and carrying out necessary repairs or maintenance tasks around the quarry. You will constantly monitor the site to highlight and fix issues as they arise, ensuring the environment is always presentable and safe for our community.
When you aren't on the lakeside, you will be managing the operational "nuts and bolts" of the business. You will also assist the commercial areas by monitoring stock for the retail shop and food truck, managing deliveries, and handling end-of-day cash and reporting. You will also help maintain our social media presence, capturing the daily life of The Lake to keep our followers engaged. Above all, you are a core part of the team, stepping in wherever the business needs you most to ensure we meet our goals.
Skills – What We Are Looking For
Essential:
A Practical Mindset: You are genuinely happy to roll up your sleeves for physical tasks like cleaning, gritting, and basic maintenance.
Operational Drive: Well-organised and able to prioritise tasks in a fast-paced, outdoor environment.
Resilience: Comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions and staying positive under pressure.
Customer Focus: Excellent communication skills and a friendly approach to our regular divers, swimmers, and paddlers.
Tech Savvy: Computer literate with a good eye for social media content (photos and videos).
Desirable:
A water safety qualification (OWL, NPLQ, etc.) or RYA Powerboat Level 2.
A recognised First Aid qualification.
Experience in catering or retail stock management.
A personal interest in open water swimming, paddleboarding, or scuba diving.
Working Pattern:
This role requires a flexible approach to working hours, involving alternate weekends with days off in lieu during the week.
About The Lake
Located within the rugged, scenic landscape of Cromhall Quarry in South Gloucestershire, The Lake is a premier destination for open-water swimming, scuba diving, and paddleboarding. As part of South West Maritime Academy, we pride ourselves on professional safety standards. From our crystal-clear limestone waters, featuring submerged attractions like a light aircraft and helicopter, to our popular food truck and on-site swim shop, we offer a unique environment that requires constant care and attention to keep running smoothly.
The Lake is a beautiful place to work, but it is also a remote outdoor site. We are looking for a manager who is as comfortable behind a computer screen as they are with a shovel, a mop, or a crate of stock. If you are looking for a role that is strictly desk-based, this won't be the right fit for you!