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Outdoor activities/education manager

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Outdoor activities/education managers run centres that provide facilities, courses and programmes in outdoor sports and activities

As an outdoor activities/education manager, you'll run a centre that offers a mix of land and water-based sports, such as rock climbing, cycling, horse riding, hill walking, orienteering, kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding. You may also work with specific client groups, including school and college students, people with additional needs, or community and youth groups.

Most managers start out as instructors and may continue to teach in their specialist area alongside management duties. You'll have overall responsibility for the centre, leading staff, managing budgets, and ensuring safety standards are met at all times.

Alternative job titles for this role include outdoor pursuits manager, head of centre, chief instructor, course director and operations manager.

Responsibilities

As an outdoor activities/education manager, you'll need to:

  • recruit and manage staff and support their training and development
  • ensure staff adhere to safety regulations, including those set out by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) where applicable
  • make sure that equipment and facilities are safe and that guests follow procedures
  • assess risks and respond to any issues quickly
  • provide instruction in a specialist area, such as mountaineering, sailing or paddle sports
  • keep your own qualifications up to date through further training
  • plan programmes of activities for schools, colleges, youth groups or other clients
  • prepare educational resources and sometimes give evening talks or workshops
  • deal with guest queries, feedback and complaints
  • record, report and respond to accidents or incidents
  • manage centre finances, including salaries, invoices and budgets
  • oversee catering, housekeeping and accommodation if this is provided
  • maintain facilities, equipment and the wider site
  • promote the centre through marketing, websites and networking
  • evaluate provision and develop new activities to meet demand, e.g. holiday clubs or new sports
  • apply for funding (especially in charity or community settings)
  • monitor weather and environmental conditions for safety
  • hire out facilities for other uses, e.g. corporate away-days, yoga retreats or residential study groups
  • build links with organisations such as national parks, the National Trust and governing bodies for specific sports.

Salary

  • Many people begin as seasonal instructors or apprentices. Starting salaries are 拢12,000 to 拢18,000, with board and accommodation sometimes included.
  • Senior instructors can earn 拢22,000 to 拢28,000, depending on experience and specialist skills.
  • Experienced centre managers typically earn between 拢32,000 and 拢42,000, with higher salaries possible in large organisations.

Some roles include overtime pay or shift allowances. Meals and accommodation may also be provided.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Hours are often long and irregular, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

In residential centres, you may need to be always on call, which can make switching off difficult.

Seasonal work is common, with many contracts running from Easter to October. Some instructors work abroad in the winter - in ski resorts for example.

What to expect

  • You'll split your time between offices, classrooms and outdoor environments.
  • Work can be physically demanding and weather dependent.
  • Some centres are in remote locations, offering full residential facilities for guests. Being responsible for staff and guest wellbeing can be challenging but rewarding.
  • The industry includes many freelancers who work across several centres with qualifications accredited by a national governing body (NGB).

Qualifications

You don't always need a degree, but it can improve your chances of securing management roles. Useful subjects include:

  • outdoor education, outdoor adventure leadership or recreation management
  • sport, physical education or coaching
  • business or leisure management.

Postgraduate qualifications are available in outdoor education and recreation management, but a Masters degree is not necessary for entry to the profession.

Search postgraduate courses in outdoor education.

Teaching qualifications are also valued, especially in local authority centres.

Many people enter the profession as seasonal instructors and progress to senior instructor and then centre manager. Others move into the sector from teaching, the armed forces, youth work or coaching.

Skills

You'll need to show evidence of:

  • strong leadership and people management skills
  • the ability to inspire, motivate and support others
  • excellent teamwork and communication
  • confidence in facilitating groups of people, including those with mixed abilities
  • customer service skills
  • a calm approach and ability to make good decisions in challenging situations
  • planning and organisational ability
  • financial and business awareness
  • creativity and flexibility in programme design
  • stamina, good health and physical fitness
  • an up-to-date first aid qualification (and lifesaving if working in water sports)
  • a licence to drive a minibus or to tow a trailer - is useful for transporting clients and equipment.

Work experience

You'll need to gain skills and experience in at least one outdoor activity and the more activity skills you can offer, the better. Finding a work placement or doing voluntary work in an outdoor activities centre is a valuable way of gaining experience.

Participate as much as you can in extra-curricular activities such as clubs and societies too as this will all strengthen your CV.

You'll also need experience of working as an instructor, along with a formal instructor's qualification from the appropriate national governing body (NGB) in at least one main activity. If these qualifications are not offered as part of your degree course or through the clubs you are involved in, contact the national NGB for your sport(s) for details of courses and qualifications.

Find details of the NGB relevant to your country:

Activities and awards such as the following will be an advantage:

Find out more about the different kinds of听work experience and internships听that are available.

Employers

Common employers include:

Clients can include:

  • schools
  • colleges
  • corporate teams - for team bonding and developing teamwork skills
  • youth offending teams, social services and probation seeking programmes for personal development, rehabilitation building life skills
  • community groups
  • private groups (e.g. stag or hen parties).

Look for job vacancies at:

Professional development

Training is ongoing, and it's essential to keep your qualifications up to date, including first aid and any technical qualifications.

Employers often support instructors to gain additional qualifications through national governing bodies or the IOL.

Membership of IOL or CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) provides networking, training and professional recognition.

Further training could include business management, coaching, mentoring or facilities management.

Career prospects

There isn't a fixed career ladder, but with experience you can progress quickly to supervisory and management roles, particularly in larger organisations. Opportunities may include:

  • managing multiple centres or moving into regional/head office roles
  • administrative or strategic posts with national governing bodies (NGBs) or sports councils
  • working abroad with international providers
  • setting up your own centre or freelance business
  • moving into further or higher education with the right qualifications
  • roles in related industries, such as outdoor equipment design or countryside management.

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