Duty Manager - The Lock Climbing Wall

Permanent, Part Time

£25,959 to £28,621 per annum

Location: Harlow

Working Style: Fixed-base worker

Closing Date:Friday 29th May at 11:59pm

Part time hours - (18.5 hours per week – specifically Wednesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday)

The role:

The Duty Manager will ensure The Lock Climbing Wall operates safely, effectively and efficiently whilst on shift, often acting as the senior and accountable person on site for a busy customer facing climbing wall.

Excellent attention to detail is essential for this role, with a focus on ensuring safety and compliance with strict operating protocols whilst delivering excellent customer service to members and non-members alike.

This role will play a key role in the short and medium term success of The Lock Climbing Wall, and of the wider Essex Outdoors service area.

Accountabilities:

Key part of centre leadership team, contributing to the safe, effective and efficient operation of The Lock Climbing Wall, ensuring customer requirements are determined and allocated correctly and updated as required.
Often acting as the senior and accountable person on site, overseeing safe operation of the climbing wall and supervision of users, including overseeing rope based health and safety rescues.
Provide exceptional levels of customer service and communication to all customers of the Centre throughout their booking, identifying any changing requirements throughout their stay, and responding by resolving directly or by clearly communicating and influencing others.
Lead and indirectly manage staff on duty, including customer service managing bookings and arrivals, and ensuring instructing staff are prepared for upcoming sessions, including management of the booking/group, payment, feedback, and all paperwork. Use the e-bookings system to manage climbing wall and pay and play bookings. Effectively manage the robust customer registration and record of entrance, ensuring that all necessary information is accurately recorded and collated.
Acquire and exhibit excellent product knowledge and use specialist knowledge to provide information, advice and guidance to customers and colleagues on specific bookings.
Actively promote the climbing wall and the wider Essex Outdoors service, including related offers being communicated in person and via proactive outbound sales techniques i.e. email and phone.
Robust administration and processing of payments received, in person or over the telephone, and collation of all monies to be banked according to agreed processes.
Playing a leadership role within the Centre, inspiring and exhibiting the culture and behaviours expected. Must be able to work flexibly across various aspects of climbing wall delivery.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The experience you will bring:

Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE), or equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development and good knowledge in relevant professional area.
Must hold a nationally recognised climbing qualification – Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI), Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI) or Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) - along with a relevant first aid qualification, and demonstrate the ability to learn specific skills necessary to oversee the safety of climbing wall users.
Knowledge and understanding of managing the varied requirements of a busy operational centre. Experience of operating and working well under pressure is desirable.
Experience of working within a learning / educational setting is desirable.
Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills, with the ability to record, report and maintain data effectively, accurately and to deadlines.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to build working relationships

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 March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, 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.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email Sandra.middleton@essex.gov.uk

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