Seasonal Assistant

Job Description

Seasonal Assistant

Hours: Full-time 8.30am – 4.30pm (7.5 hours a day/37.5 hours per week) for July 2026.

Location: Hill End Outdoor Education Centre, Oxford

Reports to: Site and Operations Manager

Salary: £12.71/hour

Job Type: temporary, fixed-term

Introduction

The Hill End Outdoor Education Centre has been providing unique outdoor learning
experiences to children and adults for 100 years. The Centre is located in 67 acres of
beautiful woodland and meadow just 3 miles West of Oxford, and operates a busy
programme of residential and non-residential visits throughout the year to schools and
organised groups. These include quality outdoor educational sessions for all ages, self-
catering residential buildings, meeting and classroom spaces, camping, teacher and adult
training, alternative education provision, volunteering opportunities and family events.

The Centre is run by an independent charitable trust who wish to employ a seasonal
assistant to help with a variety of practical tasks during our busiest time of year. The ideal
candidate will be enthusiastic, flexible, friendly and helpful. We are looking for someone
who can work for one calendar month in July 2026, Mon-Friday with the possibility of some
weekend working or further ad hoc days later in the summer.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors this summer and gain work experience in
stunning natural surroundings where every day is different!

Principal Duties

  Hospitality – assisting the team with a wide variety of tasks to assist our school groups

and other visitors. These may include helping move luggage, making beds, assisting with
customer requests or requirements that may arise.

  Cleaning - this may include cleaning dormitories, meeting rooms, classrooms, toilets,

shower rooms and tents. Emptying bins, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning walls, floors and
other similar duties.

  Assisting Hill End staff and volunteers with general repairs and maintenance, outdoor

land management and conservation tasks as required.

  Lifting, moving and setting up furniture, tents and equipment in line with health and

safety procedures.

  Miscellaneous duties of a practical nature as circumstances demand, or at the

reasonable request of the Site and Operations Manager.

  Adhering to all safe working practices in line with Hill End policies and the induction

training provided.

Knowledge, experience, skills and personal attributes required

Hill End Outdoor Education Centre has a small, dedicated staff who are all committed to the
aims of the charity. The successful applicant will share the values and enthusiasm of the
team and be prepared to join-in wholeheartedly with making the Centre a success. They will
enjoy working with young people in an outdoors environment. They will be willing to work
with the volunteers and trainees who assist with many tasks across the site.

The successful applicant must have:

  Basic numeracy and literacy skills to complete checklists, receive written and verbal

instructions and follow Health & Safety information.
  A satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
  Ability to complete manual handling tasks.
  Awareness of their responsibility to protect the safety and promote the welfare of

young people visiting the Centre.

It would be an advantage for an applicant to have:

  Previous experience working in a similar role
  Basic handyperson skills.
  Ability to work flexibly within a small close-knit team.
  A current driving licence

Application Procedure

To satisfy the requirements for safer recruitment, we need to ask for a full employment
record. Details of any gaps between jobs or between finishing education and employment
must be provided. Please apply by submitting the following:

  A CV including employment history and full contact details of at least two referees.
  A cover letter explaining why you would like to take up this role

The closing date for applications is 5pm Friday 3 April 2026.

Interviews will take place on Monday 13 April 2026 at Hill End. Video calls can be arranged
if necessary.

Please contact us (at lucy.crittenden@hill-end.org) if you have any queries.

Hill End is committed to safeguarding children and young people.  All post holders in
regulated activity are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure
and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Hill End seeks to embed its key values in the recruitment of new team members - to be
passionate about all people’s learning and development of skills. To ensure that everyone
is respected and valued, and can feel safe and secure. To acknowledge achievements and
celebrate success.

You can read more about Hill End on our website, and access key documents such as our
Safeguarding Policy and our Equalities and Diversity Policy and Commitment.

www.hill-end.org