Job Title: Operations Manager
Application Closing Date: 22nd November 2024 – Please note The Bioasis reserves the right to
close applicants early should a suitable candidate be found.
Anticipated Start Date: 6th January 2025
Contracted Hours: 40 hours per week (Typically Monday – Friday 0900 – 1730 out of season)
Unusual Working Hours: During the season some unsociable hours required, occasional
evening/weekend work and other job-related tasks. Overnight duty rota will apply with 1-2 nights
per week.
Location: South Devon (Nr. Ivybridge)
Contract: Full-time permanent subject to successfully passing a probationary period of 10 months.
Salary: £35k
Pension: We contribute to staff pensions in line with our obligations under the workplace pension
scheme.
Holidays: 25 days holiday + 8 Bank Holidays
Reporting to: Adrian Ferraro, Company Director

About The Bioasis:
The Bioasis exists to ignite planet positive behavioural change in individuals and organisations. We were established in 2020 and launched in 2021 as a new style of immersive outdoor residential
programme targeting schools and corporate groups. Situated on a beautiful private estate in South Devon, The Bioasis is spread across rolling hills, wildflower meadows, semi-ancient woodland, salt
marshes and a tidal river estuary. The area is rich in wildlife and biodiversity.

Playful programmes, Serious solutions
Bioasis Missions seek to re-engage people with nature and more importantly, sign-post ways in which we can protect it. We do this through playful programmes and serious solutions. This involves everything from undertaking missions with The Bioasis Defense Force, supporting the estate with conservation and management of invasive species, recording sampling data, flora & fauna surveys and undertaking our infamous canoe mission with The Boat People. All of these activities and more are launched from our off-grid basecamps scattered around the estate in top secret locations. Basecamps are fully equipped with solar electrics, multi-occupancy tents, a full field kitchen, mess tent, composting toilets, hot (outdoor) showers and a fire pit area. We are AALA Licensed, full members of BAPA and have AdventureMark and LoTC accreditation. We also have a 5* Food Hygiene rating. Our vision is to become one of the leading outdoor residential providers in the UK with a focus on high quality behavioural change programmes with a net-positive impact on nature and biodiversity.

About the Role:
At The Bioasis we acknowledge that no one comes into a role with every box checked. If you feel you can meet most of the criteria but have some small gaps then we would still love to hear from you. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, beyond what is required by law. We recognise the broad range of approaches, backgrounds, cultures, and solutions brought by a diverse team makes for a stronger, culturally richer, and more innovative company. Just like the Bioasis, the Operations Manager role is growing and evolving and requires a resourceful, organised and highly adaptable individual to lead our operations across three basecamps and a busy warehouse.

A key responsibility of this role is to ensure the organisation complies with all health, safety and quality legislation required to deliver outdoor residential/adventure programs in a remote, rural setting and ensure safe working practices within the warehouse. Attention to detail, systems
implementation, logistics and monitoring mechanisms / procedures to ensure smooth and efficient operations are critical.
This role involves working independently at times as well as leading and delegating teams, clients, staff, sub-contractors and stakeholders. Working with both permanent staff and select freelancers and ensuring all are supported in their work and wellbeing during our operational periods is a key priority of this role.

Strong communication, logistical planning and project management skills are essential not only to client groups and staff but also to stakeholders and locals, with whom we pride ourselves on having
a very good relationship.

About you
This is varied operational role, and for the right person represents a unique opportunity to work on a stunning estate in South Devon as part of a young, dynamic organisation that is growing rapidly.

You should be comfortable managing many aspects of infrastructure and operations including, camps set up and pack down, storage and maintenance, vehicles, warehouse, food, drinking water and more. The role requires a very high standard of delivery in order to facilitate a high-quality product for school and corporate groups in a remote setting. The company director and activities manager will be available to support you, alongside many experienced returning freelance staff, but
you should be confident in working independently.

You will have a proven track record and strong understanding of workplace health & safety including legislation and compliance to ensure our warehouse, site operations and programme delivery are conducted appropriately.

You will have experience of delivering operations and logistics safely, in-line with risk assessments and our safety management system, and you should have experience of appropriate recording, reporting and informing with regard to incidents, accidents and safeguarding concerns or disclosures.

You will ideally have experience of catering management to ensure that we retain our 5* food hygiene rating. All meals are cooked fresh on each basecamp using fresh, local & organic produce to create wholesome, nutritious meals. You will comfortable taking responsibility for the ordering, delivery and management of food provision, including the supervision of up to three Basecamp Catering Managers.
You will ideally have experience as a designated safeguarding lead (DSL), operating as one of two or three DSLs within the organisation.

In-Season (but not limited to):
• Ensure high quality delivery of project management to support the Activities Manager and Instructors to deliver programmes across 3 basecamps (up to 120 guests at a time), in line with our company vision and values.
• Ensuring high quality client care, enabling feedback mechanisms & booking retention rates.
• Ensuring supply chain of consumables, camp equipment and food is in the right place, at
the right time, to facilitate delivery of the programme.
• Acting as the lead on-site Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL),
• Providing critical safety management and incident response and keeping business
continuity planning up to date in a dynamic environment.
• Ensure infrastructure is in good working order and to a clean, functionable standard that reflects the quality of our product.
• Managing business expenses, financial records & ensuring all spends remain within budget.
• Ensuring appropriate record keeping for any safeguarding concerns, first aid incidents and accidents.
• Have exceptional inter-personal skills so staff & guests feel confident in turning to you if they need help, guidance or support at any time.

Out of Season (but not limited to):
• Ensure all kit equipment is stored, repaired and inventoried appropriately.
• Ensure all basecamps are set up, packed down and secured appropriately
• Lead staff / operational de-briefs, review and planning for the following season.
• Ensure adequate staffing, recruitment levels and high staff retention in line with our safer recruitment policy.
• To help further develop all areas of the business as may be necessary in a small, growing organisation.
• Organising and facilitating staff training and refresher training to ensure standards and any policy changes are effectively implemented.
• Ensure that the organisation remains compliant at all times
• Ensure maintenance plan implemented effectively including fleet management.

Training:
Training on in-house procedures, systems, suppliers, software packages, and job specific tasks will be given. Occasional external training courses may also be required, for which the company would pay. There will be a two-week handover with the departing Operations Manager at the start of your contract.

Person Specifications:
Essential Criteria:
• Full clean UK Driving License.
• At least 2 years experience site management or project management experience preferably in an outdoors, catering or events setting, delivering complex programmes with a fine eye for detail and desire for high standards.
• Demonstrable experience of leading workplace health & safety with a good working knowledge of relevant legislation covering operations.
• Extensive risk assessment, policy & procedural writing experience with the ability to then implement it in on the ground.
• Experience of working in a food business, preferable in a supervisory role or above.
• Highly effective at communication, organisation and liaising with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, clients & guests.
• A professional working knowledge and experience of safeguarding children and young people in residential settings.
• The ability to think and act calmly under pressure.
• Demonstrable experience of group management in an outdoor setting.
• A passion for outdoor education and protecting / conserving nature and biodiversity.
• Strong leadership skills, the ability to balance delegation and being hands on where required and to lead the staff/freelancer team effectively.
• Enthusiasm and a love for learning dynamically within a team structure
• Are familiar with our company values and can demonstrate lived experience of each of them.
• Be fully invested in furthering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within our company and industry.

Desirable Criteria / Qualifications:
• IOSH/NEBOSH Workplace H&S Qualification and experience of managing workplace health & safety with a good working knowledge of relevant legislation.
• Demonstrable management experience within the Outdoor Pursuits/Outdoor Education/Adventure Travel industry.
• NGBs such as ML (Summer), Paddlesport Leader, Archery GB & others are welcome though not essential.
• Off-site Safety Management 2 day course
• Demonstrable experience off-road driving in a variety of conditions including pick-ups and 4x4 capable vehicles including trailers.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead qualification
• Food Hygiene Level 3
• Safer Recruitment training, preferably in an outdoor education setting.
• FREC3 or 16hr Outdoor First Aid
• Strong administrative skills and familiarity with G Drive, Microsoft and CRM systems
• Experience in recruitment and effective staffing
• An interest in health and wellbeing within an outdoor setting
• Working knowledge of Estate and land management, conservation and wilding

Equal Opportunities:
The Immersive Adventure Agency Ltd (trading as The Bioasis) is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing
employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at The Bioasis are based on business needs, job requirements and individual merit, without regard to disability, age, ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, family or parental status. We aim to go beyond the minimum required to fulfil our legal responsibilities. For our full Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, please see this link:
https://www.thebioasis.com/equity-diversity-inclusion
We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics and encourage applicants of all ages.

Safeguarding Statement:
Safeguarding and ensuring the welfare of children and young people is paramount. Please be aware that this post requires satisfactory completion of an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s barring
lists. If you are already registered on the update service with the required level of certification then please be aware that we will need to see the original certificate. In addition to the above, full work history, satisfactory completion of a self-disclosure form and referencing will be required. Failure to satisfy any of the above requirements may lead to an offer of work being withdrawn.

Contact Details:
To apply for the role please send an up-to-date CV and covering letter explaining why you think you should be considered for the role to Jared and Adrian at [email protected]. The Bioasis reserves the right to close the application process early should a suitable candidate be found. For more information please contact us via the above e-mail or call 07508 363 785 for an initial discussion.