Programme Design & Safety Executive – UK or UAE

at Xplor Adventure Academy
Published 25th August 2026
Location UK or UAE, United Kingdom
Job Type Full-time  

Description

We're changing how young people learn — through adventure.

Full time / Fixed-term (2 years, renewable)

Salary: £26,500–£28,000 per annum

Based UK or the UAE (candidate's choice)

XPLOR Adventure Academy exists to equip young people with essential life skills through outdoor and adventure-based learning. We run Academy Programs in schools, Seasonal Expeditions, and Custom Events for groups aged 6–18, across both the UK and the UAE. Everything we do is built on certified learning, rigorous safety, and the belief that real growth happens beyond the classroom.

As we grow, we're hiring a Programme Design & Safety Manager to design our next generation of programmes — spanning school programmes, seasonal expeditions and custom events — and to own the safety and safeguarding standards behind everything we deliver.

What you'd be doing:

  • Designing adventure-based programmes for young people, across school programmes, seasonal expeditions and custom events
  • Producing risk assessments, safe operating procedures and instructor manuals, and owning safeguarding standards across every programme
  • Training and mentoring instructors and partner organisations across the UK and the UAE
  • Sourcing equipment and testing new programmes in the field, feeding what you learn back into how we design

Who we're looking for: Someone with a background in outdoor education or adventure sports, NGB qualifications, and a genuine eye for both safety and creativity — comfortable writing a risk assessment and designing a programme in the same week.

Must haves:

  • Qualification(s) in outdoor education, adventure sports, education, sports coaching or a related discipline
  • Experience delivering and managing outdoor education or adventure activity programmes
  • Experience creating session plans, activity programmes or educational resources
  • Strong understanding of risk assessment and safe operating procedures
  • Experience training, mentoring or assessing instructors or staff
  • Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to work independently while collaborating with a remote team
  • Clean UK driving licence
  • NGB qualifications in one or more adventure sports (e.g. climbing, paddlesports, mountain biking, archery or similar)
  • First Aid qualification
  • Enhanced DBS check (or willingness to obtain one)
  • Right to work in the UK

The role:

  • Salary: £26,500–£28,000 per annum
  • Full-time, 2-year fixed-term (renewable)
  • Reports to the General Manager
  • Start date: September 2026

If based in the UK:

  • Remote-first, with regular international travel (up to 25% of time, mostly to the UAE)

If based in the UAE:

  • Hybrid, with occasional international travel

If you're ready to help redefine how young people learn — and want to build the safety foundation that makes that possible — we'd love to hear from you.

Apply with your CV and a cover letter explaining why you're the right fit to [email protected]

Closing date: August 31st, 2026.

We are particularly keen to hear from members of the Explorers Connect community so please mention Explorers Connect in your application.