Join Our Team as Our First Adventure Operations Manager

Adventurous Ewe is a small, family-run adventure travel company dedicated to creating extraordinary travel experiences with a strong focus on sustainability, meaningful connections, and responsible tourism. Since 2007, we’ve taken pride in delivering unique, small-group adventures across the world, and now, we’re growing! This is an exciting opportunity to become one-third of our core team, helping to steer Adventurous Ewe toward even greater success.

Why Work for Adventurous Ewe?

Joining us means more than just a job – it’s about being part of a close-knit team that’s passionate about adventure and sustainability. You’ll play a crucial role in shaping and managing our operations, ensuring seamless and unforgettable experiences for our adventurers. We are ABTOT bonded, proud members of AITO, holders of the Travelife Partner Award, and supporters of Cool Earth and Cymdeithas Eryri – The Snowdonia Society.

We believe that adventure travel is all about the details, from carefully crafted itineraries and responsible travel practices to the personal connections we foster with our travellers and local partners. As our first Adventure Operations Manager, you’ll be at the heart of it all, making a real impact in the world of sustainable adventure travel.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Safety Management & Crisis Response – Oversee safety management processes, risk assessments, emergency response plans, and provide training for local leaders to ensure best practice safety standards.
Leading Operations – Oversee the planning, logistics, and delivery of our adventure trips, ensuring smooth execution from start to finish.
Sustainability & Responsible Travel – Help us continue to evolve as a Travelife Partner Award holder, ensuring best practices in responsible tourism.
Customer Experience – Support and engage with our travellers, from pre-departure queries to post-trip feedback, ensuring top-notch customer service.
Supplier & Partner Management – Work closely with our network of local operators, guides, and accommodations to uphold high-quality adventure experiences.
Marketing & Digital Presence – Assist in content gathering and creation, and innovative ways to inspire our community.

What We’re Looking For:

Significant experience (3+ years) in Operational Management and/or Product Management within the adventure travel or outdoor sector, with a strong track record of delivering seamless and high-quality travel experiences.
A safety-first mindset, with the ability to develop, implement, and oversee top-tier safety management protocols, risk assessments, and crisis response procedures.
A huge passion for adventure travel and a strong understanding of the industry.
Organisational skills with great attention to detail.
A commitment to sustainability and responsible travel.
An adaptable and hands-on approach – we’re a small team, so flexibility and enthusiasm are key!

What’s In It for You?

A key role in a growing adventure travel company – your work will shape our future.
A small but mighty team where your ideas and contributions truly matter.
The opportunity to travel and experience our adventures firsthand.
A chance to make a real difference in the world of sustainable tourism.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please see the Job Description below and details of how to apply.

ADVENTURE OPERATIONS MANAGER

Job Description

Overview

Adventurous Ewe is looking for an Adventure Operations Manager to play a key role in our growing and dynamic team. This role is perfect for an organised, detail-driven, and adventure-loving professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about creating seamless, safe, and sustainable travel experiences.

As part of our small but mighty team, you will be responsible for overseeing safety and risk management, ensuring operational excellence, setting up new trips from concept to launch, and providing a seamless journey for our travellers. You’ll also be at the forefront of sustainable tourism, helping us achieve our Travelife Certified Award and ensuring our adventures have a positive impact on the people and places we visit.

If you’re ready to bring innovation, organisation, huge attention to detail and a spirit of adventure to the table, we’d love to hear from you!

About Adventurous Ewe

Since 2007, Adventurous Ewe has been designing extraordinary adventure experiences that leave lasting impressions. We believe in the transformational power of travel – for both our travellers and the communities we work with. Our journeys are crafted with decades of wanderlust and wisdom, built from firsthand experiences, not glossy brochures. Whether it’s trekking remote mountains, kayaking wild waters, or navigating bustling cities, our adventures are immersive, responsible, and uniquely crafted.

If you want to be part of a team that values sustainability, adventure, personable and meaningful connections, this is the perfect role for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Trip Operations & Development

Manage trip logistics, including contracts, supplier agreements, booking management and Travelife award requirements.
Update and maintain safety management systems, safety audit, emergency management processes, risk assessments and operating procedures to ensure best practice safety standards. Support tour operations and manage any crisis situations while trips are in progress.
Update and maintain the Leader & Crew Handbook while creating an online training program to equip both UK and overseas Leaders for leading Adventurous Ewe trips.
Ensure Trip Leaders are fully prepared for travel by handling service bookings, providing thorough briefings and debriefings, and creating trip-specific documentation including briefing checklists and recordings.
Gather and compile post-trip feedback to share with our Local Operators and Leaders for continuous improvement.
Oversee and enhance our itineraries as needed to boost traveller satisfaction and trip popularity.
Design, develop, and launch new trips, ensuring they are safe, seamless, and maximise sustainability operations.
Responsible for directly contacting potential partners, building relationships, making quality and safety assessment decisions, and negotiating pricing and contractual agreements.
Reviewing product performances, identifying market trends and consumer behaviour.

Project & Event Management

Project manage allocated UK events and overseas trips, overseeing everything from account management, relevant bookings and operations to staffing and reporting.
Ensure all permits, permissions, and operational logistics & bookings are in place for each UK event and overseas trip.
Coordinate and brief Leaders, Crew and Local Operators to deliver top-quality and stand-out Adventurous Ewe experiences.

Traveller Management & Onboarding

Provide every traveller with a smooth, personalised experience from booking through to their adventure and safe return home.
Act as the point of contact for traveller queries, ensuring they are well-prepared and supported.
Collect and analyse traveller feedback to improve future trips.

Sustainable Tourism Operations

Lead sustainable tourism initiatives, ensuring responsible and ethical travel practices.
Continuously monitor and maintain compliance with Travelife requirements to support recertification.
Support the Head of Sustainability in monitoring, calculating and managing the carbon footprint of our trips.
Assist with producing and publishing our annual Sustainability Report as part of our Travelife award.

General Operations & Admin

Continuously improve systems and processes for greater efficiency and traveller satisfaction.
Assist with new booking platform integration and website content updates.
Act as a company representative at trade shows and networking events.
Support and contribute to various aspects of the business as needed.
Work collaboratively with Jim, Sue, and the wider AE team, ensuring a smooth and safe running operation.

We’re a bunch of team players, so it’s important you’re happy getting involved in tasks (big or small) outside your remit when required. As a growing business your responsibilities may change but we always look to provide opportunities to develop your career based on your personal ambitions.

Desirable:

Knowledge of, and experience working in adventure travel – hiking, mountain trekking, cycling, snowshoeing and other human powered activities.
Tech-savvy with experience in travel apps, booking systems, and digital tools (or a willingness to learn).
Knowledge and experience of working with a multi country-based adventure travel organisation.

What we offer:

An entrepreneurial and creative environment where great ideas are actively encouraged, and taking responsibility for them is expected.
The warm fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you are making a huge difference to local economies and communities and also all our travellers who are fortunate to visit them.
25 days holiday per year (additional days with long service) plus public holidays.
Annual company performance-based bonus.
Flexible hours and remote working (within +2/-2 GMT).
Pension scheme (UK employees only).
Experience what we do: everyone goes on a designated free AE trip to gain first-hand experience of what we do.
20% employee discount, plus 10% friends and family discount for nominated AE trips.
Exciting opportunities to shape new adventures and travel to AE destinations.
Ongoing training and career development in adventure tourism.
A supportive and passionate team that truly loves what we do.
The chance to make a real impact in a small, growing company.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

Adventurous Ewe is committed to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming applications from individuals of all backgrounds, genders, and ages. We believe in building a diverse and passionate team that not only drives positive change within our workforce but also fosters meaningful connections and challenges perceptions in the destinations we explore.

Need to know details

Salary: £28,000 – £31,000 depending on experience, plus benefits listed above.
Closing date for applications: 12pm on Monday 3 March however we reserve the right to close to new applications before this date.
Preferred start date: April 2025.
Working hours: a full-time role is 40 hours per week, with core hours being 10:00 – 16:00 GMT (regardless of where you are based), and a flexible hours policy for the remaining time. Some weekend work required particularly during the summer months.
Location: you must be resident in the UK.

JOIN US!

What does the recruitment process look like?

Stage 1: Please submit your CV along with a cover letter detailing why you are the ideal candidate for this role to susan@adventurousewe.co.uk
Stage 2: Short call, approx 30 minutes. A ‘get to know each other’ interview, to find out more about your experience and personal passion for active adventure travel.
Stage 3: Prepare a written assignment to present in an interview.
Stage 4: Attend an interview with Jim & Sue.