Expedition Leaders - Home based + Expeditions

Contract type: Part time / Seasonal

Closing date: 31 Aug 2026 03:00 PM

Location: Home-based for preparation

Salary: £33,000 pa pro rata

Job Description and Person Specification (Seasonal Contract & Freelance)

Pay:

• Seasonal Expedition Leader: £33,000 pro rata, paid monthly throughout the year, plus paid holiday.
• Freelance Expedition Leaders and Instructors: Competitive rates. Details are available on request.

Contract: We are recruiting both:

• Seasonal Expedition Leaders – approximately 30 paid days each season, including expedition delivery and preparation time, between March and October, together with a small number of paid training days each winter.
• Freelance Expedition Leaders and Instructors – working on a flexible day-rate basis throughout the season.

We aim to agree working dates with all members of our Expedition Leadership team before the season begins wherever possible. Days can be spread across weekends, weekdays or a mixture of both to fit around other employment or commitments. Additional work may become available during busy periods and will be offered where possible.

Expected Start: Seasonal Expedition Leaders will join us in September 2026, with a small number of expeditions in September and October forming part of their induction ahead of the main 2027 season. Freelance Expedition Leaders and Instructors will join the team following a successful interview and induction, with opportunities to begin working from Autumn 2026 onwards.

Location: Home-based when preparing for expeditions and on expedition as required. Most of our expeditions take place across the South and East of England, with a smaller number of Gold expeditions in Wales and the North of England. Applicants based in the South of England are therefore preferred.

Outspark is an AALS-registered Approved Activity Provider delivering Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions. We are looking to expand our Expedition Leadership team with people who genuinely enjoy working with young people and believe that outdoor adventure should provide challenge, enjoyment and opportunities for personal growth. If you're someone who enjoys seeing young people grow in confidence, solve problems and achieve something they didn't think possible, you'll fit in well at Outspark.

The Role: We are looking for enthusiastic, organised and hard-working individuals to join our Expedition Leadership team. Whether employed or freelance, your primary role will be delivering high-quality Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, either as the Expedition Leader responsible for the overall delivery of an expedition or as an Instructor or Assessor supporting another leader.

As an Expedition Leader, you will receive the expedition paperwork, routes, staffing information and equipment in advance, prepare thoroughly and deliver the planned expedition alongside a team of instructors. We believe successful expeditions begin long before everyone arrives in the car park. All of our Expedition Leaders, whether employed or freelance, are expected to familiarise themselves with the routes, paperwork and arrangements before each expedition. We recognise that this preparation takes time and we pay our leaders for it. We don't expect people to turn up on the day and work everything out from scratch.

Working Pattern: Our main expedition season runs between March and October. We aim to agree working dates with both our seasonal employees and our freelance Expedition Leaders before the season begins, allowing everyone to plan around other employment and commitments. Seasonal Expedition Leaders will normally work approximately 30 days each season, including expedition delivery and preparation time, together with a small number of paid winter training days. Freelance Expedition Leaders and Instructors are offered work according to their agreed availability and the needs of the programme. Many of our freelancers work with us regularly throughout the season and are an integral part of the wider Outspark team. Both employed staff and freelancers should expect to work weekends, evenings and public holidays where required.

Key responsibilities:

• Leading or instructing on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
• Assessment and management of risk.
• Working a share of Duty Officer shifts throughout the season, receiving communications from expedition staff and liaising with emergency services, clients and parents/guardians where required.
• Previous experience working within the outdoor adventure/education industry with young people.
• You enjoy working with young people and can build rapport with both participants and teachers.
• Knowledge and commitment to the ethos of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
• Experience leading a group of outdoor professionals to deliver DofE or other remotely supervised Expeditions.
• Lowland Leader Award or equivalent.
• A high level of English literacy, and numeracy.
• Ability to build rapport over the phone as well as face to face.
• Excellent multi-tasking and organisational skills.
• Self-driven and focused with the ability to work with limited supervision but also report on progress.
• Teamwork and leadership skills.
• Confidence to contribute to meetings and challenge managers, and defend your professional judgement.
• Full driving licence and access to own vehicle.
• A Mountain Leader (summer) OR Hill and Moorland Leader qualification.
• Other outdoor leading qualifications.
• Other teaching qualifications or experience.

Why Work With Outspark? We believe that looking after our staff is the best way to provide outstanding experiences for young people. When you join Outspark, you can expect:

• A friendly, supportive and professional team who genuinely enjoy working together.
• Thoroughly organised expeditions with time to prepare properly.
• Paid preparation time for Expedition Leaders, whether employed or freelance.
• Working dates agreed in advance wherever possible, helping you balance expedition work with your other commitments.
• Opportunities to work regularly with the same colleagues and schools, building strong professional relationships.
• Long-term relationships with our schools, meaning many of our leaders return to work with the same schools year after year.
• A company that values professional judgement, listens to its staff and welcomes new ideas.
• A reputation for delivering high-quality Duke of Edinburgh expeditions where the experience of the young people always comes first.

How to Apply: There is no need to write a lengthy covering letter or personal statement; we'd much rather have a conversation with the right people.