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Professional Services
Sport & Recreation Department
Senior Sports Operations Assistant (inc Lifeguarding) x2
Employment type: Permanent
Employment basis: Full time
Salary: £20,600 to £22,847 per annum
Post number: ZZ007056
Date published: 9 September 2021
Closing date: 23 September 2021
Assessment dates:
Swim assessment (if you do not already hold a current RLSS lifesaving qualification): 27/28 September 2021
Interview for those progressed from the swim test: 4/5 October 2021
We're looking for two excellent individuals to join our team as Senior Sports Operations Assistants, working as part of an operational team assisting with the daily operation of the facility.
About us
Ravelin Sports Centre is an outstanding new public sports centre opening later this year in Portsmouth. The £57M sports centre’s superb facilities include a 25m 8 lane swimming pool, 175 station fitness suite, climbing wall, ski simulator, café and community orchard set in historic parkland.
Our values are simple, we’re customer-centric, we’re developing excellence in all areas, we’re creating opportunities all with the focus of improving physical activity. If you share our values, share our ambitions and have the abilities to contribute to our success we’re keen to hear from you.
About the role
You will help ensure that the sports facilities environment is safe for use and that a high level of customer service is maintained at all times. Alongside your responsibility for lifeguarding (providing immediate first aid / water rescue when required), you will help get sport areas ready for activity (including moving equipment safely), wider first aid provision and equipment cleaning; providing a high quality and friendly customer experience. There will also be a requirement for you to cover other operational tasks, as required. You’ll play a key role in enhancing the University’s reputation for sport, and establish the University as one of the leading modern universities for sport within the HE sector.
In the absence of a Sport’s Duty Supervisor you will be responsible for the effective and efficient supervision of our sports facilities at the University of Portsmouth. You will be accountable for supervising a small operational team and ensuring that the provision of safe, clean and high quality facilities and sport and physical activity opportunities are available to our customers.
The post holder will work a 37 hour week, with your working hours on a shift based system which will include the requirement for you to work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, University Closure days and Bank Holidays over a 362 day a year service.
What we're looking for
You’ll need knowledge of good practices of:
- Experience of supervising a team
- An appropriate lifesaving qualification (preferably NPLQ or NRASTC or equivalent) or the ability to work towards this within 6 months of appointment
- Pool Plant Operators Certificate or the ability to work towards this within 2 months of appt
- Ability to swim to a high standard and dive to depths of up to 2m
Full details of the responsibilities and duties of the role, as well as the skills, experience and personal qualities we are looking for, can be found in the further particulars document attached to this advert.
Assessments
If candidates do not hold a current RLSS lifesaving qualification they will be invited for a swim assessment is required. Candidates must meet the following criteria as a prerequisite of attending the lifesaving course;
- Must be 16 years of age prior to assessment
- Jump/dive into deep water
- Swim 50 metres in no more than 60 seconds
- Swim 100 metres continuously on front and back
- In deep water, tread water for 30 seconds
- Surface dive to the floor of the pool
- Climb out unaided without ladder/steps and where the pool design permits
In order to perform lifeguard duties candidates must be physically fit, have good vision and hearing, be mentally alert and self disciplined.
The assessment will consist of a time swim of 50 metres in no more than 60 seconds.
Those that are successful at the swim assessment will be progressed to the formal panel interview.
Further information
As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons and all appointments will be made on merit. We are eager to ensure our teams are diverse in terms of all the protected characteristics and representative of all the stakeholders that use our facilities. We would therefore particularly welcome applications from candidates who are Black, Asian, or from other ethnic groups not currently well represented in our teams, as well as from candidates who consider themselves to have a disability.
The University of Portsmouth believes this role is not eligible for sponsorship with UKVI under the Skilled Worker Route visa. You will need to confirm details of an alternative visa to work in the UK when applying for this role.
Anonymous shortlisting will be carried out for this role as part of our commitment to equality and diversity, ensuring a fair and consistent approach to recruitment. Personal details will not be disclosed to the shortlisting panel. If you’ve been asked to upload further documents, they should not contain identifying information.
We kindly ask that candidates do not attach CVs or cover letters as these will not be considered.
For more information about Sports and Recreation: Working for UOP Sport
For detailed information about University of Portsmouth: Working at Portsmouth
For detailed information about the vacancy: ZZ007056 - Senior Sports Operations Assistant (inc Lifeguarding).docx