How do I find work at a wave pool? There will be 10 surf parks opening this year, and all need to be staffed. In addition, the projects on our Surf Planner Map represent more than 5000 job openings in the next 3-5 years. We’ve collected a few of the listings on Wavepooljobs to give you a small idea of what’s out there. The full website has many more job listings.

So what are companies doing and what is the process to onboard surf park staff? We spoke with Hannah Frude at The Wave to dial us in on the challenges to finding the right candidate.

What is your HR background?
Our small HR team here at The Wave have worked in a number of industries throughout our career but I have spent the majority of my career supporting growing hospitality and leisure businesses.
 
How is hiring for The Wave different from, say, hiring for a waterpark or a cafe?
We are essentially operating several different business or business areas under one roof so the difference for me is the wide variety of roles and opportunities on offer. 
 
What are you looking for in candidates?
We look to hire on attitude and our Wavemaker Values not exclusively on experience. Doing this ensures we have people who are really brought into our vision and are dedicated to contributing to the success of The Wave. 
 
Is there a certain type of employee who gravitates to The Wave?
Whilst we naturally attract those who already surf and enjoy an outdoors lifestyle we also see a lot of individuals who wish to experience work life in a unique environment. The Wave is unlike anywhere else in the city to work.
 
How much of the work is seasonal and how much is permanent?
At our peak, we can have up to 300 Wavemakers on the books with around 1/3 of those working permanently all year round. The seasonal element dovetails perfectly for some to spend the summer working and surfing with us, and spending a winter season in the mountains. It’s our third year of running in-house lifeguard and coaching training to support those who might be interested in joining us for the summer and beyond. Recruitment for the season is an exciting (but busy) time for us!

We found a few dream positions for anyone serious about working in the space. Let’s have a look:

Trainee Lifeguard – 17th – 26th May (6-day course)

Surf Coach & Lifeguard
The Wave Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Seasonal £10.68+ (Hourly)

We are on the lookout for aspiring lifeguards to join our RLSS beach lifeguard course. Those taking part and completing the course will then have a guaranteed seasonal lifeguard role for the 2024 season as well as an opportunity to attend one of our Surf Coaching courses which will be running during the 2024 season. If you would like to apply for a Surf coaching course, please apply through our vacancies page.

We understand a barrier to achieving the required lifeguarding qualifications can often be the cost and the location of the course providers. The Wave wants to be able to make this easier for aspiring lifeguards and are now able to offer these courses in house.

By the end of the 6-day course, you will have achieved your RLSS Beach Lifeguard qualification preparing you to join our team as a Wavemaker for the summer (which could extend further into the year). 

As a Wave lifeguard, you will see hundreds of visitors each day, abilities ranging from internationally recognised pro’s to young children who have never surfed before. You will be responsible for:

• Ensuring the safety of all our visitors
• Championing health and safety
• Contributing to the Wave’s proactive safety culture
• Being vigilant at all times and able to confidently challenge situations whilst meaning calm 
• Identifying and addressing any visitors failing to follow the correct rules and safety procedures
• Working closely with our surf coaches to provide emergency medical aid and water response when needed
• Working with the wider Surf Ops team to ensure the department runs smoothly

Please note, your employment at The Wave will start on 30th May 2024. 

In order to be considered you must be able to commit to the following:

• Available for the duration of the 6-day course at The Wave
• Can meet the timed swim target of 400m in 7.5 minutes
• You must be available to work shift work, weekends and the duration of the school holidays
• You must be able to provide us with a clear DBS check certificate dated after any offers of employment and prior to commencing the course
• Being part of a team that consistently pulls together to ensure that we are able to deliver The Wave vision through the products and experiences we offer 

The Training Contract at The Wave

You will be required to enter into a training agreement, whereby, subject to completing a minimum amount of hours during your employment you will incur no charge for the cost of the course. For individuals who don’t meet these hours, a proportionate charge will be deducted on your final pay. The training agreement will set out the full cost implications. 

What happens at the end of the contract?

It may be possible for the participants to continue working for us as part of our casual bank of workers at the end of the fixed-term contract. We also hope that we would see you return as part of The Wave family in subsequent seasons.  

Recruiting for diversity is not simply a tick box for The Wave, it is our ethos, the right thing to do and the smartest way for us to do business. We are an Equal Opportunities employer, committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating all unlawful discrimination.

Investor at Punta Cana

Punta Cana, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic
Remote Full time Investor

PC Wave Park is looking for an investor to complete its financing round. The Business Plan and the Master Plan are available for identified candidates. Please forward your profile to [email protected] who is going to connect you with the project owners.

Senior Surf Coach at o2 Surftown MUC

Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Full-time Surf Coach & Lifeguard

Permanent position Full time all year round flexible workload: more in summer – less in winter. Your main responsibilities include:
Independent implementation of surf lessons and guiding of surf sessions. Conducting coaching, including high performance coaching and video coaching. Conducting safety briefings, session instructions and surf course theory. Ensuring a high level of security while surfing Issuing, organizing, cleaning and maintaining softboards and Lycras. Control of the wave pool and wave pattern for optimal surfing conditions. Outstanding care for our guests. Share your enthusiasm for surfing and surfing culture with our guests . Collecting and sharing customer feedback from surfing sessions to continuously improve the surfing experience. Co-development of a pleasant learning environment and an empathetic coaching culture within the Surf Academy.

Your Skills

At least ISA Surf Instructor Level 1 or DWV Surf Instructor Level 1 (ideally ISA Level 2 or DWV Level 2) Several years of experience as a surf coach in surf schools or surf camps Fluent knowledge of German and English, other languages ​​are an advantage. Excellent customer orientation High level of personal responsibility and reliabilit. Empathy and very good didactic skills Willingness to undergo further training, e.g. to become an Adaptive Surf Coach or High Performance Surf Coach. Willingness to work shifts and weekends

Why Us?

You will be part of an open culture that promotes the exchange of ideas and thrives on mutual trust, respect and transparency. In our mission, we value personal responsibility and independence. We do not value strict hierarchies and a top-down mentality, but rather practice goal-oriented thinking and an open feedback culture in our daily work. We offer you: own, responsible projects 30 days vacation.

Site Manager AllWaves

Knokke-Heist, West Flanders, Belgium
Full time position

Responsible for the day-to-day on site running of a wavepool construction project

• Location: HQ in Knokke-Heist & multiple locations abroad
• Passion for surfing & engineering
• Experience in construction industry

Wavepooljobs is a platform for surf park operators looking for lifeguards, managers, baristas, coaches – you name it. In the wave technology sector, it serves rapidly expanding wave-making sector. This is just a small sampling of some of the current positions open at wave pools around the world.