Rides Services Manager - The Needles, Alum Bay

Job Posted: 31 July 2025

• Contract Term: Permanent
• Location: Totland, Isle of Wight
• Contract Type: Full time
• Salary: £38,000 to £40,000
• Industries: Leisure

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen at The Needles Landmark Attraction, Alum Bay, Isle of Wight for an experienced engineer or technical supervisor or manager, with an engineering and/or mechanical background, to join our progressive and professional Maintenance & Ride Services Department.

This exciting new role would form part of a new management team structure and be a key lead for this department, working with and managing our strong maintenance team.

Summary of the Role 

Responsible for keeping our rides and related mechanical assets in excellent condition, maintaining their status operationally safe and ensuring that functionality and reliability achieve the highest standards. The main focus for this role will predominately be the chairlift, as our most significant asset.

You will be responsible for the recording of all identified defects and remedial work carried out in order to build an accurate history of work carried out on all the rides. You will be responsible for ensuring timely performance of the required inspection and maintenance processes, safe systems of work and accompanying documented procedures and ensuring evidence of all work carried out is correctly documented.

Operating as the one of the management leads to the wider maintenance department team, your prime responsibility will be for all rides’ daily, weekly and monthly routine inspection and maintenance (working with our onsite procedures and Mobaro system), managing daily repairs, and overseeing, managing and monitoring of ride and chairlift breakdowns.

This role, which will be fully supported by both the Operations Manager and General Manager, will be focused on monitoring and continually developing a weekly, monthly and annual inspection and maintenance programme. From this this person would be tasked with taking the lead in planning and implementing periodic and annual maintenance programmes, working with our established engaged and approved professionals and experienced contractors to inspect, plan, budget for, arrange and undertake all works.

An important part of this duty, working closely with both the Operations Manager and Maintenance & Infrastructure Manager, will be to plan for all annual winter chairlift maintenance works and to obtain agreed specifications and quotes from our strong approved contractors and to programme their works both on and off site each year, and arrange all statutory and other required inspections at the appropriate times. Full training will be provided in this respect.

High level and extensive training on all site systems, and the chairlift itself, its’ specific requirements, and associated procedures will be given. This role will be supported strongly by both the senior Needles team and strong engaged professionals who will also assist in this persons training and development. Training and support to grow will always be looked at positively by the business.

Qualifications and Experience:

A relevant Engineering qualification (preferably with a mechanical bias) to at least:

·        NVQ Level 3, or equivalent,

Or

·       HNC engineering or similar qualification

It is important for the candidate to have good experience of working within some format of a formal mechanical inspection and maintenance regime.

Knowledge of relevant, applicable H&S regulations. Knowledge of HSE guidance document HSG175 would be advantageous, though not a requirement and again, training will be provided.

Salary Range:

£38k to £40k

Depending upon the qualities and experience of the individual applicant.

"Part of the Heritage Great Britain PLC Group"