151d ago
151d ago
Job description
Ready to step off the rotations but stay in the offshore sector?
Are you an offshore renewables professional, commercial mariner, or veteran with hands-on experience in the offshore wind sector? If you love the industry but are tired of unpredictable shift patterns, long travel times, and being away from home, this is your route to a rewarding, shore-based career.
At South West Maritime Academy, we are looking for a GWO Training Instructor to join our expert team. This role allows you to maintain your connection to the offshore wind sector, utilise your specialised safety knowledge, and enjoy the job security and regular hours of a land-based position.
While this is primarily an opportunity for a stable, permanent role, we are also very keen to hear from current offshore professionals interested in flexible, freelance instructor work to fit around their rotation schedule.
The Role: What You’ll Be Doing
Working alongside our lead instructional team, you will be responsible for delivering high-impact, life-saving course content to delegates entering or advancing in the offshore renewables sector.
- Deliver Core GWO Modules: Help deliver our comprehensive GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) modules, including Sea Survival, Fire Awareness, First Aid, Manual Handling, Working at Heights and associated refresher courses.
- Bring Real-World Skills to Life: You will use your practical familiarity of safety protocols to give delegates a realistic understanding of what to expect in the field.
- Build Rapport & Share Anecdotes: We pride ourselves on our passionate instructors who build genuine relationships with students. Your personal experience is what brings our curriculum to life and keep delegates returning to us for their refresher updates.
- Maintain the Fleet & Kit: Take a hands-on role in managing our extensive kit stores, ensuring all specialist GWO safety gear, harnesses, PPE, and training rigs are meticulously maintained and "battle-ready" for practical exercises.
- One-Team Culture: We are a small, tight-knit crew. You’ll chip in with the rest of the team to keep our communal training spaces and facilities clean, tidy, and professional.
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for someone with genuine offshore experience who can command a classroom and outdoor training rig with confidence.
- Industry Background: Strong, demonstrable experience working within the wider renewable energy sector. You should have practical, real-world experience performing safety-critical or technical tasks relevant to renewables environments (such as working at height, manual handling, or safety operations). Backgrounds across offshore, onshore or general renewable energy sectors are highly welcome.
- Working at Height Experience & Bonus Tickets: Demonstrable commercial working at height experience is a key advantage. Holding a recognised rope access qualification, such as IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) or a similar standard, is highly desirable.
- The "X" Factor: A confident communicator who can naturally build relationships with students and create an engaging, supportive learning atmosphere.
- Physical Fitness: The role involves leading active, hands-on drills, including working at heights and open-water exercises, requiring a good level of physical fitness.
Note: If you already hold GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) certifications and/or a recognised teaching ticket (like AET Level 3), that’s excellent. However, if you have the right general renewables industry experience, background, and attitude, we will fully support you with obtaining your GWO BST certifications and required training.
Why Join Us?
- Work-Life Balance: Transition to regular, predictable hours with a full-time, shore-based contract.
- Stay in Renewables: Remain a vital part of the green energy sector by training the next generation of technicians.
- Flexible Working Options: While we offer full-time positions, we are also open to hearing from freelance or associate instructors looking for flexible, ad-hoc delivery work that fits around off-shift rotation patterns.
- Professional Growth: Expand your own portfolio. We invest heavily in our team, helping you gain advanced GWO, MCA, and RYA instructional tickets.
About South West Maritime Academy
We are a premier UK provider of specialist commercial maritime and renewable energy training, based at our expansive 10-acre site at Cromhall Quarry.
As the parent company to The Lake, our facility is a vibrant hub where professional safety programmes meet an active outdoor leisure destination for open water swimming, scuba diving, and paddleboarding.
Our global footprint also includes our sister company, Palma Sea School in Mallorca, giving our wider team an unparalleled network of expertise across both the commercial and leisure maritime sectors.
Our USP
Unlike standard, classroom-bound providers, we have the unique, dedicated infrastructure to deliver training in real-world scenarios. From live-fire simulators to our expansive open-water quarry environment, we offer delegates the most realistic, hands-on GWO training available in the South West.
Pay & benefits
£28,000–35,000 /yr
+ Freelance work also available
Paid time off
Parental leave
Flexible hours
About this role
Experience
Mid level
Employersouthwestmaritimeacademy.com
LinkedInSouth West Maritime Academy
About South West Maritime Academy
Company Overview
Name
South West Maritime Academy (SWMA), a private maritime and safety-training provider
HeadquartersCromhall Quarry, Woodend Lane, Cromhall, South Gloucestershire, England
Founded2017
SizeApproximately 50 employees ranged from 11–50 in recent years (source: linkedin.com)
What They Do
South West Maritime Academy specializes in delivering MCA-approved maritime training, RYA boating instruction, fire and medical training, security courses, and bespoke safety training tailored for maritime and corporate clients (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). Their core focus is practical, regulatory, and professional training aligned with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), serving commercial shipping, offshore operations, and leisure boating sectors (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). SWMA offers a broad portfolio including STCW basic and refresher courses, advanced maritime certifications such as Advanced Fire Fighting and Fast Rescue Boat training, as well as RYA Powerboat Level 2 instruction at their Portishead Marina facility (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). They also provide bespoke organisational training, safety and support services, and have expanded their offerings to include Global Wind Organisation safety training for offshore wind personnel, reflecting their adaptability to adjacent maritime-related sectors (source: linkedin.com). Their integrated approach combines classroom instruction, practical exercises, and specialist facilities at a purpose-built site near Bristol, enabling comprehensive maritime safety education (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com).
Projects & Track Record
SWMA’s flagship asset is its purpose-built maritime training facility located at Cromhall Quarry in Gloucestershire, which supports practical and theoretical instruction including sea survival, lifeboat training, and firefighting exercises (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). Complementing this is their RYA Training Centre at Portishead Marina, which facilitates RYA Powerboat Level 2 and practical Fast Rescue Boat courses, providing direct access to marina waters for hands-on training (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). The company has also established bespoke training facilities in Palma, Majorca, enabling delivery of a substantial portion of their course portfolio internationally (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). SWMA’s operations are recognized within UK government maritime safety training frameworks, underscoring their credibility and regulatory compliance (source: publishing.service.gov.uk).
Recent Developments
In recent years, SWMA has actively promoted Global Wind Organisation safety training tailored for offshore wind-energy professionals, highlighting their engagement with evolving industry safety standards (source: linkedin.com). The company has expanded its instructional team, as evidenced by a 2023 recruitment drive for maritime safety instructors to deliver MCA- and RYA-approved courses in a hands-on training environment (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). SWMA continues to adapt its course offerings in response to technological and regulatory changes, seeking instructors with strong maritime backgrounds to support this growth (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com).
Working There
Employment at SWMA primarily centers on maritime safety instructor roles, which involve delivering MCA- and RYA-aligned courses combining classroom teaching with practical exercises in sea survival, lifeboat training, and firefighting (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). Functional areas likely include fire training, medical and first-aid instruction, security training, RYA powerboat courses, course administration, client support, and business development for bespoke training programs (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). The main hiring location is Cromhall, South Gloucestershire, with some roles involving assignments at Portishead and Palma, Majorca, depending on operational needs (source: linkedin.com). SWMA fosters a hands-on, collaborative working environment where instructors are actively engaged in both theoretical and practical course delivery, and encourages staff to expand course offerings in line with evolving maritime technologies and regulations (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com). The 2023 maritime safety instructor vacancy offered a salary range of £28,000 38,000 plus package, reflecting competitive compensation for qualified candidates (source: southwestmaritimeacademy.com).
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