Rodeo
Get started

Thorpe Park Resort

Zonal Operations Lead

Borough of Runnymede
£13.50/hr
Posted about 20 hours ago
Sign up to applySee more jobs like this
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever

How your CV stacks up

1Upload CV
2Analyse CV
3Improve CV

Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role

?%

Zonal Operations Lead

Location: Thorpe Park, Chertsey, KT16 8PN
Hours: Full time, fully flexible.
Contract Type: Seasonal

About the Role

Here at the UK's Most Thrilling Theme Park, we're gearing up to celebrate 25 Years of Fear, as Fright Nights returns! We are recruiting for Zonal Operations Leads to join our team in delivering our award-winning theme park scare event!

Our Zonal Operations Leads play a key role in motivating, supervising and training the teams that work across our range of rides, retail units and Front of House and Guest Service areas. You'll be responsible for ensuring that all front line staff are proactively delivering excellent customer service and interacting with guests, to help resolve any issues that may arise for both our guests and staff. This is a fast paced, varied and exciting role that will see you at the heart of making sure the highest standards are delivered to our guests.

What you'll be doing...

In this role, you will be effectively delivering and supervising front line staff in one many areas across park

  • Coaching and motivating your allocated team of staff - leading efficient operations and great guest experiences, including leading engaging daily team briefings.
  • You'll lead by example on the front line to ensure that the highest standards are delivered to our guests and to drive excellent customer service standards across the theme park. You'll also assist the Zonal Operations Managers with managing team members to ensure that both good and poor performance is managed across the zone.
  • Be an escalation point for any in the moment guest feedback, providing suitable resolutions in a confident and calm manner.
  • You'll carry out regular, routine Health & Safety inspections and duties in accordance with site processes and procedures.
  • You will be responsible for managing and reducing downtime on our attractions, to ensure the best service for guests. You'll also be trained as a member of our attraction evacuation team, which will involving working at height and using specialist equipment following full training.
  • Deliver set targets based on department KPI's, in areas such as cleanliness, utilisation and downtime across your area - leading others to ensure that our high standards are met and maintained.
  • You will also regularly take the role of Duty Manager, becoming the face of the department and contact point for the daily operation.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

Start with a chat, not a search bar

Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.

P

Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

See breakdown
Save jobNot relevant
View details

It searches the market for you

Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.

Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

See breakdown
Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

See breakdown
Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

Qualifications & Experience

Due to nature of the role and working hours, applicants must be 18 years old or over.

  • You'll have a clear understanding of Health and Safety commitments within a visitor attraction, and an understanding of amusement ride devices policy and procedure enforcement.
  • Successful applicants will have experience of leading and motivating teams - and an interest in training and development would be desired.
  • Ability to have honest and open conversations with team members who require additional support, along with the skills to lead and uphold the required standards in moments of pressure whilst delivering good results.
  • Demonstratable problem solving and decision-making techniques, and the ability to complete tasks with a high level of ownership.
  • Strong communication and personal presentation skills, as this role will involve communication with other departments and senior management.
  • A high level of personal presentation and standards.
  • Applicants must be proficient in the English language.

Benefits

  • Pay of £13.50 per hour.
  • 40% discount off LEGO® sets and products on the online LEGO Store!
  • Merlin Magic Pass: 20 free tickets for you, your family and friends to enjoy all of our Merlin Attractions across the world!
  • 25% discount in Merlin retail shops and restaurants (a brilliant extra treat when you’re using your Magic Pass to visit!)
  • Staff discount codes for Merlin Annual Passes to gift to loved ones!
  • Pro rata holiday allowance based on 28 days full time equivalent
  • Private pension scheme
  • Life assurance scheme
  • Employee assistance programme
  • Access to Perks at Work which 30,000+ national & local employee discounts
  • Ongoing training & development

Get help with your application

Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.

Get help applying for this job

About Merlin

A job with Merlin isn’t like a job anywhere else. With attractions around the world, from rollercoasters to wax figures, we don’t trade in suits, handshakes or briefcases. We trade in fun. In smiles, shrieks and spine-tingles. In Memories. In magic. But there are no tricks behind our magic. Instead, there are people like you. Passionate, dedicated people who are committed to making sure our worldwide attractions and guests’ experiences are the best they can be.

At Merlin we welcome the world to our magical attractions and resorts every day and we want to reflect that same multicultural mix inside our business too. We strive to create an inclusive and diverse workplace where people can be themselves, have the same opportunities and thrive together. Because at Merlin, everyone matters! Together, we work to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, no matter their age, race, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Although we understand that we'll always be learning and growing, we aim to be the most inclusive and flexible employer in our industry.

If you have any questions or if you require any reasonable adjustments, because of a disability or medical condition, please contact us by email at recruitment@merlinentertainments.biz and one of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Pay Range

GBP £13.50/Hr.

Trusted by 25,000+ job seekers

“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Jessica, London

Get help applying for this job

Skills

Team leadership
Staff supervision
Customer service
Health and safety compliance
Conflict resolution
Operational management
Coaching
Problem solving
Decision making
Communication
Performance management
Training and development
Incident management
KPI management

Location

Staines Rd, Chertsey KT16 8PN, UK

Sign up to applySee more jobs like this