Groups Programme Coordinator - Landbased (Animal, Equine, Agriculture)

Job description

Job Title: Groups Programme Coordinator - Land-based

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, flexitime (core hours 9:30 am – 3 pm UK)

Salary: £34,500 per annum

Annual Leave: 28 days per annum

The Company:

Gap Africa Projects was founded on a shared passion that began with conservation and community projects in South Africa. We are a small, experienced team focused on delivering meaningful, sustainable experiences that support personal and academic development. Our projects and study expeditions are designed for students looking to enhance their studies while contributing to the long-term growth of the projects themselves.

We place strong emphasis on well-managed, personalised programmes, ensuring students use their time effectively and responsibly. Conservation has been central to our work for over a decade, connecting students with impactful research and sustainability initiatives. We are now expanding beyond our African programmes into the UK and Europe, offering land-based opportunities—particularly in Equine, Agriculture, and Animal Management—that support learning and career development closer to home.

We operate with an entrepreneurial mindset and value autonomy and initiative. Our team manages their own time within a flexible working environment that supports remote work, while also creating regular opportunities to meet and collaborate in person.

Job Summary:

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and proactive individual to join Gap Africa Projects as our Groups Programme Coordinator. In this pivotal role, you’ll lead the development and delivery of bespoke group programmes, particularly within the land-based sectors, while ensuring an exceptional end-to-end experience for our students and institutional partners. You will also support our individual travellers, helping them find the right programme. Combining elements of business development, relationship management, and operational coordination, this is an exciting opportunity to help shape the growth of a values-led travel and education company.

If you're passionate about youth development through international experiences and confident engaging with colleges, students, and stakeholders, we’d love to hear from you.

Success in this role will be measured by new group bookings secured, positive feedback from partners, and operational excellence

The ideal candidate would be:

-         Hardworking, ambitious, bright individual with a great personality and a self-starter attitude.

-         Have experience within the FE/HE Land-based sector, particularly the Animal Management, Equine and/or Agriculture Sectors

-         Have a passion for developing young people through amazing travel experiences.

-         Confident in delivering presentations and speaking in public

-         Organised, proactive, someone who picks things up quickly.

-         Confident and outgoing, with a collaborative attitude.

-         Proven ability to multitask and set priorities in a fast-moving environment.

-         Strong attention to detail.

-         Ability to write and communicate effectively.

-         Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills

-         Previous experience working in travel, although not essential.

This role would suit a curious person with a buttoned-down attention to detail. There will be a lot of admin to manage, which will include working in our own CRM system, creating and managing bookings directly with our clients.

Main Purpose of the Job

Building and maintaining our academic groups focusing on the land-based sector, with particular emphasis on growing our UK and European projects. Additionally, managing individual traveller enquiries and bookings from first contact through to departure. This role will include revenue targets.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Opportunity Identification and Development

-         Drive revenue through the acquisition of new academic group bookings, focusing on the Land-based sector

-         Create and nurture new partnerships with colleges, universities and educational organisations

-         Identify emerging trends, unmet needs, and gaps in existing offerings within the student market. Focusing on the Land-based sector, particularly our growing UK and European markets

-         Analyse competitors and industry dynamics to pinpoint areas of opportunity for our products/services.

1. Coordinate Bookings:

-         Manage the booking process for Gap Africa Projects programmes, both group and individual bookings, to ensure accuracy and timeliness.

-         Liaise with participants, institutions, and other stakeholders to confirm bookings and address any inquiries or concerns.

-         Monitor payment schedules and follow up with participants or organisations to ensure timely payment processing.

-         Maintain accurate records of payment statuses and update relevant databases accordingly.

1. Project Management:

-         Oversee group student projects, providing guidance, support, and feedback as needed.

-         Oversee individual travellers' projects from initial enquiry to travel.

1. Presentations and Workshops:

-         Develop engaging presentations and workshops to deliver to student groups, schools, and other stakeholders.

-         Tailor content to suit the audience's interests and objectives, effectively communicating Gap Africa's mission and offerings.

1. Customer Journey Management:

-         Map out the customer journey from initial inquiry to programme completion, identifying opportunities for improvement.

-         Implement strategies to enhance the overall customer experience and satisfaction.

1. Airport Meet & Greets

-         Coordinating group departures at UK-based airports to facilitate seamless check-in experiences and providing comprehensive support to ensure a stress-free process.

1. Health and Safety

Ensure all health and safety documentation, including risk assessments and PL certification are maintained and regularly updated.

Personal Specification

QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTAINMENTS

Essential:

• Related Degree or Equivalent Qualification in the Land-based sector (Application)
• English and Maths at Level 2 (Application)

EXPERIENCE AND ABILITIES

Essential:

• Experience working in the education (Land-based) (Application/Interview)
• Experience delivering presentations or workshops to diverse audiences (Application/Interview)

Desirable:

• Familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) systems (Application/Interview)
• Experience in coordination, communications, or project management roles (Application/Interview)
• Travelled on at least one of our projects (Application/Interview)

SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

• Understanding of Microsoft Office programmes (Interview)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences (Interview)
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines (Interview)

Desirable:

• Understanding of social media management and web content management systems (Interview)

ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS

Essential:

• Willingness to work flexibly in a team (Interview)
• Well organised with excellent time management skills (Interview)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment (Interview)
• High levels of enthusiasm, intelligence and discernment (Interview)
• Self-motivated (Interview)

OTHER

Essential:

• Full UK Driving Licence (Certificates)

Desirable:

• Valid DBS (Certificates)
• Valid UK Passport (Certificates)

Additional Information:

-         We are a small team, so you must be flexible and have the dynamism to undertake any duties as and when requested.

-         You must be based in the UK, ideally in the South of England.

-         This role will include revenue targets

-         In-house training will be provided on all aspects of the business.

-         Very Frequent UK travel will be required

Benefits:

-         35 hours per week, flexitime (core hours 9:30 am – 3 pm UK)

-         28 days annual leave

-         Monthly ‘breathe’ day

-         Charitable donation with match funding

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter with the subject line: “Application – Groups Programme Coordinator” to info@gapafricaprojects.com.

• Interviews will be open until a suitable candidate is found, with a start date of 1^st May 2026

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

United Kingdom

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

01-02-2026

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English