Activity Manager Ireland, University of Galway

MLA (Move Language Ahead) is an industry leader in providing safe, educational, and cultural holidays to students from around the world. Each year thousands of students travel with MLA as part of our short-term English as a second language (ESL) programmes. Along with our proprietary ESL curriculum, we also provide our students with great excursions featuring some of the most popular historical and tourist destinations across the globe.

Activity Manager 

Join the MLA team as an Activity Manager and embark on an extraordinary summer adventure filled with joy, cultural exchange, and the chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of international students.   

We are seeking an enthusiastic leader to ensure the successful, safe, and fun delivery of our Summer School programs for Summer 2025. As the Activity Manager, you will be the main point of contact at an MLA Summer School and responsible for the staff of Activity Leaders. You will reside on campus and organise all the activities for our international students attending our cultural immersion programme. 

Position Overview 

• Full-time summer employment from mid-June – mid-August  

• Responsible for all aspects of the ESL summer camp programming, including off-campus excursions and on-campus entertainment 

• Reports to Centre Director and Operations Manager 

• 6 working days per week 

• 1 day off per week 

• Free on-campus Room & Board 

Required Skills 

• Positive outlook 

• Enthusiasm 

• Creativity 

• Dedicated leader 

• Excellent organization skills  

• Ability to work long hours in a high-pressure environment 

• Passion for working with youth 

LOCATIONS

• June 19, 2025 – August 15, 2025*
  *Contract dates may vary to meet the needs of the program

SCHEDULE
As an Activity Manager, you’ll enjoy a dynamic and flexible work schedule designed to meet the exciting demands of our programme. Shifts will vary across mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends, providing you with diverse working hours. For example, you may be scheduled for a morning and afternoon shift one day, and an afternoon and evening shift the next.

Each staff member is contracted for up to 44 hours per week. At the end of every week, you’ll be required to confirm and sign off on your worked hours to ensure everything is accurately recorded.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Experience 
The successful candidate must have a high school degree or equivalent. Furthermore, you are a successful candidate if you have good interpersonal skills and can thrive in the high-pressure environment of an exciting international summer school. You must represent MLA Move Language Ahead's values and model those values to your team, university staff, attraction vendors and clients. 
 

Additional required skills include: 

• Capacity to motivate a team and lead by example 

• Ability to establish excellent relationships with our clients, especially the Group Leaders bringing students from abroad 

• Ability to multi-task 

• Excellent communication (verbal and written) 

• Attention to detail 

• Self-motivation 

• Aptitude to effectively use Microsoft Word and Excel 

• Ability to be pleasant, polite, and cooperative with fellow employees, vendors, and guests 

• The completion of a satisfactory background check, including a child abuse clearance 

Additional preferred qualifications: 

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree 

• Prior work experience as a manager 

• Prior experience overseeing a strict operating budget 

• First Aid certification 

• Lifeguard certification 

Key Position Accountabilities 
Pre-Program 

• Attend all required, paid training/induction meetings prior to the start of a session 

• Review itineraries and become knowledgeable with all aspects of the program 

• Complete any required training sessions/courses as directed 

• Become familiar with the mlaEasy Center Management software 

Management of the Center 

• Maintain a clean, organized, and professional Center Office 

• Oversee the efficient completion of all duties of Activity Leaders 

• Ensure all day-to-day center operations and program components are properly planned and delivered 

• Attend meetings with Group Leaders to assist the Center Director 

• Hold regular meetings with Activity Leaders to ensure the program is running smoothly and the needs of employees are being heard and addressed 

Welfare & Safeguarding 

• Constantly monitor student and staff safety and welfare, addressing any concerns promptly and effectively 

• Assist the Center Director and Welfare Manager with communicating to staff and guests site-specific emergency evacuation and preparedness plans 

• Maintain 24-hour on-call emergency assistance for the center 

• Address any guest or staff concerns and properly document and report concerns 

• Be aware of any specific safeguarding needs of minors (those under the age of 18) 

Health & Safety 

• Oversee the MLA Health and Safety Protocol for the center 

• Be knowledgeable on how to respond and/or escalate on- and off-campus health and safety matters 

Company Quality Performance 

• Work with the Center Director to ensure that what has been sold to the guests is being provided by the center 

• Participate in a comprehensive Center induction to all new guests within 24-hours of arrival 

• Follow-up with MLA Activity Staff to verify all guest inquiries are handled promptly and effectively 

Program Set-Up 

• Direct the Activity Leaders in the preparation of the site to include creation of bulletin boards, signage, itineraries, welcome packets, and activity programs 

• Review, create, and/or confirm all bookings for all excursions 

• Review, create, and/or confirm all bookings for all transportation needs of the program 

Administrative Duties 

• Continue to review, create, and/or confirm all bookings for all excursions and transportation, including extra excursions 

• Collaborate with the Center Administrator to ensure all invoices are paid and receipts are properly logged into the accounting software 

• Create and ensure weekly staff schedules are accurate and available within the online employee scheduling software 

• Maintain the Center Notice Board providing accurate information and announcements to Group Leaders and students 

• Participate in the review and updating of information within the Master Center Excel file including detailed housing, dining, and facilities usage in support of the Center Administrator 

• Work with the Center Director to complete the Airport Transfer Check within the mlaEasy software to ensure all airport transfers have been booked and confirmed correctly 

• Assist in the sending of Center SMS from mlaEasy to Group Leaders and students including but not limited to Parent Arrival, Group Leader Arrival, Parent Departure, and Group Leader Departure notifications 

• Attend regular staff meetings to maintain good communication and positive morale 

• Participate in the end-of-program staff evaluations and program report 

Liaising 

• Develop a good business relationship with the college/university 

• Support the Center Director to ensure grievance and disciplinary procedures are adhered to 

• Provide support for all direct reports and subordinates when necessary 

• Use company-provided communication channels for all business correspondences including company email and phone 

• Develop and maintain open lines of communication with Group Leaders 

• Support MLA Activity Managers at other centers when required 

Off-Campus Excursions 

• Manage off campus excursions to ensure they are properly organized and delivered to all guests 

• Attend one off-campus excursion per week, when able, to check-in with Activity Leaders ensuring that they are providing quality trips in line with MLA expectations 

• Attend the mini breaks, when able, to monitor guest and staff conduct and to support the program when necessary 

• Perform regular checks to guarantee all buses and transportation have been scheduled and confirmed 

On-Campus Activities 

• Maintain a visible presence at the Center 

• Make regular visits to the dining hall during mealtimes to interact with the guests and confirm operations are running smoothly 

• Manage all sports and evening activities at the Center 

• Engage the students and encourage them to sign up for sports and evening activities 

• Emcee evening activities (eg. MLA Minute To Win It, MLA’s Got Talent, etc.) 

Residence Hall Supervision 

• Support the Night Guardian, Activity Leaders and security staff in the event any issues arise requiring that more than one person be present 

MLA REPUTATION & CODE OF CONDUCT

• To actively support MLA in its mission to provide quality learning
• To provide courses that will challenge the students (realise their potential) and work together to reach their academic targets and support them
• To comply with management requests to follow the guidelines of external organisations such as British Council in a timely and accurate manner
• To be dressed in a presentable professional way and always start on time and if this is not possible to inform your manager as early as possible
• Develop a good rapport with the students and Group Leaders and avoid absences as much as possible
• There is a specific list of what code of conduct we expect from all staff members in our Staff Handbook

THE EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY ACTS 1998-2015

MLA Move Language Ahead is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to excellence through diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, marital status, being pregnant or on maternity leave, race (including ethnic or national origin, nationality and colour), disability, sexual orientation or expression, religion, beliefs, or any other non-job related criteria.