Centre Manager - Dumfries & Galloway
Rocks and Wheels
Location: Dalbeattie, Dumfries & Galloway
Salary: £40,000–£45,000
Closes: 16/11/26
Centre Manager at Rocks and Wheels
Dalbeattie, Dumfries & Galloway | £40,000–£45,000 | Permanent, full time (37.5 hours) | Short-term on-site accommodation available
Nine years of community effort. £8 million of investment. One brand-new adventure centre.
Dalbeattie is a friendly town of 4,000 people surrounded by forest, hills and the Solway coast. Its community has turned the town's 1876 granite primary school, bell tower and all, into Rocks and Wheels. It's a destination adventure centre right beside Dalbeattie Forest and the 7stanes mountain bike trails.
The centre is already on the international map. In June 2026 its national-level pump track hosted the Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championships UK Qualifier, with riders from around the world competing for places at the finals in Beijing.
The building is finished and the doors are open. Now it needs its first Centre Manager to turn it into a thriving, sustainable business.
See the photos, the before-and-after transformation and the World Championships film at longhousehq.com/rocksandwheels
What you'll be running
- A 52-bed ensuite bunkhouse
- A 40-seat café and a 60-seat refectory
- An indoor bouldering hall
- A national-level floodlit pump track, with around 50 local children riding every day
- Three community rooms for hire
The role
You'll lead the centre commercially and own the profit and loss. You'll fill beds with school groups, youth organisations, families and outdoor enthusiasts, and grow every income stream. In the early days you'll be hands-on, pulling a shift in the café or welcoming a coach party, while you build the team and systems that let the business grow.
What you'll bring
You might be running a bunkhouse, hostel or activity centre now. Or you might come from hospitality, events, group activities, adventure holidays or outdoor education. We'll assess candidates against five competencies:
- Commercial drive: growing bookings and income, and owning the P&L
- Financial reporting: tracking performance and reporting clearly to the board and funders
- Hands-on leadership: building a small team and leading by example
- Customer focus: a great guest experience and a well-run, safe site
- Stakeholder diplomacy: working well with boards, funders and the community
Why it matters
Rocks and Wheels is run by a community interest company owned by Dalbeattie Community Initiative, a local charity, so its success goes straight back into the town.
"Rocks and Wheels is ready to launch and grow into a flagship adventure centre for Scotland."
— Michelle McRoberts, CEO, Dalbeattie Community Initiative
The package
- £40,000–£45,000
- 28 days' holiday including bank holidays
- Statutory pension
- Short-term on-site accommodation to help you relocate
- PVG Scheme membership required
How to apply
Email your CV to Rory White at Longhouse: [email protected]. Rory will reply within one working day and is happy to have an informal, confidential conversation about the role first.
The person specification and business plan summary are at longhousehq.com/rocksandwheels.
Closing date: Monday 16 November 2026
Interviews: 20th, 21st and 22nd of November 2026, including a 20-minute presentation on your plan for your first 12 months.
This search is being managed by Longhouse, a specialist recruiter for the charity and education sectors. All applications are handled in confidence.