Careers at Alpkit | Empowering our people to be their best

At our purest we are a bunch of people coming to work each day sharing our love of the outdoors. We set about building Alpkit as a business that we ourselves would want to work for: a vibrant, sustainable brand for multi-sport adventure enthusiasts.

Fast forward to ...

Current Vacancies...

Living Wage Foundation Pay and Progressive Benefits...

Alpkit Career Stories...

Diversity, Equality and Incusion Policy...

Areas of Opportunity...

A Creative Place of Work

Alpkit is rare amongst smaller founder-led businesses.  We are a team 100 strong with 50 staff in stores and customer service, 10 makers in our factory and building bikes, 10 in our warehouse and 30 designers, copywriters, creatives, buyers, marketers, HR, finance and IT professionals.

Alpkit Living Wage Team Shot
Alpkit Class of 2019

Living Wage Foundation Pay and Progressive Benefits

 We’re investing in our people with progressive policies to create an environment that enjoys the industry and energy of hard work and provides career building opportunities:

  • Living Wage Foundation accredited employer.
  • Staff discount, friends and family discount and equipment loan pools.
  • Flexible working with ability to buy and sell up to 10 days additional holiday on top of our 28 day annual entitlement
  • Welfare Days: additional paid short notice holiday to seize the moment and Go Nice Places Do Good Things
  • Volunteer program providing up to 5 days extra leave for charitable volunteering available to all staff
  • Sabbatical leave and career breaks with a job guarantee to those with 2 years service
  • Living Wage Foundation minimum basic pay rate by October 2020
  • Enhanced sick pay, death-in-service and enhanced pension provision
  • Retail Trust membership to support mental wellbeing
  • Paid study support with additional paid time off
  • Minimum 5 days paid on-the-job training a year available to all staff
  • Management development program to all and aspirant managers
  • Adventure training
  • Life skills training
  • Child care friendly policies
  • Dog friendly workplace

Alpkit Career Stories

We are always on the lookout for talented, creative people with an interest in the outdoors to be part of our team.

We have a relaxed working environment but we work hard. Tea and coffee is always to hand, decent music is almost always on but when there is stuff to do, we knuckle down and get on with the job. Attributes we commonly look for are an interest in the outdoors, self-motivation, pride in producing high-quality products from start to finish and love for working in small teams.

Josh's Alpkit Journey To Accountancy Jedi

Josh Soar Wins Apprentice Of The Year

Josh Soar Wins Apprentice Of The Year

I’m an Accounts Apprentice and started in October 2017 as my first proper job. I started doing book-keeping, then moved onto looking after management accounts and assisting senior members of the team. After two years I’m now training people on how to the job that I used to do when I first started! Alpkit has paid for my formal training as well as what I’m doing on-the-job. I’m in college one day a week, training for my AAT qualification, which will be finished this year. The next step for me is to get the CIMA qualification, which will take three years and mean that I’ll be a qualified accountant, which is amazing. I love working at Alpkit, it’s relaxed, positive and everyone here is supportive. It’s also been interesting to go on Adventure Training with the team, which totally took me out of my comfort zone! Hiking up hills, mountain-biking and running along trails in the dark learning about headtorches is very different to reconciliations and posting prepayments and accruals. Apparently the mountain biking was a beginners route but seriously, I could barely walk some bits, let alone ride them – great fun!

Abby's Route To Alpkit Keswick Store Manager

Abby Cornforth Alpkit Keswick Store Manager

 

I started working at the age of 12. Paper rounds filled the early mornings before school and my weekends spent working in the local co op. At college, I studied art and design, again filling the weekends with graft at an outdoor clothing retailer and my evenings training for the Cumbrian Tennis Championships. Outdoor retail turned full time after moving to Keswick back in 2010. Since then I have worked my way up the management sector, realising, this was my calling. To be able to work in awesome stores, in the beautiful countryside, have as much fun as I could before and after work hours and all on my doorstep! This path led me to become manager at Alpkit Keswick, a fantastic company, who have looked after me and supported me in making the Keswick's store my own. They allow me to connect my hobbies to my work through artwork and adventures, like plunging myself into cold water, cycling and bikepacking, vanlife adventures, running, walking, climbing, paddleboarding or just loving life with my best canine friend. Don't sit still too long.....life will pass you by!

Andy's Alpkit Experience In Retail Support And Training

Andy Dexter Alpkit Training and Retail Operations

 

I started with Alpkit just as the Hathersage store was opening in 2017. Since then I went from working in-store, to with our Customer Support team, to taking on a new role as Retail Operations (with a side of Training Co-Ordination). Part of this role has meant going from taking part in our Adventure Training to organising it! Adventure Training is an opportunity for our team to get hands-on with different gear, whilst also learning from our Product Team about the technology and development which goes into creating it. As someone who enjoys just getting outside and doing good things in nice places (but specifically fell-running; dog in tow) Alpkit has been a fantastic environment to spend time with like-minded people, and get introduced to new ways of adventuring.

Hero to Head of Customer Support

Ashleigh Head of Customer SupportAshleigh Naysmith Head Of Customer Service

 

I’ve been involved at Alpkit since 2005 as a competition climber where I met Col, Nick, Jim & Kenny climbing and demoing product. I landed a sponsorship deal with two others and embarked on many adventures.

Alpkit's aim is simple: make great kit, at great prices backed by great service. The why of Alpkit is summarised perfectly by Go Nice Places, Do Good Things.

Fast forward a few years, I landed a job and was so happy to be working in such a creative environment with an awesome bunch of people. I loved customers and the variety of the job. I’d be packing in the warehouse, writing content for the website, doing bank recs, modelling for photoshoots and cleaning the loos! We were growing exponentially and I was soon managing the Customer Support team.

The training and opportunities at Alpkit have carved a career that I simply couldn’t have imagined back in 2013. Our management team regularly take days out to discuss our progress and our longer term strategy. These are some of my favourite days: I watch my colleagues and I can see their passion; their faces light up like children at Christmas.

Sure, we sell kit. But it is more than that. We want to enable, inspire and grow a community that loves and connects with the world’s wild places - that is going to be one heck of a journey, and I find that very exciting.

Buying Assistant to Head of Buying (MBA)

Jack Robinson Head of BuyingJack Robinson Head of Buying

 

I joined Alpkit in December 2014 just as it began its growth trajectory to lead a buying team of 1, me. My personal experience can only really be described as an expedition with opportunities around every corner. Learning, learning, learning. As the team has expanded, my 5+ year run at Alpkit has seen me move through functional and management roles; recently culminating in a position on the company’s newly formed operating board.

I’ve been able to achieve this because of the support and opportunities that have been available to me. The balance of hands-on hands-off has meant I’ve learnt from some of the most experienced peers and leaders in the outdoor industry, whilst also being afforded the space to make my own mark on Alpkit’s history. I’ve been able to develop professionally off the back of a supported MBA, the lessons from which I’ve been able to bring back to the broader team helping me to reinforce the learnings and apply them practically in an entrepreneurial and creative environment.

Andrew's Journey to Operations Manager

Andrew's Journey to Operations Manager

 

I joined Alpkit just over two and a half years ago as the UK Factory Manager, responsible for managing production and looking at ways to develop the factory and products.
My job evolved massively when the pandemic hit. Initially most staff were furloughed or working from home. As one of the lucky ones still at HQ, I became more involved with operations, working with our managing director Nick. We wanted to make major changes to the Alpkit site - lockdown was the perfect time. At the end of the first lockdown, I was made Operations Manager, with responsibility for the warehouse, all Alpkit and Sonder stock, the UK Factory, and every building at the Alpkit Campus. I’m also now part of the Alpkit Training Group. I’m excited to be looking at ways we can develop Alpkit staff. When I started, we were in four buildings across two sites. Now we’re in seven buildings across three sites! Alpkit has changed massively in two years – we’ve grown a lot. But we’re still signing every order by hand!

Alpkit Class of 2018

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Boulder Adventures 4 days of adventure

 Alpkit Foundation support Boulder Adventures in North Wales

At Alpkit our vision for all staff and customers ‘is a place where you are listened to, your opinion matters, you feel fairly treated. United into one…you are treated as unique. You have your own story, but our paths are entwined.’

So, it’s no surprise that we have always had ambition to work both internally to celebrate individuality and inclusion and externally to create an outdoors welcoming to all.

We believe that embracing equality, inclusion and diversity is not only the right thing to do but it makes us a stronger more successful part of our outdoor community; the different voices, different perspectives and different day to day experiences from our people and customers makes us who we are.

Yes, our team are on a journey, but we are led by our desire and commitment to actively build an environment based on aktivism; not just a feeling but an experience of belonging.

  • We find the best talent we can
  • Everyone feels supported and empowered to participate
  • We are rewarded fairly and our work is celebrated
  • We communicate openly and are ok asking questions on matters that affect us
  • Regardless of our identity, background or circumstance, we all have the opportunity to develop to our full potential
  • We care for ourselves, our colleagues and our customers by providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment

Areas of opportunity at Alpkit

If we have a specific position available we will announce it here, however if you like what we do and you think that you would fit in to one of the roles below why not just drop us your CV along with a covering letter/email to jobs@alpkit.com. Explain why you would like to be part of the team, and if a position becomes available we will already have you on file.

Graphic Design, Copywriters and Web Development

Our website is where most of the action happens. We hope it reflects who we are and what we are about as well as providing our customers with accessible information, support and a simple, effective shopping experience.

We get a big kick producing high quality photography and videos. We handle most of it in-house or via our sponsored team members. Saying that we have a growing team of freelancers to call on.

If you've a talent in web design, graphic design, copywriting, artworking, photography, videography or marketing then we want to hear from you.

Seamsters

With our small factory at the heart of our bright and colourful showroom we have a unique working environment. Experience with automatic lockstitch sewing machines, ideally with heavy fabrics, is essential. Cutting, binding, bar tacking and zip insertion experience would be an advantage.

Alpkit Factory Team 2017

Warehouse Team

If there is one unbreakable rule at Alpkit it is that orders must go out the door! The warehouse team are responsible for packing customers orders, keeping the shelves stocked and the warehouse in order. You will need to be able to keep a steady head when it gets busy, pick up errors and understand postage. We look for people who are fastidious about efficiency, tidiness and order.

Customer Service Heros

There is no one more important than a customer service hero. Our reputation for great customer service is huge and we want to maintain that.

Ideally you will have experience of a customer service environment, be able to work to deadlines and have proven high levels of English and Maths as well as solid basic IT skills. 

Alpkit Adventure Training 2019

Part Time Store Heroes

We look for amazing people to work in our stores, we now have 6 stores open in fantastic, vibrant and bustling locations - Hathersage, Ambleside, Keswick, Metrocentre, Edinburgh and Betws-y-Coed.

Our heroes on the customer front line play a huge part within Alpkit, which is why we are expecting this to be an exciting opportunity for those who love the outdoors, love retail and want to work in our exciting new stores, offering real service with personality.

Product Design and Development

Alpkit is a product brand. High quality products are our bread and butter.

Our product team has to be adaptive as they work on anything from custom UK made products to sampling and placing orders with overseas factories months in advance.

We look for people who are bursting with enthusiasm and who are not afraid to jump on a sewing machine and knock out a prototype.

Shows and Events

We attend shows all over the country, anything from gear nights at climbing walls to multi-day shows like the Kendal Mountain Festival and our own Big Shakeout festival.

If you are looking for occasional or part-time work this could be good for you. It is essential that you can work weekends, don't mind some manual work, long days and have a great knowledge of our products and outdoor activities.

Current Vacancies

Store Hero (Key Holder Responsibilities) - Edinburgh

Location: Alpkit Edinburgh
Position: Permanent, Full-time
Hours: 40hrs per week (5 days Mon-Sun)

What you’ll be doing
We’re on the lookout for a Store Hero to join our Edinburgh Alpkit Team, as a key holder for the store you will support the Store Manager and Assistant Store Manager in driving sales and providing world class customer service. You will love being on the shop floor with our customers, whilst sharing your knowledge of the outdoors, advising on the best kit for the adventures they are going on and sharing the best of the local area.

The role will involve being responsible for opening and closing the store when the Store Manager/Assistant Store Manager are absent and assisting with deliveries. You may also be involved in planning local marketing activities and events.

The Store
We have a relaxed retail environment, but we work hard. Tea (and coffee for the non-believers) is always to hand, decent music is almost always on and we are driven by our mission to support our customers “Go Nice Places, Do Good Things”.

About Alpkit
Customer experience is placed at the heart of Alpkit operations. We strive to be with our customer throughout their journey with us. Our entire operation works to continually improve the Alpkit experience for our customers, from increasing product range and performance, to addressing customer concerns such as minimising plastic use and improving our internal systems to advance our service. We are a multi award-winning adventure sports brand and retailer. Our pursuit of great customer experience is at the core of what we do.

Perks of the job
Ability to buy extra holiday, Alpkit discount for you, your family and friends, life insurance, cycle to work scheme, enhanced pension contributions, commuting subsidy for those that travel to work in a greener way! We are environmentally and sustainability conscious and we promote a learning culture.

We value all cultures, backgrounds and experiences, as we truly believe that diversity drives innovation. Express yourself, join our community and help us “Go Nice Places, Do Good Things.”

How to apply
If you are interested then we would love to hear from you; email your CV and covering letter to jobs@alpkit.com, clearly stating the position you are applying for.

 

Warehouse Assistant

Location: Oak Road Warehouse (Nottingham)
Position: Full-time, Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week

About the Role

Are you someone who naturally wants to ‘roll their sleeves up and get stuck in’? Do you thrive in a team who delivers results? And most importantly do you care that customers always receive the product they ordered on-time?

In this role you will perform general warehouse duties in order to maintain a smooth operation including picking and packing, unloading and loading of stock.

We are responsible in the way we run our business and as part of all our roles at Alpkit we ask staff to look at the most sustainable ways of working.


About the Team

The Warehouse Team is small but mighty; a vital part of our supply chain, this team ensures all our product is picked, packed and sent out on time to our lovely customers to help them go nice places. It’s fast passed and demanding but they have regular brew breaks to keep them going!


About You

  • You will have a high level of accuracy
  • Operate in a safe manner
  • Enjoy working within a small team of warehouse superheroes
  • Previous experience of working in a similar warehouse environment would be beneficial.

Perks of the job

Ability to buy extra holiday, Alpkit discount for you, your family and friends, life insurance, critical illness cover, cycle to work scheme, enhanced pension contributions, paid volunteer days and we are environmentally and sustainability conscious and we promote a learning culture.

We value all cultures, backgrounds and experiences, Alpkit is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team, so be yourself, join our community and help us “go nice places and do good things”.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her, he/him, they/them, etc).

If you think you would like to work in warehouse get in touch telling us why you think you’d fit in well at Alpkit along with your CV.

Email:jobs@alpkit.com

 

Factory Machinist

Location: Alpkit Campus (Nottingham)
Position: Full-Time
Hours: 40hrs per week Monday - Friday

About the Role
Do you love outdoor kit so much you want to make it? Join our UK factory and bring the passion of what you love doing to the products to help others get out to go nice places and do good things.

We’re looking for an experienced sewing machinist to join our team to help us out with production. Someone self-motivated who takes pride in producing high-quality outdoor products. You will be producing products from the very start of production to create a professional and practical finished item.

The factory sewing machinist role involves handling a variety of materials, using heavy duty lock stitch machines, binders and bartackers.

Our Aktivism Values; We enjoy serving customers and enjoy closing a sale. We are helpful, cheery, engaging and knowledgeable. We feel pride when we get a review, see customers with our products in use, win awards.

About the Team
Alpkit is a small team with excellent attention to detail and high production values. Alpkit prides itself on it’s UK based factory where products are designed and made under one roof. It is a great environment to develop your skills and learn new ones in a friendly environment creating some excellent outdoor products. We use a variety of high quality fabrics and specialist machinery where training will be given. We have a relaxed working environment where tea and coffee is to hand, decent music plays, but when there’s stuff to do we knuckle down and get the job done.

About You

  • Sewing Experience is essential
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Good timekeeping
  • Self-motivated
  • A keen eye for detail and quality.

How to Apply
Interested? Please email your CV to jobs@alpkit.com along with a covering letter/email explaining why you would like to be part of the team.

 

Sonder Technician

Location: Alpkit Campus (Nottingham)
Position: Permanent, Full Time
Hours: 40hrs per week Monday-Friday

Every one  has a story. What’s yours? 
Our bikes are obsessively conceived and expertly build. We are looking for a Sonder Technician to join our team of mechanics to assemble our award-winning bikes.

Our Aktivism Values; We enjoy building products that customers will love for years and years. We feel pride when we get a review, see customers with our products in use, win awards.

About the Role
You’ll work within the Sonder Bike Build team assembling bikes for customers. Sonder bikes cover road, gravel, hardtail and full-suspension and you'll build each type of bike, ready for customers to take out of the box and ride.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will look like (but not be limited to): 

  • Assembly of bikes
  • Quality control of bikes built by other technicians
  • Pack bikes, ready for delivery to customers
  • Assess and carry out warranty repairs
  • Maintain a clean and safe working environment
  • Occasional help with receiving deliveries of stock

About You 

Skills 

  • You will be confident and competent in assembling road, hardtail and full suspension bikes.
  • Meticulous attention to detail in bike builds
  • Bike workshop experience necessary
  • Cytech qualification desirable but not essential

Personal Attributes: 

  • Confident
  • Self-motivated
  • Passionate about bikes, specs and components  
  • Affinity towards Alpkit ethos and products  
  • Motivated to develop skills, knowledge and role  
  • Enjoy being part of a team  
  • Self-motivated and able to work independently
  • Strong attention to detail  

Perks of the job
Ability to buy extra holiday, Alpkit discount for you, your family and friends, life insurance, critical illness cover, cycle to work scheme, enhanced pension contributions, paid volunteer days and we are environmentally and sustainability conscious and we promote a learning culture. 

We value all cultures, backgrounds and experiences, be yourself, join our community and help us “go nice places and do good things.” 

Interested? Please email your CV to us jobs@alpkit.com along with a covering letter/email explaining why you would like to be part of the team. 

 

Assistant Store Manager – Alpkit Bristol

Location: Alpkit Bristol
Position: Permanent, Full-time
Hours: 40hrs per week

We are looking for someone to support our new Bristol Store as Assistant Store Manager to provide exceptional customer service to help our customers Go Nice Places, Do Good Things.

You will want to get involved with both Sonder and Retail and have a passion for the whole outdoors. This role will involve you being a duty manager in the absence of the Store Manager so this is a great opportunity to develop your retail leadership skills and experience through taking on additional responsibilities and greater involvement in commercial decision making.

About the Team
Our heroes on the customer front line play a huge part within Alpkit. This is an exciting opportunity for the individual who loves the outdoors, wants to grow a retail location and wants to work in a vibrant store, offering real service with personality.

We are champions of being a sustainable brand and by choosing to do the right thing and aiming to do better continuously, we are world class at what we do. These guiding principles are embraced throughout our retail team.

We enjoy serving customers and enjoy closing a sale. We are helpful, cheery, engaging and knowledgeable. We feel pride when we get a review, see customers with our products in use, win awards.

About you

  • Take pride in offering great service and love being on shop floor
  • Motivated to get things done
  • Keen to be outdoorsy
  • Entrepreneurial; can work with the team to build something a bit different and special
  • Have an awareness across a range of outdoor gear and activities

Perks of the job

  • Ability to buy extra holiday
  • Alpkit discount for you, your family and friends
  • Life insurance, critical illness cover
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Enhanced pension contributions
  • Paid volunteer days
  • We are environmentally and sustainability conscious and we promote a learning culture

How to Apply
If you think you can wear the Alpkit red t-shirt and want the opportunity to really help build & influence a store, then email your CV and covering letter to jobs@alpkit.com telling us why you think you’d fit in well to an Alpkit store.

We value all cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Alpkit is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team so be yourself, join our community and help us “go nice places and do good things”.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her, he/him, they/them, etc).

 


Speculative applications are always welcome and we make time to read every single one.

We encourage applications from all as we look to overcome diversity, equality and inclusion barriers to the outdoors.

How to apply

Alpkit HR / Confidential
Unit 12-14 Oak House,
Engine Lane,
Newthorpe,
NG16 3QU
Email: jobs@alpkit.com

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