Job Description

A Bit About Kayam

Based in Oxfordshire, UK Kayam Structures has operated since 1992 within the events industry. We are industry leaders in big top tensile structures, which we offer globally. We have supplied structures to all sorts of clients from the MTV awards in Rome, to Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and Shambala here in the UK. Being a global company is an important part of our identity, as are customer satisfaction & the experience of our employees.

What is a Tent Master

The role of Tent Master has deep roots in travelling performance and event culture. Originating in the circus and fairground traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries, Tent Masters were responsible for transporting, erecting, and maintaining the great canvas big tops that housed entire shows. The position demanded discipline, technical skill, and leadership. Over time, the craft expanded into festivals, events, and large-scale hospitality, where Tent Masters continue to combine traditional rigging knowledge with modern safety standards, crew management and logistics expertise.

Your day

As a Trainee Tent Master, you will work alongside our most experienced Tent Masters to learn the craft of operating not only Kayam's Structures, but also a crew of between 8-20 people, as well as maintaining a great relationship with our clients. You will work on site to put up a structure between 2,000sqm - 8,000sqm. Once the structure is erected, it will be your job to closely monitor and maintain it, as well as your crew. Once the event is finished you will begin the process of deconstructing the structure, & moving onto the next job/site.

Your role will include:

Learning to operate a tensile structure which holds the Guinness World Record for the largest of its kind in the world. Organising the structure and all of its' components prior to departure from Kayam's yard, & loading them onto arctic lorries for transportation to the site, whilst maintaining order and good standards in the yard. Marking out the structure onto the site & unloading lorries. Leading the erection and de-rig of the structure (once operating as a full Tent Master). Overseeing a crew of 8-20 people, throughout the erection, hire and de-rig. Ensuring they are trained, motivated, understand their duties, conform to H&S standards, and are well fed and looked after in terms of their welfare. Liaising with clients on site and providing excellent and professional service. Working alongside other contractors putting equipment into the tent to ensure it is done within Kayam's guidelines. Monitoring the weather closely at all times & understanding long-term forecasting to be able to make informed decisions about workflow, structural safety & maintenance. Developing a deep understanding of the tents' engineering as well as the methodology of constructing it. Maintaining & cleaning the structure on and off-site to ensure it is kept in the best possible condition. Operating a telehandler and a cherry picker/MEWP, & overseeing crew operating telehandlers. Organising repairs and maintenance on the structure, & keeping detailed notes using Kayam's system. Working at height on the tent roof, and overseeing crew doing the same. Understanding and following rigorous UK and EU H&S standards. Meeting on site Engineers who will assess the structure once in situ. Basic account keeping, and recording of crew hours to ensure Kayam has a detailed record of all hours and expenditure. Coordinate and liaise with the wider team of Tent Masters regularly to share relevant information on structures, sites & crew. Travelling from job to job to erect and de-rig structures throughout the event season.

Have you got what it takes?

You can expect to be away from home between roughly April - September. This should mean that you should not have any prior commitments during this period. We would like someone to be able to commit long-term to seasonal work. Learning to operate the Valhalla takes a long time, and we want someone who will stick around after the training period is complete. This role would best suit someone who has an enquiring and practical mind. Who is quick to understand the way things work and who is adept at fixing things. This kind of work tends to best suit people who have been around hands-on, practical industries. While we can & will train the right people, having the right mindset & aptitude for the role is essential. An ideal candidate would possess specific innate engineering skills, an interest in tensile engineering, and/or a love of practical outdoor work. This is a very physical job which requires a lot of heavy lifting and hard manual labour. The right candidate should not only enjoy this, but should enjoy keeping others motivated and keen as well. Full UK Driving license is essential. You will be required to drive yourself and others long distances in the UK and abroad using our crew vans. A towing licence is a plus. Understanding of climbing. You will be working at heights and showing others how to. Understanding safe climbing/working at heights is an advantage. Able to work to a deadline. Kayam works to a gruelling and very specific schedule. Our structures must be up in time for an event to be able to take place so the schedule is our priority. Suitable candidates should be able to take a long view, forward plan and understand the intricacies of how each detail on the schedule impacts the future. Effective communicator with excellent people skills. This role will require the candidate to live and work on-site amongst both our crew, and the organisers of the event. You must be able to communicate clearly and effectively to both the crew, management, haulage companies and the client. Able to work under pressure. We can often find ourselves in high-pressure situations on site. It is vital that someone operating a structure, and crew is able to keep a clear and level head when under pressure. The candidate must be able to be responsive and reactive to situations that arise, whilst remaining calm and composed. Not afraid to ask for help. This role requires you to leave your ego at the door. We trust our Tent Masters not only with an incredibly high value of equipment, but with the safety and wellbeing of people. Being able to ask when you need help/support is essential. Living environment. The living environment varies, but more often than not you would be living on site in a tent. Welfare is provided by event sites, and we have large communal crew tents for cooking and relaxing. Occasionally, clients provide hotel rooms or similar accommodation. Due to the full-time nature of this lifestyle, personal space time can be limited, we ask that people take this into consideration when applying. Please also consider if you have any specific dietary requirements if these can be met easily while on the road, abroad, or when given catering from event sites. Be kind. As a manager, we expect our Tent Masters to lead with kindness. We will not accept any kind of bullying or discriminatory behaviour. We are proud to operate diverse crews and work in unique places.

What is in it for you?

A healthy trainee salary The opportunity to train and progress to a fully-fledged Tent Master, and as a full Tent Master: An increased salary. The opportunity to receive profit-based bonuses. A company phone. A salary which remains consistent throughout your season: whether you are working in the yard, building a structure, monitoring a structure or driving in between jobs Some work opportunities may arise outside of the season, these would be entirely optional and would be paid at different rates. Use of a company van whilst working for Kayam
Paid travel across the UK, Europe and occasionally further afield (we have previously worked in the USA, Russia, Abu Dhabi etc) Telehandler and MEWP training and licence if not in possession already Free food throughout your season The opportunity to attend festivals and events The chance to be part of the Kayam family, and a legacy that stretches back 30 years

WE REQUEST THAT APPLICANTS COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING JOB APPLICATION: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScG9luYBG8x08i05guKd5RSDGWsbIQadstX9Qtt3xFUhEDsMA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118171296149680257692

CVs sent without completing the job application will not be considered.

This role will operate on a probation basis for 1-3 individuals. It is important that we find the right person for this position, and we can only fully assess suitability once you are on site. There may be other positions available for people who we do not feel able to offer a permanent trainee Tent Master role.

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. If you do not hear back from us within 2 weeks of applying, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 7 months

Pay: From 550.00 per week

Benefits:

Discounted or free food Employee mentoring programme Free or subsidised travel
Work Location: On the road