Qualified Saddler

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 450,000 - 680,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Development opportunities

Job summary

Global Sports Jobs Limited seeks a qualified saddler to provide comprehensive saddlery services for Hong Kong and Mainland China. You will fit, repair, and supervise saddlery work, training apprentices and coaching staff in the latest saddle practices to ensure animal welfare and performance.

The role involves collaboration with veterinary teams, stock control, and delivering educational seminars across multiple locations in Hong Kong and China.

Qualifications

• Qualified bench saddler with at least five years' experience.
• Qualified and experienced saddle fitter.
• Team player but able to work on own initiative.
• Customer focused.
• All saddle fitting, adjusting and fixing.
• Training of apprentices.
• Overview of all leatherwork repairs.
• Stock oversight and record keeping.

Responsibilities

• Provide full saddlery support to HKJC riding schools and partners.
• Undertake repair and maintenance of saddlery items and advise on purchases.
• Ensure well-fitting equipment and quarterly tack checks with reporting.
• Collaborate with Equestrian Veterinary team on horses with back issues.
• Maintain stock levels with proper records and controls.
• Deliver saddlery training and workshops for coaches and staff.
• Engage with stakeholders to improve the equine value chain.
• Lead seminars on saddlery topics across locations.

Skills

Saddle fitting

Leatherwork

Stock control

Training apprentices

Team player

Customer focus

Job description

About the Role

The Qualified Saddler plays a pivotal role in the Equestrian Affairs Department by providing high-quality saddlery services and fostering collaboration and education within the equine community in Hong Kong and beyond. The role is essential to enhancing the equine value chain, particularly through ensuring well-fitting equipment that supports horse welfare. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Equestrian (BREC), the post-holder provides professional saddler services to the Club's equestrian horses across Hong Kong and Mainland China and works across multiple locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of saddlery support services to HKJC riding schools, private riding schools, and associated partners as required; advise Members and livery clients on saddle selection, fitting, and other tack-related matters.
• Undertake repair and maintenance of all saddlery items, and advise on the purchase of saddlery items to ensure safety, suitability, quality, cost efficiency, and efficient use of resources.
• Ensure suitable, well-fitting equipment is used on all horses to maintain excellent horse care, and perform quarterly checks on all school horses' tack, adjusting and refitting bridles and adjusting and re-flocking saddles as necessary, keeping suitable records and providing reports to the SME.
• Collaborate closely with the Equestrian Veterinary team to provide advice on horses with back issues.
• Maintain adequate stock of repair items, with appropriate stock control measures in place and records maintained.
• Undertake training of apprentice saddlers to develop their skills towards accreditation and becoming professional saddlers, and train coaches and stable staff in advanced saddle and equipment fitting and the latest developments in saddlery.
• Contribute to the development of the equine value chain by collaborating with various stakeholders, including stable managers, veterinarians, and equestrian facilities, to ensure a holistic approach to horse care and performance.
• Deliver seminars or lectures on saddlery-related topics in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other locations as directed, and utilise specialised skills to conduct educational programmes in Mainland China focusing on saddle fitting, maintenance
• And the importance of quality saddlery in horse welfare and performance.
• Advocate for the integration of saddlery education into broader equestrian training programmes, emphasising the role of quality equipment in enhancing horse welfare and competitive success
• Engage with saddlers from Racing Operations to share best practice in saddlery fitting and maintenance, and organise joint workshops and training sessions to enhance skills and promote continuous improvement and knowledge exchange.
• Undertake any other duties as assigned by Management.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Qualified bench saddler with at least five years' experience.
• Qualified and experienced saddle fitter.
• Team player but able to work on own initiative.
• Customer focused.
• All saddle fitting, adjusting and fixing.
• Training of apprentices.
• Overview of all leatherwork repairs.
• Stock oversight and record keeping.

Preferred Skills

• Fluency in English (preferred).
• Understanding of Cantonese (advantage, but not essential).

Workplace

• Hong Kong and Mainland China.
• Multiple locations as required.

Salary

• Competitive salary.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive benefits package.
• Dynamic working environment.
• Development opportunities.