Demo

Ride Operator

Herschend Family Entertainment
Altoona, IA Other
POSTED ON 12/11/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 2/11/2026

Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Herschend is the largest family-held themed attractions company, with 49 leading attractions and immersive experiences that reach audiences worldwide.

While each brand offers something unique, all are united by a shared purpose: Bringing Families Closer Together by Creating Memories Worth Repeating® . Our passionate hosts make this purpose possible through everyday acts of love and service—what we call Heartspitality®—the intersection of heart and hospitality.

As an equal-opportunity employer, we strive to provide environments where every host, guest, and partner feel welcome, valued, and loved. We firmly believe that words and actions matter, which is why all individuals are to be treated equally and with respect.

The ride of your life begins here! The outgoing and safety-oriented Rides Operator will operate and assist with rides located throughout the park. This position involves a lot of guest interaction and a customer service-oriented mindset to provide a wonderful experience to everyone who comes to enjoy a day at the park.

Ride Operators are responsible for supervising, monitoring, and attending to park rides, including boarding, securing passengers, operating the ride, and ensuring passengers exit safely.

We are currently looking for a:

Adventureland Park - Ride Operator

Roles & Responsibilities:

  • Greet and interact with guest in a fun and professional manner
  • Must enjoy interacting with guests of all ages
  • Follow all Adventureland Resort and manufacturer established safety regulations
  • Operates assigned ride or attraction in accordance with company policy and procedure, state and federal regulations and safety protocols.
  • Conduct morning inspections of assigned ride before daily operation begins
  • Tests rides daily before opening to guests
  • Answer questions related to ride operations and the park
  • Maintain an environment that ensures the safety of all employees and guests
  • Responsible for performing and enforcing accurate height, weight, or age requirements for all rides and attractions
  • Maintains flow of guests and while also limiting the number of guests on the loading platform
  • Gives directions and delivers instructions using a microphone or other communication devices
  • Properly check all safety restraints to ensure they are in the correct and locking position before ride cycle begins
  • Maintains constant vigilance while ride is operating and ensures that all riders all following appropriate safety measures
  • Must be alert and have quick reaction time to stop a ride properly in case of an emergency
  • Performs opening and closing procedures for assigned rides
  • Reports ride related issues and mechanical failures to management and maintenance promptly
  • Protects guest belongings; turns in lost and found items as soon as time allows
  • Ability to operate all levels of rides throughout Adventureland Resort

Education & Experience:

  • There is no minimum education requirement.
  • No previous experience is required.
  • All Rides Team Members must go through the International Ride Operator Certification (iROC) course as a part of the training. Successful course completion is required for this position. There is no cost to the team member for the course.

Languages: Ability to read, write, and speak fluent English; Spanish or other bilingual language skills are a plus.

Requirements:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age to comply with Iowa Child Labor Laws
  • Ability to work flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
  • Ability to comply with all uniform policies
  • Must possess safety-oriented mindset and understand the importance of complying with all Federal, State, and local regulations regarding ride operation
  • Must demonstrate a willingness to learn and ability to follow instructions
  • Must be guest-focused and work well with other team members and supervisors

Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to stand, walk, stoop, twist, kneel, bend, or squat for long periods of time
  • Ability to reach above shoulders throughout the workday
  • Ability to remain on feet for majority of the workday
  • Ability to climb or descend stairs for some coasters, rides, and attractions
  • Ability to carry, push, pull, lift, and hold objects weighing 30 pounds or more
  • Ability to see details of objects that are more than a few feet away

Working Conditions:

  • Frequent interaction a variety of motorized and chain-driven rides and attractions
  • Frequent exposure to the variable outside temperatures, including high heat, cold, direct sun, humidity, dust, rain, snow, ice, and other weather conditions
  • Frequent exposure to constant repetitive motion, high noise levels, flashing lights, vibrations, and heavily populated environments

Team member benefits:

Working at Adventureland is about making people happy! It’s about being independent and having fun, making new friends and earning extra money while doing so. As a Adventureland employee, you can be the smiling face that makes a great first impression for incoming guests, a cook that serves up tasty treats and culinary delights, a lifeguard who soaks up the sun while keeping guests safe, or a ride operator that keeps guests coming back for more thrills! There are many exciting seasonal job opportunities available to take your summer job to new heights!

Adventureland Perks & Benefits:

  • Flexible schedule

  • Ability to cross-train and learn unique skills across various departments

  • Free admission to Adventureland Theme Park/Waterpark and other select parks on your days off

  • Invitations to exclusive company-sponsored employee events throughout the season

We’ve got great jobs for people just starting out in the workforce, looking for a second job or staying active after retirement. If you want a fun, flexible job with an innovative company, look no further than Adventureland Park. Apply today!

Do not miss the chance to spark your career now!

Hourly Wage Estimation for Ride Operator in Altoona, IA
$24.00 to $30.00
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Ride Operator?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Ride Operator career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$48,653 - $61,184
Income Estimation: 
$59,033 - $73,934
Income Estimation: 
$35,852 - $45,069
Income Estimation: 
$42,857 - $54,506
Income Estimation: 
$38,344 - $47,165
Income Estimation: 
$37,157 - $47,352
Income Estimation: 
$61,261 - $79,378
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Herschend Family Entertainment

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Story, NH
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 13 Days Ago

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Portsmouth, NH
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 16 Days Ago

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Story, NH
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Story, NH
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 4 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Ride Operator jobs in the Altoona, IA area that may be a better fit.

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Altoona, IA
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 1 Month Ago

  • Herschend Family Entertainment Altoona, IA
  • Our story began 75 years ago when the Herschend family discovered wonder deep in an Ozark Mountain cave—and chose to share it with the world. Today, Hersch... more
  • 1 Month Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!