Welcome to Lava Island

Lava Island is an indoor play oasis where kids fly across trampolines, dive into foam pits, race down slides, and disappear into towering jungle gyms while families share pizza and celebrate birthdays. It is loud, bright, and full of energy, and it is the kind of place where memories happen without warning.

We are ALL IN for our guests and each other, we work BETTER TOGETHER, we show up as DAY MAKERS, and we RAISE THE BAR by doing the little things with purpose.

About the Role

The Operations Manager is the General Manager's right hand and one of the most important leaders in the building. You lead the team on shift, serve as Manager on Duty, and keep operations moving across the café, the park floor, and party events. When the park is busy and the pressure is on, you are the steady presence who keeps the team confident and the experience smooth. It is also a role with a clear path forward; many of our strongest General Managers grew from here.

Why You'll Love Leading Here

Lead the floor in a fast-paced, guest-first environment where every shift matters
Coach and develop team members and supervisors in real time
Grow through Intentional Leadership, our development program, on a real path toward General Manager
Be part of a supportive culture grounded in trust, standards, and accountability
Competitive salary, leadership incentive, medical, dental, and vision, and employee perks

What You'll Do

Serve as Manager on Duty, present and aware across the whole park during your shift
Keep guest-facing areas clean, staffed, and ready, and handle guest issues on the spot
Assign zones, set clear expectations, and coach the team in real time
Hold the team accountable for tasks, safety, and service with fairness and consistency
Lead proactively so problems are prevented before guests feel them
Complete opening, shift-change, and closing procedures, checklists, deposits, and reporting
Keep the park guest-ready and safe, and keep the café stocked and running on time

Growing as a Leader Here

We do not just hire leaders, we develop them. Every park leader grows through Intentional Leadership, our leadership development program built on a simple idea: great leadership is built on purpose. As an Operations Manager, you are expected to be both an exceptional manager and an exceptional leader, and this program is a real part of your path toward running your own park.

What We're Looking For

An ownership mindset; you treat the shift and the park's results as your own
Hands-on leadership; you set the standard alongside the team
Steady under pressure; the team borrows the leader's energy
A coach; you give clear, real-time direction and hold the standard
Strong organization and clear communication with team members and guests

What You'll Need

Experience leading teams in a fast-paced hospitality or customer-facing setting, ideally 15 or more people on a shift
Current ServSafe Manager Certification, or completion within 30 days of hire
Availability for weekends, evenings, and holidays; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are required, across opening and closing shifts
Willingness to be hands-on, including cleaning and park prep alongside the team
Ability to stand, walk, and move for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs
Ability to pass a background check and drug screen

Ready to lead the floor and grow with us? Apply today.

About the company

Lava Island runs large-format indoor adventure parks designed for family entertainment. Each park features trampolines, climbing walls, a ninja course, a volcano slide, foam pits, and multi-level jungle gyms, plus dedicated toddler areas; facilities are about 30,000–40,000 square feet. Revenue comes from timed admission, mandatory socks, on-site food and drinks, merchandise, and birthday parties (around 25% of revenue), with parks hosting events for schools and groups. The company avoids arcades and go-karts to keep margins higher and staffing simpler, targets families with children aged 2–12, and offers themed private party rooms and on-site cafes, with a goal to scale a network of parks across the United States where siblings of different ages can play together and families stay active.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Aurora, Colorado

Founded

2017

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Kildeer opened February 17, 2026, proving continued site conversion momentum.
Lava Island’s website listed eleven open parks and four coming-soon locations on September 13, 2026.
NARRATE’s October 1, 2024 fund still backs nationwide expansion through twelve selected sites.

What critics are saying

BBB reviews on September 10, 2026 cite hidden adult fees and scorching ventilation.
Rapid expansion strains execution: Lewisville and Plano remain coming soon after April 8, 2026.
A fragmented CEO story, with Boyd Henderson and Chase Terwilliger, signals governance confusion.

What makes Lava Island unique

Lava Island targets ages 2-12, avoiding arcades and go-karts, simplifying operations.
The brand emphasizes screen-free family play, reinforced by Kildeer’s February 17, 2026 opening.
Chase Terwilliger has scaled to eleven locations, with planned Texas and Midwest entries.

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Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance

Company News

What Now Media Group

Oct 8th, 2026

Lava Island is "redefining fun" in Panther Creek with its first Texas opening.

Lava Island is "redefining fun" in Panther Creek with its first Texas opening. Lava Island is expected to open in The Woodlands early next year. Published Date: October 8, 2026, 2:55 PM EDT Lava Island is set to open in The Woodlands early next year. This is the Tuscon, AZ location. (Image credit: Lava Island Facebook) Lava Island is coming to Texas! The indoor playground has three locations opening in the Lone Star State this fall, winter, and early next year. Lava Island is expected to open in The Woodlands, serving the Greater Houston area and its visitors by early next year, according to Community Impact. Lava Island will debut in Houston within the Panther Creek Village Center at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive. What Now Houston briefly spoke with Lava Island Chief Executive Officer Chase Terwilliger, who confirmed the opening. Unfortunately, Terwilliger was unable to share further details by the time of this publication. "When we created Lava Island, it wasn't just about building a playground - it was about solving the challenges we faced as parents," the Lava Island website reads. "We envisioned a place where siblings of all ages, from toddlers to teens, could share the joy of play and strengthen family bonds." Lava Island is an indoor play oasis and family fun park that originated in Aurora, Colorado, in 2018 by the Henderson family, specifically co-founders Celeste Henderson and Boyd Henderson. It was designed as an active indoor play oasis for all ages, featuring trampolines, climbing walls, ninja courses, and a signature "volcano" slide. The brand grew from its single original location into a multi-state footprint with plans for dozens of additional U.S. properties. There are now a total of 14 Lava Island indoor playground locations, including open parks and spots marked as coming soon on the official Lava Island website. Lava Island will open its first Texas playground in Lewisville this Fall before debuting in the Greater Houston area in early 2027. What Now also reached out to Executive Vice President of Operational Systems, Brandon Bullough, to find out more about expansion plans. But Whatnow Media Group did not hear back by the time of publication. Lava Island is anticipated to debut in Houston within the Panther Creek Village Center at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive by early 2027. (This is a developing story. As more information is made available, Whatnow Media Group will update this article. Stay tuned!) Love its content? Add WhatNow as a preferred source on Google to see more of its trusted coverage when you search. Be the first to know. From new restaurant openings to exciting retail launches and real estate insights, be the first to know what's happening in Houston Regional Reporter Candese Charles first fell in love with journalism in the second grade, when she started the Charles Gazette. Since then, her career as a journalist has taken her to TV screens in New Orleans, the Bay Area, and Las Vegas. She believes that a good story has the power to change the world or at least change the way you think about food. Food is a love language for her, as both her father and brother are chefs. Originally from Los Angeles, after a trek across the country for her career as a TV news reporter, she's happy to call North Las Vegas home. When she's not writing about the hottest and newest restaurants, she's spending time with her family, catching concerts and music festivals, or brunching with her besties. She's excited to bring you a delicious bite of the next big restaurant.

Lava Island

Operations Manager

About the job