Seasonal Waterway Operative - UNAVAILABLE

Job Purpose

Job Title: Seasonal Waterway Operative

Advertised Salary: £23,260 + benefits

Working Hours: Thursday - Monday 

Location: Fradley/Stoke

The Canal & River Trust is one of the UK’s largest charities, we maintain 2,000 miles of historic canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs, along with museums, archives and the country’s third largest collection of protected historic buildings – preserving them for future generations.

We are approaching our busy season when our waterways across England & Wales welcome increasing numbers of visitors for short visits and longer trips and holidays, enjoying our wonderful green and blue spaces.

To support our visitors throughout Spring & Summer of 2024, we have a number of fixed term opportunities as Seasonal Operative in our West Midlands Operations Team.  The fixed term runs from June 2024 - November 2024.

These are fixed term seasonal roles, however you will be working full time hours following our annualised hours system,Thursday - Monday shift pattern, which includes working statutory holidays. Full details of the rota system will be discussed at interview, however your availability and flexibility to work on a rotating system, including some weekend and bank holiday working is essential.  Our waterways are always open, and our visitors wish to squeeze as much enjoyment our of their time in our spaces as possible during the lighter longer days from Easter through to end of Summer.

If you love to work outdoors (all weathers!), enjoy meeting and helping people, and care about our visitors having a memorable experience on our waterways then this may be the role for you.  You'll be given training, appropriate workwear and get the change to not only support and ensure a fabulous visitor experience, but also play your part in protecting and conserving our heritage spaces and assets are for today, and for future generations.

Operational base location Fradley/Stoke - with some travel within the region expected.

Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

Through your engagement with visitors and local communities, you will be promoting a safe and secure visitor & customer experience on the waterways.  Your role will involve delivering the general works programme in order to enhance the reputation of the network as a valued national asset. You will also be supporting Canal & River Trust’s aims to improve safety and increase the number of people using the waterways whilst protecting the heritage and integrity of the inland waterway network.

The work that you will do and the way that you do it is invaluable in ensuring the conservation and improvement of the West Midlands much loved waterway network for local communities and visitors to enjoy.

• Working outside, providing outstanding levels of customer service - you will be a visible and approachable advocate for the work that the Canal & River Trust does
• Undertake water control duties including the operation of structures eg locks and bridges in a safe manner to ensure that customers are not hindered in their visit to the waterway.
• Undertake key duties associated with the maintenance of the waterway and waterside eg towpath litter removal, towpath and access repairs.
• Ensure that environmental and heritage issues are taken into consideration in all work that is undertaken.
• Provide a first response for any emergencies/incidents that may occur within the waterway.
• Support asset inspections. Identify and report any structure failures, breaches, damage or pollution incidents to Operations Supervisor or Engineers.
• Using appropriate basic tools and equipment, undertake vegetation management activities to ensuring our outdoor spaces are well maintained 
• Participate where agreed in the standby rota in order to support delivery of customer service to defined standards and reaction to emergency situations.
• Experience of working within relevant environment eg customer service.
• Comply with Canal & River Trust Health & Safety policy and defined standards, report incidents, accidents and near misses. Complete point of work risk assessments and make adjustments to work methods where appropriate. Ensure all equipment (PPE, plant, materials etc) is appropriate for the task.

Skills & experience:

• You will have a good understanding of what great customer engagement and service looks and feels like
• Experience of working within relevant environment eg customer service, outdoor visitor services/maintenance/visitor attractions
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• Valid driving licence appropriate for vehicle to be driven

Candidates who have used power tools, have experience in similar environment, experience working with volunteers, vegetation management and/or some experience completing maintenance work is desireable but not essential.  Full training from supportive colleagues will be given.

Come and help us to create wonderful memories on our West Midlands Waterways.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

What We Offer

All our waterway operatives step up their salary through a salary progression plan. Starting at £23,260.

Further to salary offered, the Canal & River Trust offers a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement (increasing with years of service) and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits, all of which can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits). These include:

• Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
• 25 days paid holiday (FTE)
• Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues, e.g. health, financial, well-being and domestic matters.
• Access to a range of employee benefits including store discounts, boating holiday discounts.
• Free fishing facilities across our canal network.

At the Trust we care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.

When you join the Canal & River Trust you become a member of an engaged team working to preserve our heritage for future generations. Come and share your passion and knowledge with a team that makes a difference to millions of people every day.

Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us