Area Operations Manager

Job Description

About the Trust 

We're one of the UK’s biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We're looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?  

Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country's third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.

Join Our Team: Area Operations Manager

We’re excited to welcome a new Area Operations Manager at our North West location.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive. 

Working Hours & Location 

This role follows a 37 hours, over a 7-day working pattern. This role will be based at Rosegrove Depot , requiring regular travel to our North West Waterways and to our main hubs for collaborative meetings and team activities. The area of responsibility covers Leeds and Liverpool canal from top Lock wigan to Greenberfield Locks at Barnaldswick. The operational area includes additional sites such as Walton Summit Branch and the following reservoirs Winterburn, Whitemoor, Slipper Hill, Upper and Lower Foulridge, Barrowford and Rishton.

Role Overview 

In this role you will lead a team of 11 colleagues (Team Leader, Volunteering Leaders, Operatives plus apprentice), as well as numerous volunteers, focusing on day-to-day operational management and maintaining safety management protocols across the Walton Summit Branch and the following reservoirs Winterburn, Whitemoor, Slipper Hill, Upper and Lower Foulridge, Barrowford and Rishton.

See our network here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network  

Having established ourselves as a major charity, we are now on a journey to deliver ambitious new plans – and central to this is the area structure that will enable us to deliver an outstanding service to all users and customers across our amazingly diverse network. Join us, as one of our new Area Operations Managers, and you’ll play a key part in making sure this happens, as you take ownership of the quality and presentation of the waterways in your area.

You’ll be the main contact for a huge variety of people – not just colleagues and volunteers but internal users, visitors, customers and community representatives as well. By engaging with them, listening to them, and understanding their needs, you’ll be able to build up a complete picture of service-related and operational issues. You will also be responsible for delivering operational activities, works and improvement programmes across your area, leading and motivating internal teams and supervising contractors to ensure a successful outcome every time.

Throughout your work, you will be addressing key customer concerns and using your local knowledge to ensure we operate a reliable waterway network. And, most important of all, you will be helping us prove that life’s better by water, by transforming our canals and rivers into spaces that bring wellbeing benefits to huge numbers of local people every day.

Key Responsibilities

• Key correspondent for engaging with and listening to users, visitors, colleagues and volunteers to have a complete picture of service related and operational issues in their area.
• Development and implementation of a prioritised improvement programme to encourage greater participation with increasing levels of visitor satisfaction and aimed delivering against the Trust’s framework of strategic objectives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the area and wider Trust for the completion of works, delivery of wider Trust wellbeing, engagement, promotional and other activities.
• Liaison with and coordinate Trust priorities with other teams to ensure all works and initiatives within their area are programmed and delivered with current and future visitors in mind. Influence colleagues in relation to the delivery of works outside the scope of their own team to deliver.
• Manage minor projects – typically grant funded valued to £20k, achievement of outcomes and budget compliance, required reporting and other standards.
• Develop and grow the volunteering contribution to the care of the waterways with a targeted, engaging and satisfying programme of opportunities.
• Line management, coaching and mentoring of a team of paid colleagues and volunteers to operate the waterway; and deliver a planned programme of maintenance works to high quality, in time and to budgets; and reactive tasks as circumstances require. Planning of work schedules and rotas. Organise and oversee the daily operation of an area of the network to provide a 7-day operational service.
• Key contact with contracting partners in the undertaking of activities associated with the delivery of planned contracted and arising tasks in the Operational Contracts area. Undertake specialist activities (example Diving Contract Administration), as needed for the area and more widely where required.
• Identify and implement opportunities for efficiencies, achieving budgetary targets each year.
• Participation in the planning and delivery of a 24/7 on call response, to ensure visitor and neighbour safety and satisfaction is maintained at all times. Ensure availability of colleagues to resource the rota.
• Responsible for equipment, vehicles and buildings to the required standards to ensure their availability for works and cost effectiveness.

About you

Given how many different kinds of internal and external stakeholders you’ll be dealing with, it’s vitally important that you have excellent communication and influencing skills along with proven experience of leading successful teams and of managing and motivating groups of volunteers. You will also need substantial experience of developing and delivering programmes of work that have been effective in turning a strategic vision into reality.

Safety is another major part of your remit, so you must have proven experience of safety management and, if you haven’t already gained a NEBOSH certificate, then working towards one will be beneficial.

A full valid driving licence is essential as you will need to be readily mobile across your area of responsibility. 

Skills & Qualifications

• Understanding and translating a strategic vision; and developing and delivering programmes of work, on time and on budget.
• Customer focused work which demonstrates the ability to deliver technical challenges in an operational management visitor / infrastructure network.
• Successfully leading teams and demonstrating delivery through others.
• Improving and maintaining motivation and engagement within teams, and of demonstrating a strong people focus.
• Environment to deliver an excellent visitor experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and communication skills.
• Proven comprehensive experience of safety management with some experience of the Construction (Design & Management) regulations.
• Solid experience of effective and efficient delivery processes and cost control; and managing budgets.
• Proven experience of working with, growing the support from and managing volunteers.
• Good experience of contract management.

Qualifications:  

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject, desirable.
• Full and valid driving licence.

Contact & Application 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.

What We Offer 

We offer an annual salary of £40,838 + £390 per month Car Cash Allowance. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1.  

Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits 

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Our values

We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments - whether for a disability, neurodiversity, or health condition - please let us know what you need and how we can support you. We’ll work with you to make any necessary changes.

All of our jobs can be considered on a part time, flexible or job share basis.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. You are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We recognise not everyone who is classified as disabled under the Equality Act personally identifies this way, or with this definition of disability. Please do not let this discourage you from applying under the scheme.

At Canal & River Trust, we are committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. As part of our hiring process, we may use AI to analyse applications and support us work more efficiently. However, all hiring decisions – without exception - are made by our hiring managers. 

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

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

Job Details

• Pay Type
• Salary

• Travel Required
• Yes

• Hiring Min Rate
• 40,838 GBP

• Hiring Max Rate
• 40,838 GBP