Duty 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: Duty Manager

We’re excited to welcome a new Duty Manager at our Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre.

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 is a site-based role at Anderton Boat Lift, CW9 6FW.

Working across our visitor attraction, the Duty Manager will be responsible for the safe and efficient operation at Anderton Boat Lift, alongside leading and motivating a team to deliver outstanding customer service. The team will support this through engaging activity participation, the sale of goods and services, and the upkeep of a high‑quality environment for all visitors.

The Duty Manager will champion the Trust’s values, both personally and through your team, helping to create an exceptional visitor experience. In this role, you will actively contribute to increasing revenue, enhancing customer satisfaction, and ensuring our sites remain welcoming and enjoyable places to visit.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a team or teams of staff/ volunteers delivering a safe environment and excellent customer service; for example in maintenance, retail, catering or operation of trip boats/ other.
• Adoption of required emergency, safety, operational, financial, other processes appropriate to tasks. Plan and implement safe working procedures - creation of risk assessments and method statements, in line with the Trust’s Health and Safety Policy and standards.
• Customers dealt with to expected standards of courtesy and care; resolve concerns/ complaints.
• Deliver targeted business plan objectives for services, projects, events, maintenance to planned expenditure budgets, regularly reporting on the same. Assist with identifying future priorities/ business planning and budgetary planning.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety at the site. Identify maintenance requirements and prioritisation. Instigate local maintenance tasks where required; liaise with other operational teams, contractors the Trust management structures as necessary for the execution of works
• Coach, develop and support the team performance for required measures, including customer satisfaction and other service standards. Report on the same.
• Plan and lead volunteers undertaking tasks ensuring the application of Trust procedures and the provision of a safe working environment for volunteers, and a satisfying volunteer experience.
• Recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers to assist with the running of the attractions, ensuring staff and volunteer satisfaction is high and their duties are rewarding.

About you

You’re an experienced and confident team leader who can motivate staff and volunteers to deliver a safe, welcoming and high‑quality visitor experience. You understand operational and safety procedures and can produce risk assessments and method statements when needed.

You handle customer enquiries and complaints professionally, and you’re comfortable delivering services and projects to agreed targets and budgets. You maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety, identifying and coordinating maintenance needs promptly.

You support, coach and develop your team, using performance measures and customer feedback to drive improvement. You also enjoy working with volunteers, ensuring they feel valued, supported and engaged.

Skills & Qualifications

• HND or Degree in relevant discipline or proven experience in a similar role
• Relevant occupational qualifications in disciplines for bespoke tasks, for example food hygiene.
• Customer service training qualification – Welcome Host or equivalent
• Valid driving licence appropriate to vehicle for specific roles
• Trust minimum safety learning standards
• Appropriate qualification in safety management, relevant to team discipline – NVQ level 3 Safety Management/NEBOSH General certificate
• Proven experience in a customer facing relevant to the task required.
• Previous retail/catering experience - Desirable
• Proven experience in direct sales, handling cash and the application of appropriate procedures
• Proven experience in monitoring budgets and providing management reporting.
• Proven experience in leading and motivating teams; directing, prioritising and delegating daily tasks
• Proven experience leading volunteers
• Proven experience with the use of computers and software packages
• Ability to work flexibly, in accordance with business demands.
• Ability to multi task, and work prioritisation

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 £26,500. 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

• Hiring Min Rate
• 26,500 GBP

• Hiring Max Rate
• 26,500 GBP