About the Trust

We’re the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of canals and rivers. Our waterways contribute to the health and wellbeing of local communities and economies, creating attractive and connected places to live, work, volunteer and spend leisure time. These historic, natural and cultural assets form part of the strategic and local green-blue infrastructure network, linking urban and rural communities as well as habitats.

Our waterways are on the doorstep of 8 million people and reach some of the most deprived communities within the UK. By caring for our waterways and promoting their use we believe we can improve the wellbeing of our nation.  Come and be part of it. 

We are looking for an Area Operations Manager (AOM) to cover the The Grand Union South Area will effectively contribute to and deliver the strategic vision of the Region and the Trust by transforming our canals and rivers into spaces that bring wellbeing benefits to local people, and visitors every day.  Reporting to the Head of Operations for the London & South East region, the AOM is accountable for the quality and presentation of the Grand Union South area, whilst also ensuring all users and visitors to our diverse network or waterways have an outstanding and engaging experience.

Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

About the role:

Although this role is based out of our Tringford site, it is not an office job.  With much of your time spent working outdoors with your team it is essential that you love to work outside, regardless of the weather all year around - you will be provided with car cash allowance and must hold a full valid UK driving licence. Your area covers waterways stretching from Cosgrove to Rickmansworth. 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 and listening to them, and understanding their needs, you’ll be able to build up a complete picture of the service-related and operational issues that are required to be delivered.

 To help you achieve this, you will directly line manage and lead a team of waterway operatives, supported (day to day) by a Team Leader (for Operations) and a Volunteers Leader who will be responsible for carrying out the maintenance, works and improvement programmes required across your area. Where required, you will need to arrange and supervise external, specialist contractors to complete any requirements.

Throughout all the works programmes, you will ensure the safety of your team and any volunteers, that work is delivered to a high specification, both on time and to budget and that all your customers, visitors and users are aware of any impact on them.

 Alongside the works programme, you will lead the area in engaging with the local community to use our waterways, develop and add to our current volunteer programme, manage and support local groups who wish to hold events near our canals and ensure facilities are of the highest standards for our regular boating community.

 Due to the nature of our restructure, we are looking for someone who is currently working at this or a higher level, be that through a similar background of overseeing works in an operational management visitor / infrastructure network, comes from a team and works delivery environment in construction, or a comparable environment of engaging with a variety of stakeholders through volunteers and/or community programmes.

 Interested?  If you think that you can turn our strategic vision into reality, then read on further to see if your skills and experiences match our requirements.

Knowledge and Experience

• Given the variety of and different levels of stakeholders you’ll be dealing with, you will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be a key influencer at both internal and external level.
• Successfully led your own operational teams in delivering programmes of work, on time and on budget 
• Successfully managed teams through understanding individuals’ motivations, aspirations, engagement and abilities to deliver
• Good contract management knowledge and the ability to deliver programmes of work through external contractors / suppliers
• Safety management, ideally with some experience of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations
• Strong, end customer focus with the ability to deliver an excellent visitor experience
• Solid experience of effective and efficient delivery processes and cost control and managing budgets.
• Proven experience of engaging with, working with, growing the support from and managing the use of volunteers and / or a wide range of community groups.
• Familiar and comfortable with using Word and Excel.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject, desirable.
• NEBOSH certificate desired, willing to undertake if not already holding NEBOSH – it will be a requirement to complete if you do not already hold this certificate.
• Full and valid driving licence, essential.