Marine Engineering Quality & Technical Manager

Job Purpose

Internal Job Title: Boat Safety Scheme Quality & Technical Manager

Advertised Salary: £47,000 + benefits

Location: Remote, with regular travel across our network required. See here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers

We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays its part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.

We currently have an opportunity for a Marine Engineering Quality & Technical Manager to join our team. This role will aid the development and help ensure the delivery of the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) strategy and supporting BSS Business, Quality management, Budget & Finance Plans; as well as manage the technical input that supports BSS decision-making.

Large parts of this role will include:

• Project Management: concerning small craft/marine engineering.
• Customer Service: Interacting with the Boat Safety Scheme's many and varied stakeholders, including but not limited to standards-making bodies, Navigation Authorities, consultants and training providers, boat owners and BSS Examiners.
• Quality assurance: Overseeing internal practices and those of BSS Examiners. Developing and/or implementing quality assurance programmes (e.g. ISO 9001, EFQM), particularly in the context of small craft/marine setting.
• Audit: Undertake risk reviews and write well-crafted, detailed and technically competent Risk Review and Assessment Papers. Undertaking an analysis of a mechanical defect in the context of a small craft/marine setting.

Location & coverage

The position will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces and or other navigation & harbour authority offices throughout the UK as and when required for team working and collaborative meetings. Travel throughout the waterway network is expected in order to conduct site visits.

BSS Limited represents numerous navigation authorities throughout the UK, we have training centres at Evesham, Northampton and Norwich. We hold technical conferences in numerous locations but mainly based in Warwick. Our monthly meetings are held In Hemel Hempstead. Overnight stays are an essential part of the role.

Our regional office hubs include: Leeds, Ellesmere Port, Burnley, Newark, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Gloucester, London.

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

About BSS

The Boat Safety Scheme Limited is a public safety initiative, run as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with company number 15501423 .Its purpose is to help minimise the risk of boat fires, explosions, or pollution harming visitors to the inland waterways, the waterways' workforce and any other users. We work from Inverness to Devon, Wales to the East Anglian coast helping to identify and reduce boat related risks on canals, rivers, lochs, lakes and Broads across 16 inland navigation and harbour authority areas. See www.boatsafetyscheme.org/about-us/ for more detail.

The BSS is administered by the Canal & River Trust , the charity and navigation authority that looks after 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales. The BSS team, including this role, are employees of the Trust and we all play our part in ensuring canals and rivers are spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.

Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

Key accountabilities:

• Help ensure that the BSS Requirements continually represent the most effective reasonable minimum safety standards for boats using the navigations and harbours of those authorities we serve
• Lead BSS activity teams, including Technical Team, Quality Assurance Team and Training Team, all of of which includes BSS Office colleagues and specialist contractors and consultants
• Commission and work with consultants where such individuals or companies help support the BSS Risk Management Process, Examiner Development Strategy and/or Examiner training programmes
• Lead the continual development and delivery of the BSS Examiner Development Strategy to ensure that BSS Requirements are consistently and effectively applied by BSS Examiners. As measured by the input and review of BSS Forums
• Manage the delivery at BSS Forums of appropriate risk management outcomes through the application of the BSS Risk Management Process to help ensure that 'real' and accepted boat-related risks are identified and managed effectively. As measured by the input and review of BSS Forums
• Propose new, and refine the Scheme's existing best practice safety information, advice and tips for boat owners and operators based on the Risk Management process
• Prepare, monitor and deliver continual improvements in BSS quality assurance processes and procedures to ensure continuous improvement in BSS effectiveness and efficiency as set out in improvement plans and taking account of any variations to the plan following quarterly and annual quality assurance activity reports to the BSS forums
• Manage the BSS Technical Forum (a risk process forum of specialist BSS consultants and stakeholders) including working closely with its independent Chair, and engage with the BSS Advisory Forum (stakeholder policy forum)
• Influencing effective stakeholder engagement to ensure synergy in delivering the BSS aims, visions and values. Use innovation to deliver strategic objective to manage the risks to people and property presented by boats to as low as reasonably practicable by promoting safety improvements through research and design and being pro-active to seek to identify any new risks yet to show up from available incident data
• Also influencing multiple outside standards-making bodies to help ensure UK Codes of Practice, international standards and any associated UK legislation matches the Scheme's and the navigation and harbour authority interests
• Lead the provision of technical advice on the application and interpretation of the BSS requirements to boat owners, BSS Examiners, the Navigation Authorities, the marine industry, and others, to the satisfaction of the customers served. Becoming actively involved in resolving the issues or passing on challenges to the BSS Technical Forum or complaints to the BSS
• Support, monitor and assist in the delivery of BSS business, financial and budget plans to in line with the Scheme's policies and aligned with their stated goals
• Achieving the BSS values and behaviours at all times. Ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promoting inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of our workforce policies and values.

About you

Technical:

• Educated to Degree level in relevant engineering discipline - craft/marine engineering .
• Chartered engineer or equivalent (engineer or surveyor with professional membership desirable).
• Substantial experience at a senior level in marine engineering and/or recreational craft design, construction or systems.
• Proven, experience/ knowledge of quality assurance accreditation/certification/audit standards and processes. Ideally, EFQM-assessor trained.
• Computer literate, including knowledge of appropriate Windows software and knowledge of appropriate CRM systems and business ecosystem software.
• A confident communicator with demonstrable leadership and influencing skills, with excellent presentational and negotiating skills.
• A thorough understanding of the role of national and international technical standards and codes of practice supporting the construction, fitting and maintenance of small craft and marine installations
• A strong and effective knowledge of project management and process-based working.

General:

• Demonstrable experience in cross-functional working.
• Track record of effective leadership to a technical team to achieve operational and customer service objectives.
• Able to lead, develop and coach individuals to ensure that the appropriate skills and competencies are maintained to deliver the objectives of the team.
• Proven ability to present technical data and provide high quality written communication.
• Proactive approach toward improvements; challenging existing practices to continually improve.
• Proficient in the use of a personal computer and business applications software e.g. MS Office.
• Must hold a current valid driving licence - company car allowance will be provided.

To apply: click on the "Apply for this job" button and follow the process - complete the application form & upload current CV

Interviews: Initial interviews will be conducted virtually.

If you have any questions about the role please contact CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk

What We Offer

In addition to your annual base salary of £47,000, we also offer a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits we are also open to flexible working arrangements.

• Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
• 25 days paid holiday (plus paid Bank Holidays), increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
• Home working status with 'hub' facilities available should you need the flexibility to work outside of home.
• Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity.
• 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 and holiday purchase scheme.
• 2 days paid volunteering leave per annum, allowing you to volunteer for a local community project etc.
• 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]]>