Customer Support Assistant

About Us

Scottish Canals are the custodians of the nation’s canal network and surrounding estates. Our vision is to invest in the canal network to generate lasting benefit for people and communities; celebrating their industrial heritage, ensuring they offer quality green and blue spaces for people and communities and contribute to Scotland’s resilience in tackling climate change.

Our success is rooted in valuing the contributions of our entire team - we care, we create, and we collaborate to continue to deliver a whole range of activities and services, from boating, and mooring, paddling, walking and wheeling, to living and playing and improving what the canals have to offer to our visitors and communities. We also work collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to contribute to a wealthier, fairer, greener and more resilient Scotland.

As an employer we offer a truly unique opportunity to be part of our team, help us realise our vision and contribute to safeguarding our heritage and ensuring our canals flourish now and in the future.

About the Role

We are recruiting a Customer Support Assistant to join our Customer Operations team, based at Seaport Marina, Inverness, supporting the Caledonian Canal.

This role provides frontline customer service and administrative support within a busy operational waterway environment. You will be a key point of contact for customers, handling enquiries, bookings and requests while providing essential administrative support to operational and management teams. The role helps ensure clear communication, accurate records and a high standard of customer experience across the canal network.

About the Reward

The role is offered on a permanent basis, with a progressive starting salary of £28,106 - £30,562 (Band B). Working 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday.

Scottish Canals offer a generous annual leave entitlement of 32 days, plus 6 public holidays, along with enhanced sick pay, discounted shopping vouchers, health cash plan and a contributory pension scheme with up to 10% employer contribution.

Primary responsibilities of the role:

• Act as a frontline point of contact for all customers, handling enquiries by telephone for the whole Scottish Canals Network, email and in person

• Deliver high‑quality customer service and effective first‑contact resolution
• Manage and administer bookings, licences, registrations and customer requests
• Provide administrative and clerical support to operational, moorings, estates and management teams
• Escalate issues to appropriate managers or departments as required
• Support financial administration including commercial billing, banking, reconciliation and reporting
• Assist with events, communications, publicity and stakeholder engagement activities
• Maintain accurate digital and physical records in line with records management policies
• Ensure compliance with procurement, finance and organisational procedures
• Support health and safety arrangements, including Fire Warden duties and first‑aid administration
• Assist with continuity of customer and business support services when required

About You

Qualifications and knowledge required:

Essential:

• Educated to Standard Grade / GCSE level (or equivalent), typically including English and Maths
• NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service, Business Administration or Administration, or relevant workplace training and experience in lieu of formal qualifications

Desirable:

• SCQF Level 5–6 or NVQ Level 3 in a customer service or administrative subject

Skills and experience required:

• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Proven administrative and organisational skills
• Confident IT user, including Microsoft Office and relevant business systems
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team
• Experience handling customer enquiries, correspondence and telephony
• Experience of cash handling or financial systems (desirable)

Qualities & abilities required:

• Understanding of customer service principles and best practice
• Awareness of data protection, confidentiality and records management requirements
• Understanding of the importance of accurate record keeping and audit trails
• Awareness of health and safety responsibilities in a customer‑facing environment
• Commitment to customer service excellence, health and safety, and organisational compliance

Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy early if enough applications are received.