Job Description
About the Role
We currently have an exciting opportunity for two Waterway Operatives to join our Forth & Clyde Canal Team with one role based in Glasgow and another role based in Grangemouth. The role of a Waterway Operative is to deliver the movement of boats across the canal network, maintain the canal side landscape and to engage with the users of the canal and towpath.
The roles are offered on a permanent basis, working 5 days with 3 day rest, averaging 35 hours per week. Longer hours will be worked over 32 weeks in the Summer with shorter hours over 20 week during winter.
This is an amazing opportunity to develop a career looking after one of Scotland’s engineering wonders, in a beautiful heritage landscape.
Primary responsibilities of the role:
The role is primarily outdoor working and all training will be provided. You will generally be working as part of a team and a can-do attitude is essential. Recruitment will focus on attitude and willingness to learn new skills. Key tasks will include:
- Facilitating boat movements across the Forth & Clyde Canal, advising boaters, rope handling, operating lock gates and operating opening bridges
- Controlling water movement through the lock gates to ensure the canal is continually fed with water
- Maintaining the landscape of the canal, including grass cutting, hedging, pruning trees and shrubs
- Maintaining the aesthetics of the canal, including sanding and repainting locks, bridges and fences. Litter picking and generally expressing our pride in Scotland’s Canals
- Operating on water from work boats and amphibious weed cutters
- Maintaining the day to day operations of the work boat fleet, i.e. daily prechecks and power washing
- You will be part of a stand-by system to address any out of hours issues
Working with Scottish Canals brings opportunities to work in a unique landscape environment, maintaining a nationally important heritage structure. You will develop transferable skills but importantly learn specific heritage skills in operating and maintaining Scotland’s oldest canal and first ship canal.
About the Reward
This role offers a progressive starting salary of £28,106 - £30,562 plus a variable hours allowance of 11.25% and an outdoor working allowance of £850pa.
Scottish Canals offer a generous annual leave entitlement of 224 hours, 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.
About You
Qualifications and knowledge required:
- Whilst experience in general maintenance, landscape and ground care work is desirable, all training will be provided
- General understanding of Microsoft products and competence in use of smart phones is essential
- A full clean drivers licence is required to drive Scottish Canals fleet vehicles consisting light goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes often towing pant.
Skills and experience required:
- You will be expected to use power tools and grounds maintenance plant, including drills, chainsaws, pole-saws, strimmers, pedestrian mowers, ride on plant and act as helmsman or crew for workboats
- You should be receptive to instruction and advice from an experience team of colleagues and be willing to complete training on a wide range of equipment
Qualities & abilities required:
- You should be fit and capable of undertaking outdoor working
- You should take pride in the work delivered
- Represent Scottish Canals to customers and users of the canal in a respectful and helpful way
Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.