Waterside Champion (Tunnel controller at Standedge Tunnel)

Canal & River Trust; Huddersfield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join the Canal & River Trust as a tunnel controller, overseeing safe operations in Standedge Tunnel and ensuring visitors have memorable experiences. This volunteer role offers the chance to interact with the public, manage operations, and immerse yourself in a unique waterside environment.

Benefits

Sense of reward

Experience in a unique environment

Opportunity to assist others

Supportive network of colleagues

Qualifications

• Must be friendly, reliable, and good with people.
• Team player skills required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee volunteers and manage operations on site.
• Engage with visitors and ensure safety during boat passage.
• Participate in risk assessments as needed.

Skills

Friendly

Reliable

Good with people

Team player

Job description

We are recruiting tunnel controllers to join our friendly volunteer team who ensure private boats can safely travel through Standedge Tunnel. This is the longest, highest, and deepest canal tunnel in the UK, with sections unlined where rock poses navigational hazards. Thorough training will be provided to familiarize you with the tunnel's features, including the s-bend in the middle, and our operating and emergency procedures.

You will oversee the volunteers present on the day, ensuring smooth operations and acting as the point of contact for any emergencies. Responsibilities include managing the short trip operation on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and school holidays, as well as facilitating passenger through trips approximately once a month. Customers enjoy engaging conversations, so you will also have the opportunity to share the tunnel's history.

Passages through the tunnel for private boats are available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, usually from late March to November. Once trained, you can specify your available days for inclusion in the monthly rota from our volunteer pool. When applying, we will contact you to arrange a meeting with the team to discuss the role in detail.

Why we want you

As a Waterside Champion, your support is vital in providing excellent experiences for visitors exploring our waterways, museums, and attractions. Champions assist along towpaths at Welcome Stations, demonstrate collections at museums, operate swing and lift bridges, and facilitate safe passage through tunnels when needed.

Additional roles include Rangers, Lock Keepers, Explorers, Waterside Champions, and Youth Engagement roles, which complement our core activities.

What you will be doing

• Representing the Trust to welcome and engage visitors, customers, and local residents
• Working in a team to care for the day-to-day operation of the waterways
• Operating key parts of the waterways to ensure safe passage for boaters and providing information to the public about them
• Declaring any unspent convictions upon registration and participating in risk assessments as needed

The skills you need

• Friendly
• Reliable
• Good with people
• Team player

What's in it for you

• A sense of reward
• Experience in a unique environment
• Opportunity to assist others
• A supportive network of colleagues