Waterway Ranger (Licensing & Compliance)

Canal & River Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 29,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Bike access

Company van

Outer London Allowance

Inner London Allowance

Pension

Holiday entitlement

Employee benefits

Job summary

Canal & River Trust in the United Kingdom invites applications for a Licensing Ranger (internal title). This outdoors role works 30 hours over four days a week, travelling across the Grand Union Canal and Paddington Arm corridor between Watford and Brentford to monitor boat licensing and assist customers.

You will capture sightings, attach notices, and provide signposting to Trust teams while upholding GDPR and licensing rules.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering customer-facing communications in challenging environments.
• Able to work outdoors in all weather, often alone, in varying areas.
• Awareness of safeguarding indicators and welfare concerns when dealing with customers.
• Ability to take initiative, pay attention to detail, and deliver results in difficult conditions.
• Strong team skills and a positive, can-do attitude.
• Knowledge of relevant licensing terms and Trust regulations.

Responsibilities

• Capture boat sightings within a defined geographic area using provided tools.
• Attach notices and letters to boats regarding licensing and enforcement.
• Provide basic customer service and signpost to appropriate Trust teams.
• Work with case management to progress enforcement and welfare cases.
• Support boat removals and ensure towpath closures and safety measures.

Skills

Face to face customer service

Outdoor lone working

Safeguarding awareness

Initiative and delivery

Teamwork

Licensing terms knowledge

Job description

Join Our Team: Licensing Ranger (internal title) Opportunity

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

*** Part time, 30 hours per week ***

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Trust as a Licensing Ranger.

The Licensing, Compliance, & Enforcement team play a vital role in monitoring boat license compliance, supporting customers achieve license compliance, reporting and signposting of vulnerability and safeguarding concerns, and protecting c.£25m income derived from boat licensing. Where compliance cannot be achieved, cases are progressed professionally and efficiently through defined license and statutory enforcement processes to remove non-compliant boats from Trust waters.

Working Hours & Travel

This role follows 30 hours, 4 days a week, work pattern.

Formally based from either our Little Venice or Leighton Buzzard hub, your work will involve travelling across the Grand Union Canal and Paddington Arm corridor, covering the network between Watford and Brentford. Regular travel throughout the region will be required to attend sites, undertake inspections, and support operational activities, helping to maintain and enhance this important section of the waterways network.

Role Overview

Licensing, Compliance, & Enforcement are committed to returning to a boat licensing rate of at least 95% by 2028. The Trust has around 35,000 boats on its waters, with around 7,600 of those boats 'continuously cruising' and needing to meet the additional requirements for a boat without a home mooring. Boat sightings, around 500,000 annually, taken by Licensing Rangers are fundamental to our support and enforcement processes. The Trust typically manages around 3000 core enforcement tasks each month, at various stages of process. Most cases are resolved, but around 100 boats are removed from the water each year because of enforcement process. Around 10% of these boats live aboard boats.

Key Responsibilities

This role is outdoors based and will involve a significant amount of walking and/or cycling. A bicycle can be provided, if required. In some cases, vans are provided or fuel expenses or public transport paid to access areas of geographic responsibility.

• Responsible for capturing boat sightings on a specified geographic area of the waterway network (there may be extenuating circumstances where there is a need to support other, suitable, geographic areas)
• Sightings are obtained using an iPad/tablet application (provided) as per sightings schedule.
• Photographs of boats may also be required (taken on iPad/tablet application) in certain circumstances
• Rangers will also be required to attach notices and letters to boats concerning licensing issues or enforcement and complete supporting documents to evidence service as required.
• This role will involve face-to-face customer contact and may be required to pass paperwork and notices to boaters, as well as providing basic customer service and signposting to appropriate Trust teams.
• Rangers will work closely with case management and welfare teams, directly and through supervision, to ensure documents are served and sightings obtained to ensure efficient case progress and customer support.
• Through an awareness of indicators of welfare and safeguarding risks, the role will highlight and refer cases of concern to relevant teams and supervision.
• Where needed, rangers may be required to support boat removals by ensuring towpath closures are adhered to or by other required means.
• A driving licence is essential as driving is an integral part of this role.
• There may be a need to use workboats to obtain sightings, either as a passenger or as a skipper. Training will be provided.
• Displaying the Trust values and behaviours at all times.
• Good knowledge of GDPR, Freedom of Information Act, Equality Act 2010.

About You

We welcome individuals with practical skills and a willingness to learn. Whether you come from a building or [specialism] background, your experience and enthusiasm will help you thrive in this role.

Skills & Qualifications

Technical:

• Previous experience of working with face to face with customers, in often difficult situations where enforcement communication is delivered.
• Experience of working outside in all elements, often in a lone working environment and covering a different geographic area each day.
• An awareness of indicators of mental or physical health risks, or safeguarding concerns when dealing with customers.
• Able to work under own initiative, with attention to detail and ability to deliver results in challenging situations and environments.
• Excellent team working skills, a logical thinker with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.
• Basic knowledge of relevant Acts, Bye Laws and licensing terms and conditions, affecting Canal & River Trust.

General:

• Personable and understanding approach to people.
• Ability to work and communicate co-operatively with others to plan and complete actions and tasks in a timely, efficient manner.
• Ability to plan so that tasks can be completed in synchronisation with sightings schedule.
• Full UK Driver Licence.
• Ability to ride a bike.
• Have an understanding and commitment to water safety and be a competent swimmer.
• Computer literacy, including knowledge of Office 365 suite, and preferable experience of using a customer relationship management system.

Contact & Application

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [e-mail]. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.

What We Offer

• We offer a salary of £27,950 - £29,400 (full time equivalent)
• with a bikefor canal access, a company vanfor work use
• As part of the role you will receive either an Outer London (£2,000) or Inner London Allowance (£4,000)
• Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits
• For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1.

Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits

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