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- Tasks: Lead visitor operations at The Falkirk Wheel, ensuring top-notch experiences and team performance.
- Company: Scottish Canals, dedicated to preserving Scotland's canal heritage and promoting community engagement.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, health cash plan, and a strong pension scheme.
- Why this job: Join us to make a real impact on visitor experiences while safeguarding Scotland's natural heritage.
- Qualifications: Degree in tourism, hospitality, or relevant experience in customer-facing roles.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth in a supportive team environment.
The predicted salary is between 41000 - 46000 £ per year.
Overview
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.
About the Role
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Visitor Experiences Manager - Boat Teams to join our Destinations team in Falkirk. You will lead and manage visitor-facing operations at The Falkirk Wheel, ensuring safe, high-quality experiences, effective team performance and commercial success across tour boats, holiday hire and support associated visitor service functions. The role is offered on a permanent basis, working 5 days out of 7, 35 hours per week.
Responsibilities
- Operational & planning lead for Tour Boat & Hire boat departments.
- Meet all MCA requirements & retain passenger certificate.
- Work closely with mechanics to plan proactive maintenance and rectify unscheduled repairs with minimum disruption to the service.
- Ensure delivery of operational standards, routines, procedures and escalation routes.
- Lead on-the-day decision making and service recovery for Tour & Hire Boats.
- Coach managers and frontline teams to maintain high service levels.
- Deploy staff efficiently in line with visitor demand.
- Actively manage flexible payroll and resource allocation.
- Ensure compliance with H&S, food safety, marine and statutory requirements.
- Lead audit preparation, operational inspections and corrective actions.
- Drive continuous improvement of SOPs, digital tools and operational processes.
Reward
This role offers a progressive starting salary of £41,264 (£42,709 from April 2026)(Band E) plus 11.25% Variable Hours allowance. 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.
About You
Qualifications and knowledge required:
- Degree-level qualification in tourism, hospitality, business or equivalent operational delivery experience in a customer facing environment.
- H&S external training such as IOSH Managing Safely.
- Visitor attraction, leisure or hospitality operational knowledge.
- Health & Safety, and operational compliance frameworks.
- Operational digital systems such as EPOS and workforce planning tools.
- Technical knowledge related to passenger and crew safety.
- Managing operational and capital budgets.
Skills and experience
- Strong operational leadership and people management.
- Excellent customer service and service-recovery capability.
- Strong organisational skills, prioritisation and problem solving.
- Ability to analyse operational performance data.
- Effective communication and cross-departmental coordination.
- Significant operational leadership experience in a visitor-facing environment.
- Managing large multi-disciplinary teams.
- Delivering operational standards and compliance.
- Working in fast-paced, high-volume environments.
- Demonstrable track record of delivering commercial income growth.
Qualities & abilities
- Commitment to continuous improvement and safety.
- Strong customer-focused mindset.
- Good problem solver.
Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Visitor Experience Manager - Boats in Falkirk employer: Scottish Canals
Contact Detail:
Scottish Canals Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Visitor Experience Manager - Boats in Falkirk
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research Scottish Canals, their values, and their projects. This way, when you chat with them, you can show how your experience aligns with their mission of enhancing visitor experiences and contributing to Scotland's heritage.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current or former employees on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing the Visitor Experience Manager role. Personal connections can give you an edge!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by practising common questions related to operational leadership and customer service. Think of examples from your past roles that demonstrate your skills in managing teams and improving visitor experiences.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at Scottish Canals and making a difference in visitor experiences.
We think you need these skills to ace Visitor Experience Manager - Boats in Falkirk
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in visitor-facing roles, especially in tourism or hospitality. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Scottish Canals!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Visitor Experience Manager, strong operational leadership is key. Use your application to demonstrate your experience managing teams and delivering high-quality customer service. We love seeing examples of how you've led teams to success!
Highlight Compliance Knowledge: Since health and safety compliance is crucial for this role, make sure to mention any relevant qualifications or training you have, like IOSH Managing Safely. We appreciate candidates who understand the importance of safety in visitor experiences.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves!
How to prepare for a job interview at Scottish Canals
✨Know Your Canals
Familiarise yourself with Scottish Canals and their vision. Understand the importance of the canal network in Scotland and how it contributes to local communities. This knowledge will show your genuine interest in the role and help you connect with the interviewers.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your operational leadership experience, especially in visitor-facing environments. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully managed teams, improved service levels, and handled challenges in high-pressure situations.
✨Demonstrate Customer Focus
Think of specific instances where you've gone above and beyond for customers. Highlight your problem-solving skills and how you've recovered service in challenging scenarios. This will illustrate your commitment to delivering exceptional visitor experiences.
✨Be Ready for Compliance Questions
Brush up on health and safety regulations relevant to the role, such as MCA requirements. Be prepared to discuss how you've ensured compliance in previous roles and how you would approach maintaining operational standards at The Falkirk Wheel.