Operations Assistant (Lifeguard Services): Poole - Temporary

For us, being passionate about the RNLI means so much. It's what gets our volunteer crews out of bed in the middle of the night. It's also what inspires our Lifeguards who make a significant difference to safety on our beaches by providing an integrated rescue service from the beach to the open sea.

The RNLI has been operating a lifeguard service in the UK since 2001 and it's now an integral part of our commitment to saving lives at sea. In 2025 the RNLI will be patrolling over 230 beaches around the coast of England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey and Northern Ireland.

RNLI Lifeguards are recruiting for Lifeguard Operations Assistants to provide operational and administrative support within our Lifeguard Operations Centre (control room) to enable the efficient support and coordination of the local lifeguard service.

The Lifeguard Operations Centre is a highly dynamic environment that sees spells of both high and low operational pressure. This role requires an individual comfortable in high pressure situations, while remaining self-motivated with other tasks outside these times. You will be acting as a link between our frontline lifeguard teams and external agencies such as the local authority and emergency services using telephone, emails and primarily VHF radio’s. You will support the Lifeguard Supervisor Team with the co-ordination of a professional lifeguard service, and be responsible for core routine tasks that enable and support the lifeguard service to function. Your duties will be extremely varied to include tasks such as rostering support, responding to correspondence, logging incident and defect reports and undertaking other general office duties.

You will need to be IT literate, used to working as part of a team, have good communication skills and be willing to travel within the UK and Northern Ireland for training if required.

The duration of this post will be area specific but is likely to be from May through to September 2025. Weekly hours are as specified above, the allocation of which will be discussed with the successful applicant before the commencement of the contract

This post may have a requirement at times to operate as a lone worker, meaning opportunities for under 18 year olds are limited due to the RNLI's Safeguarding Policy.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.