Operations

Heritage Researcher, Paisley, 35 hours, Permanent, Grade 5: £31,243.97 – £32,557.96 p.a (£17.12 – £17.84 per hour)

We are looking for a skilled and curious Heritage Researcher to support the development of Renfrewshire’s archive service at an exciting moment of transformation. With the archive service preparing to relocate into the transformed Paisley Museum, this is a unique opportunity to help shape how people experience, explore and connect with Renfrewshire’s collections.

Working closely with the Archivist and colleagues across the museum service, you will play an important role in delivering a people-centred archive service that places access, participation and interpretation at its core. Through research, engagement and collections-based activity, you will help uncover and share stories that deepen understanding of Renfrewshire’s rich heritage and strengthen connections between collections and communities.

We ask all candidates to complete assessments and application materials independently, without the use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or similar), unless otherwise stated.

This ensures a fair and consistent assessment of individual skills, experience, and capabilities.

Closing date: 16 August 2026

Interview date: Week commencing 31 August 2026

The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Level 1 Disclosure Scotland check.

If you would like further information in relation to the Disclosure Scotland checks, please visit their website.

Applications are welcome from candidates from all backgrounds including those with disabilities and candidates who have ‘care experience’.

This is an exciting and dynamic leadership role that offers the opportunity to shape the future of some of Scotland’s most treasured landscapes and heritage sites. As Head Ranger, you will be at the heart of conserving and enhancing six breathtaking locations, ensuring they remain accessible, engaging, and inspiring for visitors now and in the future.

Your work will blend conservation with creativity—enhancing biodiversity, managing woodland, welcoming thousands of visitors, and fostering a deep connection between people and place. You will champion nature, culture, and community engagement at the region’s most heavily visited sites.

Beyond stewardship, you will bring energy and vision to visitor experiences, developing innovative ways to inspire and grow audiences while safeguarding Scotland’s natural heritage. You’ll also manage visitor operations, including visitor facilities, events, and key partnerships, ensuring these sites thrive sustainably. This is more than a management role—it’s an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for Scotland’s landscapes, wildlife, and communities.

If you are a bold leader with a passion for conservation, people, and place, this role offers the perfect platform to make a real difference.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Audience Engagement

Develop and implement strategies to enhance public engagement and access to the natural heritage across the sites.

Increase audience reach through events, interpretation, and community engagement initiatives.

Nature Conservation

Provide technical leadership on all aspects of nature conservation across the six sites.

Lead the development and implementation of appropriate management frameworks – for example the woodland management plans.

Use expertise and experience to influence and develop internal and external policy statements and positions and implement initiatives to protect wildlife.

Survey wildlife and habitats and feed this knowledge into management decisions, marketing of natural heritage, and further development of our voice.

Organising and implementing all ecological monitoring across six sites. All work feeding into national and international monitoring schemes.

Maintain and manage habitats and wildlife with the aim of protecting species and increasing biodiversity.

Contribute to the planning and lead the delivery of practical conservation to deliver the outputs agreed in the annual budget process.

Provide information to visitors to encourage more visitors and help people get more out of their engagement with natural heritage and give more back to it including “upselling” membership and events using face to face and by other means of interaction such as social media.

Maintain countryside estate infrastructure at small, day to day scale (e.g. paths, gates, signs, vegetation management) to achieve ecological, visitor services and safety outcomes.

Support Operations Manager and Regional Director by representing the Trust at external meetings as appropriate for example, Woodland management meetings, national media and local committees.

About Us

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. We also work collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to contribute to a wealthier, fairer, greener and more resilient Scotland.

As an employer we offer a truly unique opportunity to be part of our team, help us realise our vision and contribute to safeguarding our heritage and ensuring our canals flourish now and in the future.

About the Role

We are currently looking for an Electrical Maintenance Technician to join our team based in Grangemouth covering the lowlands canal network. The role is offered on a permanent basis, working Monday – Friday, 8am-3.30pm with some flexibility required.

Applicants must have served an appropriate, recognised engineering apprenticeship or have equivalent, relevant qualifications, along with practical experience working within the discipline.

Using technical expertise, you will undertake breakdown response, fault investigation, repair, maintenance and improvement works to a variety of equipment and installations throughout the canal network, including The Falkirk Wheel, Automated Moving Bridges, Hydraulic automated Locks.

Desired experience would include installation and maintenance of rotating equipment, actuated valves, instrumentation and PLC control systems.

Basic mechanical knowledge is desirable, but cross skill training is available.

About the Reward

This role offers a progressive salary starting of £36,776 – £40,187 plus an 11.25% Variable Hours allowance and £850 Outdoor Working allowance.

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

Flexibility and initiative are key as responding to emergency breakdowns is part of the role. The post requires frequent outdoor work, in all weather conditions, working both as part of a multi-disciplinary team, as well as without immediate supervision.

Qualifications/Skills/Experience:

Recognised apprenticeship in an engineering discipline or equivalent qualification
HNC (or similar level) in an engineering discipline.
Knowledge working within the following areas: Electrical, Instrumentation & Control.
Experience working with 3 phase and single-phase motors, variable speed drives, actuated valves, electrohydraulic systems, Instrumentation and telemetry, fluid pumps and PLC control systems.
Full UK Driving Licence
Good Communication Skills
Strong Health & Safety Awareness
Computer literate with experience of using MS Office Packages
Day to day tasks:

Working within your skill set, experience, knowledge, training, and ability, deliver the planned preventative maintenance programme.
Fault investigation and emergency breakdown response.
Under supervision, produce recommendations to minor problems.
Providing inspection, monitoring, and reporting on the condition of engineering assets.
Provide business administration support to ensure accurate documentation and recording of all maintenance activities and duties using asset management software.
Collaborate effectively with colleagues, to ensure technical, health, safety, and environmental performance.
Participation in an out of hours standby rota as and when required.
Scottish Canals reserve the right to close this vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.