Water Safety Officer - Manchester City

About Us

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea — but our work doesn’t stop at lifeboats and lifeguards. We’re also passionate about preventing emergencies before they happen.

Our Water Safety team works with communities and partners to reduce preventable incidents in coastal and inland waterways – from the seaside to rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and canals. We develop Water Safety Lifesaving Plans that focus on local risks and help people enjoy the water safely.

About the role

As a Water Safety Officer, you’ll lead a dedicated team delivering life-saving advice directly to the public. By driving water safety activity in your community, you’ll play a vital role in the RNLI’s vision of saving every life – reducing preventable incidents through education, planning, and strong community partnerships.

What you'll do

• Lead the development and delivery of local Water Safety and Lifesaving Plans.
• Work with communities, schools, and local groups to share water safety messages and reduce preventable incidents.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with community partners and stakeholders.
• Coordinate water safety activities and interventions across inland waterways.
• Attend regular water safety team meetings and contribute to planning and reporting.
• Support other RNLI initiatives as needed.

What you'll bring

• Good knowledge or experience of inland waterways and local water-based activity.
• Experience in leading teams or projects.
• A friendly, approachable attitude for engaging with people of all ages and backgrounds.
• Willingness to learn about local water safety risks and prevention strategies.
• Enthusiasm for helping communities stay safe in, on, or around water.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.

What’s in it for you 

• Be part of an inclusive, supportive team making a real difference.
• Gain skills in leadership, community engagement, and water safety education.
• Build your experience and enhance your CV.
• Meet new people and make lasting connections while saving lives.
• Receive full training and reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

If you’re motivated to lead, connect with your community, and help prevent water-related incidents, we’d love to hear from you.

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.