Scarborough RNLI Seeks New Staff and Volunteers for Crucial Lifesaving Roles

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station in Scarborough is seeking to bolster its dedicated team, announcing recruitment drives for both full-time paid engineering staff and essential volunteer positions, including Shore Crew and Water Safety Advisers.

The RNLI, which states its purpose is "simple: to save lives at sea," relies on its personnel to ensure lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue every day.

Scarborough is noted as one of the oldest operational lifeboat stations, founded in 1801. Today, the station operates both a Shannon class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) and a D class inshore lifeboat.

Focus on Engineering and Leadership Roles

The charity is recruiting for a Senior Station Technician at the Scarborough Lifeboat Station, a permanent, full-time position. This role carries a salary of £34,893 to £41,050, dependent on experience, along with benefits such as an outstanding pension scheme and 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays.

The RNLI notes that this opportunity is suited for an individual whose

"resilience, leadership, and management skills are just as strong as their ability to keep Scarborough Lifeboats in perfect operational order".

The primary focus of the Senior Station Technician is ensuring the ALB Shannon Lifeboat and its associated equipment are working to the "highest order," managing the Lifeboat Station, and assisting with training volunteer crew members. The aim is to ensure that when an emergency shout occurs, the technician, crew, and lifeboat will be "absolutely prepared," the organisation states. The role also involves meeting and talking to the general public about the station’s work and leading on Quality, Safety, Health, and Environment issues.

A sound background and experience in mechanical, electrical, or electronic engineering is required, ideally coupled with an NVQ L4/SVQ L5 in an engineering discipline or a time-served engineering apprenticeship. The RNLI has indicated that if candidates do not hold these qualifications or experience, they may be offered the Station Technician role instead, which offers a salary between £29,079 and £34,210.

Crucially, the Institution emphasises that maritime mechanical skills are "not an absolute necessity". The RNLI confirms that if applicants have worked on cars, HGVs, agricultural, plant, or generators, they can be trained to adapt their existing skills to suit the equipment. However, an engineering background and mindset are considered essential.

For both technician roles, applicants must live within a "reasonable distance from Scarborough Lifeboat Station," and as they are sea-going appointments, candidates must satisfy the Institution's medical and eyesight standards.

Volunteer Opportunities on Shore and in the Community

In addition to the staff roles, the Scarborough station is seeking volunteers for two vital positions: Shore Crew and Water Safety Adviser.

Shore Crew

Scarborough RNLI is looking for volunteers to join the existing Shore Crew team. These volunteers are essential in helping the charity "save lives at sea by assisting with the safe launch and recovery of the lifeboat on service and exercise".

The Shore Crew team is responsible for managing the safety of the area during a launch, helping to launch and recover the lifeboats, and refuelling and servicing the boats when they return. The RNLI is particularly seeking candidates who have weekday daytime availability for shouts (9 am to 5 pm) and are motivated to progress into roles such as Tractor Driver and Head Launcher.

Volunteers for this role need general fitness, the ability to be a team player, and must live or work within 20 minutes of the station.

Water Safety Adviser

The RNLI is also recruiting for volunteer Water Safety Advisers based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. This role contributes directly to the RNLI's vision of saving everyone by working to reduce preventable deaths and incidents within local coastal and inland waterway environments.

A Water Safety Adviser works as part of a team, entering the community to deliver RNLI water safety advice, identify local risks, and collaborate with partners to deliver targeted interventions.

The role is suited to those with good communication and people skills, and while experience in public speaking or presenting is helpful, the desire to gain confidence in this area is valued. Knowledge or experience of the coastal or inland waterway environment and local water-based activity is desirable.

The RNLI stresses that its staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. The organisation states its ultimate vision is: "To save Every One".

Details of all three roles can be found at the following locations

• Senior Station Technician : https://jobs.rnli.org/vacancy/senior-station-technician-station-technician-scarborough-598128.html
• Water Safety Adviser : https://volunteering.rnli.org/vacancy/water-safety-adviser-scarborough-598165.html
• Shore Crew : https://volunteering.rnli.org/vacancy/shore-crew-scarborough-597969.html