Deputy Area Manager

Deputy Area Manager

Caledonian MacBrayne

Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac Ferries Limited) is the UK’s largest ferry operator, delivering services on 30 routes, between 56 ports across Scotland’s west coast. It’s the most complex and the most extensive network in Britain, serving millions of passengers each year.

We are a lifeline service – and we see ourselves at the heart and soul of the places and the people we serve. Our focus is to improve every single journey our customers take with us – and that’s why our vacancies for 6 Deputy Area Managers are now open for your application.

These roles are a very significant investment in our team. Alongside the Area Manager and Port teams, you’ll be at the heart of this work, playing a pivotal role in supporting and working with the communities we serve, maintaining a sharp focus on ensuring we improve our service every single day, every single time we take to the seas, and for every person connected with us.

The Deputy Manager roles will cover the following areas, and we welcome and encourage your applications, particularly if you already reside in our network area:

• Arran

• Clyde

• Islay and Jura

• Argyll Islands

• Hebrides North

• Hebrides South

We are a diverse, hardworking, and skilled team of just over 1,900 individuals – delivering the service, often in the face of challenging conditions. If you think you can play your part in this next step in our journey, and you are motivated by the sound of the role we’ve described below, then we can’t wait to hear from you.

Our values – locality, bravery, and people first – define our history, propel us forward – and guide our people today.

For more information, please visit our website at www.calmac.co.uk/corporate/about-us

Benefits of a career with Caledonian MacBrayne

One of our core values is People First – we help each other thrive. When you join our team, you’ll have:

• • 37 days annual leave (pro-rata)
• • Staff travel pass for you, your partner/spouse, and dependants.
• • A very rewarding career
• • A competitive salary
• • Final salary pension
• • Excellent training, development, and career progression
• Ensure the safe and effective operation of all ports and services in your area.
• Manage and deliver a proactive approach to compliance and operational excellence.
• Focus on delivering continuous improvement within the port and across your area of responsibility.
• Support the development, enhancement, and management of strong, collaborative, fair, and positive relationships with all our key stakeholders – ensuring they thrive where possible.
• Work collaboratively to implement and deliver a service that meets and exceeds our contractual requirements.
• Focus on delivering customer outcomes at all times.
• Help to achieve or exceed key performance targets to deliver the Operations and CFL business plans.
• Help to deliver port budgets and control costs associated with port operations.
• Develop your team to deliver overall company objectives.
• Deputise for the Area Operations Manager and cover for colleagues during absence, where required.
• Deliver inspiring leadership and direction to the wider team. Focus this leadership approach on compliance, communication, strong relationships, performance enhancement and process optimisation.
• Work closely with port managers to identify high performers, and development challenges throughout designated ports.
• Provide support and guidance to ensure teams meet operational, behavioural and compliance standards.
• Play a vital role in the development and enhancement of proactive, collaborative, and positive relationships with all our stakeholders across the region. You’ll help to ensure they thrive.
• Communicate, bring to life, and embody the company values and goals with clear and compelling communication. You'll outline the measure of success in achieving our values and shared goals.
• Promote shared ownership and accountability of goals and objectives across your defined area.
• Identify, enhance, and develop your team’s capabilities to meet current and future operational challenges.
• Create a positive culture within the designated area and support this network wide, placing a high value on collaboration and teamwork.
• Create a positive balance of centralised and localised leadership and support. Understand and communicate a knowledge of the skills of both areas - along with the importance and benefit of both.
• Empower port teams, encourage resilience, and ensure accountability for individual decisions across the team.
• Challenge the status quo and encourage innovation and continuous improvement.
• · Have excellent communication abilities which are effective and based on listening to and acting on feedback to build trust.
• · Ensure our teams know who our customers are and what matters to those customers and communities we serve.
• · Be a brand ambassador, delivering communications, both external and internal in an honest, brand focused, direct manner. Delivering an approach that’s coupled with empathy, honesty and understanding for each customer and stakeholder.
• · Have the ability to understand the customer’s needs, from communication style to operational requirements. You will be able to empower local and centralised teams by educating them on the customer’s needs, creating a strong company-wide knowledge of their priorities and requirements.
• · Have and continue to develop your understanding of the Caledonian MacBrayne network.
• Foster strong relationships with external stakeholders, including local community groups, businesses, and customers. This will include supporting the Area Manager in ensuring their perspectives and needs are integrated into operational planning and decision-making.
• Support the Area Manager to engage actively with stakeholders through regular, proactive initiatives. You’ll help to swiftly address any issues though reactive measures and ensure robust mechanisms are in place for crisis management and unexpected disruptions.
• Confidently oversee and ensure that all port operations are conducted efficiently and reflect the required standards.
• Focus on the maintenance and improvement of operational systems and processes whilst maintaining network standards.
• Lead both compliance initiatives and continuous improvement projects within port operations.
• Focus on proactive strategies to anticipate operational needs and potential issues before they arise, while implementing preventative measures to mitigate risks.
• Actively participate in the delivery and implementation of compliance programmes across the area.
• Develop and manage effective and positive working with the centralised function of the organisation.
• Provide necessary support during out of hours operations, ensuring issues are managed and resolved promptly to maintain uninterrupted service.
• Provide leadership and support during these out of hours periods, along with decision making and support as needed, ensuring continuous operation and swift resolution of issues and challenges.
• Respond effectively to operational challenges and issues as they arise, ensuring minimal disruption to port activities.
• Manage resources effectively and adapt easily to changing circumstances.
• Deliver day to day management for the operations of the designated local area supported by the central function of the organisation.
• Ensure all strategic action plans are effectively implemented, monitored, and adjusted in response to operational realities and external and internal stakeholder feedback.
• Exposure to a fast paced, mass travel/hospitality industry and/or multi-faceted operational business at a management level.
• Strong people leadership skills with tangible results, and the ability to create, develop, motivate, and maintain high performing teams.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to demonstrate positive and honest communications at all levels.
• Experience in managing safety and continuous improvement.
• Strong levels of resilience, accountability, driving change to achieve success.
• HNC/BA (though not essential) or equivalent through work.

Role Overview

As a Deputy Area Manager for Caledonian MacBrayne, alongside the Area Management team and port teams you’ll play a pivotal role in helping to deliver the best service and experience for our customers and the communities we serve.

Your skills and effort will be vital in helping us to engage with our stakeholders, establishing proactive, collaborative, and positive relationships with each one, across the region.

Supported by Port teams, you’ll lead a team that works to understand and deliver on local needs and issues. You will:

Principal Accountabilities

Leadership

As an empowered leader, you will:

Stakeholder and Relationship Management

As a strong and effective manager of relationships, you will:

Safety and Quality

With a commitment to safety and quality management, you will:

Functional

You will deliver:

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

Our People: Values & Behaviours

To navigate the waters, ensuring life thrives wherever we are

The Selection Process

Application

If you are interested in this role, please ensure that you submit an up-to-date CV
to the following email address: [email protected]

It is important that you demonstrate on your CV how you meet the essential and desirable criteria outlined within the Job Description.

Shortlisting

We will evaluate your suitability for the role by assessing your qualifications, skills and experience.

Interview

To ensure you are in the best position to perform to your highest standards during our selection process, make sure you review the competencies outlined in the Job Description and have prepared examples of times you have successfully demonstrated these behaviours in the past.

Data

Your personal data will be processed in accordance with UK data protection laws and will be deleted in accordance with our Retention Policy and Schedule. If you have any queries regarding how we process your personal data, please contact our DPO using the following email address: [email protected].