Ferry Crew Collector
Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee (TBTF) seek to appoint a Ferry Collector to join the team at the Torpoint Ferry. This is an exciting opportunity for a confident individual with good communication skills and experience in cash handling, to provide excellent customer service in a unique environment, offering longer term opportunity for advancement within the ferry service and generous benefits. Please read all the details before deciding whether the role is suitable for you and what we are looking for. This summary should be read in conjunction with the full job description and person specification.
Who we are
Tamar Crossings is responsible for the management, operation, maintenance and administration of the two crossings over the River Tamar – Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry. With approx. 26,000 vehicles travelling with us every day, we play an important part in the local infrastructure, creating a link between Plymouth, Devon and South East Cornwall.
The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry are jointly owned by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council. The operation, maintenance and improvement of the crossings are funded through tolls charged. The Torpoint Ferry is the largest chain ferry service and busiest estuarial vehicular crossing in the UK, whilst the Tamar Bridge provides a link on the busy A38 Trunk Road for more than 14 million vehicles a year. The crossings operate a successful electronic tolling scheme which is used to pay the toll by 60% of vehicles crossing.
At the Torpoint Ferry we provide a service to approximately 2.5 million vehicles and 750k pedestrians and cyclists per year. Three ferries provide a 24-hour/365 day a year service as an essential transport link for South East Cornwall, its residents and businesses.
The three chain ferries come under Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulations and are in class with Lloyds Register. They are unique vessels presenting a wide range of both engineering and operational challenges. A combination of varying weather conditions, customer demand, vehicle traffic density and ship movement on the river Tamar make for a dynamic environment where no two days are the same.
Our staff are critical in the operation of the crossings, and we are committed to attracting and retaining talent, providing opportunities for personal and professional development all whilst supporting the local community. Collectors have an essential role in delivery of the ferry service which consists of nine crews. Crews consist of:
1 x Supervisor: Duty Managers based in a Control Tower either side of the river – Grade F
1 x Controller: Ferry Skipper and crew line manager – Grade E
1 Mechanical Assistant: Maintaining and Monitoring the engine room – Grade D
2 x Collectors: Coordinating the safe loading/unloading and collecting toll fees – Grade C
2 x Cleaner/Relief: Cleaning the ferries/slipways and assisting Collectors – Grade B
The successful candidate will have an exciting opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of working in the largest chain ferry in the UK. Find out more about what we have to offer!
What you will do
Based at the Torpoint Ferry you will provide excellent customer service and support the safe reliable and efficient crossings of the travelling public. The role requires extensive daily interaction with the public, working with a wide variety of crew and staff. After gaining sufficient experience and knowledge there may be opportunity to upskill for other roles.
The main duties and responsibilities include:
- To collect tolls, via either cash, card or through the Tamar Tag system in accordance with published operating procedures. To issue debit notes to those passengers unable to pay.
- To maintain proper security of cash, receipts, vouchers and other financial documentation throughout the shift.
- To deal with the travelling public, answering questions and dealing with complaints in a courteous manner, advising or referring as appropriate and ensuring ferry byelaws and regulations are followed.
- To control the safe and expedient loading and unloading of ferry foot and vehicle traffic in accordance with published operating procedures.
- Liaise with Ferry Controller and other crew members using UHF radios
- Carry out regular security, cleanliness and safety checks of the vehicle deck and passenger accommodation.
The skills you will need
The person specification gives a high level of detail of which skills and what experience we are looking for in the successful candidate.
In the first instance, you must be able to demonstrate:
- Sound level of general education i.e. GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)
- Basic IT skills (email and Office 365 packages)
- A minimum of 12 months experience of ‘Cash Handling’ (including dealing with floats/cashing-up) and delivering high levels of ‘Customer Service’ in a busy customer facing environment. This experience should be based on previous employment and relevant to the last three years.
- Experience of working within a safety critical environment and working within the scope of policies and procedures.
- You should be a team player and must be prepared to be flexible to support manning and rota requirements and the variation of tasks that you will be required to undertake while on shift.
- The ideal candidate will be keen to develop both their own skills and support the continued development of the organisation.
What else you need to know
The ferry crews work to a 9 week cyclical rota which consists of early shifts (06:00 – 14:00), late shifts (14:00 – 22:00), as well as one week of consecutive night shifts (22:00 – 06:00) in the cycle. The shifts include weekend, evening and bank holiday working. Further details available on request.
We run a dynamic shift rota involving over 60 staff and although the primary role is collecting tolls and the safe loading and unloading of ferries, Collectors may be additionally trained to cover leave periods for Mechanical Assistants and Ferry Controllers. Opportunities do arise to cover additional shifts, this may involve half or full shift cover; all cover and overtime is managed on fair basis. Ability to consistently demonstrate accurate collecting is essential.
Due to the safety critical nature of the roles, Ferry Crews are required to meet a medical standard and are subject to random and for cause drugs and alcohol testing.
Pay & Benefits
Salary:
£34,926 to £35,474 per annum based on 37.9 hrs/week (37 hours per week and 0.9 hours contracted overtime).
Benefits:
- Regular pay award for all employees negotiated by the National Joint Council (NJC)
- Local Government Pension Scheme – employer and employee contributions – currently 20% employer contribution
- A minimum of 25 days annual leave (or hours equivalent), pro-rata to contract, plus public/bank holidays
- Staff travel card for free crossings of the Tamar Bridge and the Torpoint Ferry
- 24/7 access to Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family
- Family friendly policies including shared parental leave, contractual maternity, paternity and adoption
- Uniform and PPE provided – washing and drying facilities available for use on site
- Learning and Development Opportunities
Interested?
Applications will only be accepted on the official application form available on the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry website. Letters, CV’s, or other alternative methods will not be accepted. Presentation of the application form is important and may be assessed as part of the short-listing process.
Closing date: 09:00 on 06th January 2025
Interviews: W/C 13th January 2025
To learn more about this exciting opportunity or for an informal conversation please contact Claudine Jones or Kurt Hunt, Assistant Operations Manager, on 01752 812233.
If you have not heard anything by 10th January 2025 please assume you have been unsuccessful.