Job Description

Salary
49,492 to 58,226 (dependent on experience)
Contract type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Location
Poole, Dorset, England
Location description
Hybrid between home and Poole with requirement to come into the office as needed for the role
Interview date
4th or 5th February 2026
Closing Date
18-01-2026
Reference
21064
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• Are you committed to organisational performance and delivering change?
• Do you enjoy being at the heart of improvement activity?
• Do you bring energy, enthusiasm and determination to your team and existing role?
• Can you create achievable plans, make decisions, engage with confidence and inspire stakeholders ?
• Are you looking to develop your potential, build new skills and play an influential role in how the RNLI is leading the way in keeping its people safe?

Due to an internal promotion, there is an exciting opportunity to join the RNLI Safety team as the Planning & Change Manager. While your experience and qualifications are important to us, it is your leadership, initiative, energy and judgement that will lead to success and the right candidates will be able to demonstrate those credentials readily. Gaps in your planning or change management qualifications should not be a barrier to applying for this role.
About us
Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. For over 200 years, our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have shown selfless courage to rescue those in peril on the water. Behind them is a dedicated, talented team making it all possible. This is your chance to join that team and use your skills to help save lives every day.
The RNLI Safety team is a small team at the centre of RNLI delivery and enabling activity. Spread across the UK and IRL, with a nucleus in the Lifesaving Support Centre, Poole, they are responsible for the provision of the RNLI's safety management system and associated continuous improvement activity, delivered through a service led operating model against the organisation's Five-Year Plan.
The team also delivers role related safety training, safety learning activity, lessons sharing, safety, health and environmental practitioner support, safety policies and guidance and communications and engagement activity across our volunteer and staff community, including lifeguards, manufacturing, fundraising, logistics, engineering support, people services, lifeboats, retail and drowning prevention.
About the Role
With responsibility for safety plan generation against RNLI goals and objectives, including internal safety communications, information management and stakeholder engagement, you will work closely across the senior leadership team and play a central role in developing departmental safety plans and activities to best ensure effective and enduring change in a critical part of the RNLI's mission, our commitment 'to keep our people safe'.
Working alongside safety specialists and with line management responsibility for a dedicated communications and engagement lead, supported by an administrator, you will quickly find yourself at the heart of organisational improvement activity and solving the challenges of landing positive change as part of a small team in a large and complex organisation.
Key responsibilities include:

• Working in close support of the Head of Safety to ensure delivery against the RNLI 5-Year Plan safety objectives and business as usual activity.
• Responsible for the organisational safety change approach, departmental plan, budget management and delivery risk/opportunities tracking and reporting.
• Change impact assessment and planning, including insights and mitigations, supporting stakeholders in embedding meaningful improvements and change.
• Regular and topical safety communications, publications and maintenance of a positive safety profile and embedded narrative through 'safety takes courage'.
• Safety team manager (1 of 4) and focal point for departmental change leaders, safety stakeholders, external special interest group and CPD planning.

The role is hybrid between home and Poole with the requirement to come into the Poole Support Centre as needed for the role. Occasional travel will be required to regional bases across the UK and Ireland and attendance at continuing professional and leadership development activity as would be expected to hone skills within a high performing team.
About You
We are looking for someone who is a confident and energetic leader of change, who can work on their own initiative, combining experience and flair to deliver enduring outcomes in a timely manner. Our ideal candidate will have:

• Experience working and influencing at department and organisational level in a fast moving or complex organisation, including significant change or project management experience in a dynamic environment where you have worked closely with senior leaders to deliver meaningful change.
• Experience in using different communication methods attuned to a variety of audiences and able to captivate, retain and influence a wide range of stakeholders across departments and organisations.
• Demonstrable experience in using own initiative, judgment and peer support in delivery of objectives and the utilisation of a collaborative approach for the benefit of others in moving toward a common vision or goal.

You should be comfortable with holding departmental responsibilities, being an integral team player and decision maker, as well as an accomplished and professionally grounded manager who thrives working with a wide range of people. You are someone who can visualise, develop and bring plans to life and drive change through stakeholder management and organisational engagement.
If this sounds like you, and you enjoy being connected across an organisation while gaining insights into strategy and turning that into delivery - apply today!
To gain further information related to the role search the internet for: RNLI One Crew - One Plan 2026-2030.
The RNLI is a proud partner of the UK Armed Forces Covenant, a national pledge to ensure those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
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.

Skills Required