Regional Technician L2 or L3 - South East Area SE1 London (Thames) in Southwark

Regional Technician L2 or L3 - South East Area SE1 London (Thames)

Salary: £26,638 - £35,236 (dependent on experience)
Allowance London (Inner): £3520
Vehicle: A vehicle will be made available to carry out your duties
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time
Additional information: 37 hours per week
Location description: Applicants will need to live within the South East Area, SE1 London (Thames)
Interview date: 9th & 10th December
Closing Date: 22-11-2026
Reference: 22179

The RNLI

Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea, and this is your opportunity to be part of a cutting-edge technical team at the RNLI in the South East. We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated Regional Technician with mechanical and electrical knowledge who can work with full-time staff and volunteers to maintain some of the most prestigious and technologically advanced equipment at the RNLI.

Development and training will be provided to ensure your skills and knowledge can be utilised fully within the RNLI. We have a broad and interesting range of equipment needing to be supported, and we welcome enquiries from suitably qualified technicians.

If you do not hold the qualifications or experience for the L3 Regional Technician role, you can apply for the L2 Technician Assistant role. Please mention in your cover letter which role you are applying for.

Some of the benefits

- Salary: £26,638 - £35,236 (dependent on experience)
- A vehicle will be made available for you to carry out your duties
- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
- Outstanding pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Training on specific equipment and development opportunities provided
- A vehicle will be made available for you to carry out work duties but not for private use.

Your role

You will become part of a unique, diligent, and professional team working with regional technicians & Lifeboat Station Mechanics, Lifeguards, Contractors, and other technical staff to carry out planned maintenance, fault diagnosis and defect repair on Lifeboats & various launch and recovery equipment.

This role also requires attendance and support at our Thames Lifeboat Stations (Gravesend, Wandsworth, Tower, Teddington, Southend & Sheerness).

You will also spend time working out of our shared workshop facility in Wapping.

Part of your duties as a Regional Technician will include completing planned and corrective maintenance and fault-finding, completing modifications, overhauls, refits and trials of existing and repaired equipment, so you will need to possess and demonstrate excellent mechanical and electrical knowledge. You will also be part of the on-call, out-of-hours rota, supporting the full South East region.

You should have a desire to stay current in the use of existing technology and a willingness to learn and be involved in the roll-out and assessment of new equipment which is constantly changing within the RNLI’s search and rescue assets. A good understanding of electrical and electronic systems would be an advantage, but not essential.

About you

You will have completed a time-served mechanical apprenticeship or have a sound background and experience in mechanical, electrical and/or electronic engineering, an NVQ level 3 or 2 (for England, Wales & Northern Ireland), Scotland SVQ equivalent, Republic of Ireland NFQ or equivalent in an engineering discipline.

Ideally, you will have experience with the Volvo D6 range of engines or similar.

On completion of your probation period, you will also be expected to complete MET Police vetting at NPPV2 / CTC level.

This role is suitable for someone who is self-motivated and willing to go that extra mile. Working either as part of a team or under your own initiative to the highest of standards with a first-fix approach to return RNLI search and rescue assets back in service as soon as possible, you will also need to take on new ideas and undertake training where needed.

You will need a full driving licence plus the willingness and flexibility to work out-of-hours when the need arises and be on a call-out roster. The on-call rota is currently 1 week in 10. Travel with nights away will also be required throughout the South East Region, this is supported with a company credit card.

Beneficial but not essential qualifications would be a B+E driving licence for towing, a forklift licence, or IOSH, Working at Height, PASMA & PA testing certifications. If required, training will be provided for this.

The RNLI puts its equipment through some of the most severe conditions, so precision, attention to detail and high-quality workmanship are paramount. If you think you have what it takes and want to support us in saving lives at sea, then you are just the candidate the RNLI Coastal Maintenance Team is looking for.

This post requires a valid driving licence.

Safeguarding and referencing

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 reference checks at offer stage and 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.