Please select your home edition
Edition




RYA seeking to appoint a Technical Manager

by Lisa Rogers 10 Jul 2019 05:30 PDT
RYA House © RYA

The Royal Yachting Association, based in Hamble, near Southampton, is the national governing body for all forms of recreational, competitive and professional boating. It represents dinghy and yacht racing, motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sportsboats, windsurfing, inland cruising and personal watercraft.

TECHNICAL MANAGER
Salary: £32,000 - £35,000 per annum (dependent upon experience)
Full-time, 35 hours per week
Location: Hamble, Southampton
Range of benefits including pension scheme, free life insurance and a total leave package of 28 days annual leave plus public holidays

The RYA is seeking to appoint a Technical Manager to lead, manage and direct the work of the Technical Team. The team consists of 4 RYA employees whose differing remits cover two main areas; (1) Technical Commercial; and (2) Technical Racing.

As the Technical Manager your responsibilities would include (but are not limited to);

  • Working with the Racing Services Manager to set, deliver and report on the strategic and operational plans & budgets of the Technical Team.

  • Creating strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including volunteers and committees, ensuring regular dialogue is maintained in order to promote a quality service and efficient use of time.

  • Being a subject matter expert in relation to relevant legislation, rules and regulations, whether set by the MCA, World Sailing, or other bodies. Ensuring the Technical team remains compliant at all times, providing advice and support to other stakeholders where necessary.

  • Working with the Racing Services Manager and other RYA staff to represent and negotiate on technical legislation, standards and other regulations at National and International level.

  • Acting as the main point of contact for surveyors, owners & managing agents in the delivery of overall operations as an MCA agent for Tonnage Measurement and as a Certifying Authority for Small Commercial Vessel Certification, providing high levels of customer service.

  • Support RYA National Classes, Clubs and members with advice and support on various technical issues such as class rules, measurement or handicapping.

We are looking for a candidate who has the ability to understand and interpret complex information (i.e. rules, regulations and legislation), with the ability to then be able to communicate this to others in a clear and concise way.

You should have strong customer service skills, being effective in building and maintaining strong working relationships with various stakeholders, combined with a strong commercial acumen. You should also have demonstrable experience in effectively negotiating and resolving conflict as well as experience of leading and developing a team. Current knowledge and understanding of MCA Codes of Practice for Small Commercial Vessels and/or yacht & dinghy class rules & measurement would be considered an advantage.

This role requires some travel, as well as frequent out-of-normal-working hours working, for which time off in lieu is allowed, therefore flexibility is also essential.

To Apply

Please visit our website, www.rya.org.uk/go/jobs, to view the full job description and to download an application form. Completed application forms should be returned, along with an equality monitoring form, to Please note that we do not accept CVs in lieu of a fully completed application form.

  • Closing date for applications: Mid-day on Monday 29 July 2019
  • Interviews to be held: Friday 9 and/or Monday 12 August 2019
The RYA is committed to equality of opportunity.

Related Articles

Next RYA Connected Webinar on 23rd June
Securing funding and finance for your club If you're interested in securing funding or finance to enable investment for capital infrastructure projects then we think you will want to know about this webinar... Posted on 13 Jun
Celebrating 20 years of OnBoard
One of the UK's largest grassroots programs dedicated to getting children aged 8–18 out on the water OnBoard is celebrating 20 years of impact—having already introduced more than 1.3 million young people to the transformative experience of sailing and windsurfing. Posted on 9 Jun
RYA named Official Community Impact Partner
Connecting the local community, children and groups in Portsmouth with the water. As excitement builds ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth this July, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to be named the event's Official Community Impact Partner. Posted on 7 Jun
New British Sailing Talent Academies open
Four Academy host venues announced as programme applications open up The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is proud to announce the launch of four new British Sailing Talent Academies as part of its commitment to developing the next generation of high-performance sailors. Posted on 4 Jun
Nominations now open for the 2026 RYA Awards
Celebrate the people and organisations making a difference in our boating community The instructor who sparks confidence in new sailors. The person who quietly keeps things running behind the scenes. The young volunteer who turns up with a smile, rain or shine. Posted on 2 Jun
RYA Southampton International Boat Show deal
Take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket Southampton International Boat Show, Britain's biggest festival of boating and watersports is back on 19th-28th September 2025 for its 56th edition and RYA members (aged 16+) can now take advantage of an exclusive discounted £5 ticket. Posted on 31 May
Next RYA Connected Webinar tonight at 7pm!
Growing membership through non-competitive activity After a pause in April, it's time for the third in the series of webinars aimed at helping clubs boost membership and sailing participation. Posted on 12 May
£10 off RYA adult or family membership
This spring, make it official - join the RYA community Now's the perfect time to take the next step in your boating journey. Join RYA membership today and unlock exclusive benefits designed to help you get more from life on the water. Posted on 19 Apr
RYA launches 'The Female Futures Group'
Supporting and elevating women in sport A new wave of change is emerging in British sailing as the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) launches The Female Futures Group, dedicated to increasing female participation and unlocking new opportunities for women and girls in the sport. Posted on 9 Apr
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful. Posted on 18 Mar