Head of Engineering and Design

Job Description

About the Trust

We're one of the UK’s biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We're looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?

Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country's third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.

Join Our Team: Head of Engineering & Design Opportunity

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

We're excited to have created a new Head of Engineering & Design in our new Operations division. This is a unique opportunity to lead a diverse multidisciplinary function responsible for engineering, design, asset inspection, lock gate production and health & safety expertise across one of the UK's largest historic infrastructure networks.

Working Hours & Location

This is a home-based role which follows a 37 hour working week and will be assigned to one of the Trust's key operational hubs. Regular travel across England and Wales as required to competently perform the role. A valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, you will provide strategic leadership across multi-disciplinary engineering and other key technical disciplines, ensuring our waterways and infrastructure remain safe, resilient, and operationally effective. You'll lead a team of technical experts across England and Wales to manage asset performance, address emerging risks and deliver practical solutions that protect the network, its heritage and environmental value.

For a deeper insight into the role, our strategic priorities and what success looks like in this position, please review the candidate briefing pack here.

Key responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the Trust's engineering and design function, bringing together civil, mechanical, electrical and other key technical expertise to support the safe, resilient and effective operation of the waterways network.
Lead a large multidisciplinary function spanning engineering, environment, inspection, condition monitoring, health & safety, lock gate production, restoration and heritage engineering, creating a high-performing and integrated team aligned to operational priorities.
Ensure engineering, environmental and operational considerations are effectively balanced, delivering pragmatic solutions that manage risk, optimise asset performance and support long-term network resilience.
Assessing, providing advice and prioritising solutions to customer and third party related issues arising from canal infrastructure.
Provide visible professional leadership across the Trust, setting engineering standards, driving technical assurance, and fostering a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Develop organisational capability across engineering and specialist disciplines, ensuring the Trust has the skills, expertise and capacity required to meet current and future challenges.
Lead strategic relationships with operational teams, regulators, local authorities, developers, utilities and other partners, ensuring effective management of risk and opportunities across the network.
Drive improvements in engineering delivery, asset intelligence, manufacturing capability and environmental performance, leveraging technology, innovation and modern ways of working to enhance outcomes.
Provide Gold Command cover as part of the Trust's incident management framework, delivering strategic leadership during major incidents and ensuring effective organisational response and continuity.
Display the Trust values and behaviours at all times, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life.

About You

You will be a commercially astute and influential engineering leader with the breadth and credibility to lead multiple technical disciplines and bring them together around common goals. You will bring a proven track record of leading multidisciplinary technical functions within complex, asset-intensive organisations.

You will be a collaborative and visible leader who thrives on bringing together different professional disciplines to tackle complex challenges. Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with operational realities, you will be known for making sound decisions, driving continuous improvement and leading through influence, expertise and partnership.

Skills & Qualifications

Technical:

Degree-qualified in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Water Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline, holding Chartered status with a relevant professional institution.
Significant experience leading multidisciplinary engineering functions within a complex, asset-intensive environment.
Proven experience managing and integrating engineering disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical, and/or water engineering to deliver operational and asset performance outcomes.
Experience operating within a regulated, publicly funded, charitable, or similarly governed organisation.
Strong understanding of engineering governance, technical assurance, design standards, CDM regulations, temporary works, and infrastructure risk management.
Ability to balance engineering excellence with practical operational delivery, making sound decisions in complex and often time-critical situations.

General:

Demonstrable experience leading large, geographically dispersed professional teams through periods of operational challenge, change, and continuous improvement.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience influencing senior leaders, regulators, partners, and technical specialists.

Contact & Application

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.

What We Offer

We offer a salary of £90,000 - £100,000 plus £6,240 car cash allowance per annum. Enjoy private medical insurance, a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP - 1.

Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits

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Our values

We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments - whether for a disability, neurodiversity, or health condition - please let us know what you need and how we can support you. We’ll work with you to make any necessary changes.

All of our jobs can be considered on a part time, flexible or job share basis.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. You are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We recognise not everyone who is classified as disabled under the Equality Act personally identifies this way, or with this definition of disability. Please do not let this discourage you from applying under the scheme.

At Canal & River Trust, we are committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. As part of our hiring process, we may use AI to analyse applications and support us work more efficiently. However, all hiring decisions – without exception - are made by our hiring managers.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us