Canal & River Trust
Civil & Structural Design Engineer

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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: Civil Engineer, Design & Development team (London & South East / Wales & South West)
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
We are a team of engineers and technicians that design and/or manage the design of repairs on a diverse range of our historical assets. We are responsible for undertaking designs of technical solutions, preparing specifications and briefing documents for our direct labour force, external contractors and consultants. Our works are focussed on conserving and enhancing our precious waterways for future generations.
Our role is to provide design support to maintain, repair and rebuild the Trust’s infrastructure to enable visitors to safely enjoy our canals and rivers and safeguard them for future generations. Our aim is to develop efficient and innovative engineering solutions to the multitude of challenges we face maintaining our waterways and infrastructure day to day.
We are currently looking for a Civil Engineer in the London & South East and Wales & South West.
Key Responsibilities
- Investigate, develop and agree engineering and construction solutions considering best value, user requirements and whole life costs, for the maintenance, repair and renewal works.
- Provide technical support to the Trust’s in-house construction teams, contractors and volunteers.
- Acting as Designer under CDM 2015, exercise and document key responsibilities including managing and eliminating risk.
- Work collaboratively with internal teams, specialists and external stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of construction works taking account of all statutory, technical, operational and customer requirements.
- Undertake site inspections and investigations throughout the entire project life cycle to determine the most appropriate engineering solution and ensure construction works are delivered to specification.
- Contribute to the development and the implementation of Design Guidance, Standards and Specifications.
- Provide temporary works designs to support works delivered by our internal construction teams.
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About You
You will be a motivated civil engineering professional with a strong technical foundation, practical design experience, and an interest in infrastructure. You will thrive in a collaborative team, confidently communicating technical concepts to varied audiences while contributing to sustainable, high-quality engineering solutions.
Skills & Qualifications
Technical Skills
- Academic or vocational qualification in civil engineering or associated discipline.
- Membership of ICE/IStructE.
- Evidence of Continuous Professional Development.
- Awareness of environmental considerations in relation to civil engineering design.
- Practical work-based experience of civil engineering design and construction, preferably in a water environment. (Desirable)
- Knowledge and understanding of historic infrastructure, preferably in a water environment. (Desirable)
- Practical experience with AutoCAD. (Desirable)
General Skills
- Experience of working within a diverse and multi-disciplined project team.
- Able to effectively communicate with internal and external contacts, in writing and in person at meetings.
- Good standard of written and verbal communication and proven ability to present technical data to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proficient in the use of business software e.g. MS Office. Experience of using GIS or mapping systems.
- Confirmation of right to work in the UK (without sponsorship).
- Valid driving licence and access to a vehicle as your work will require you to reach locations not easily accessible by public transport.
Working Hours & Travel
Our Engineer vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required for team working and collaborative meetings. Travel throughout the regional waterway network will also be expected to enable site visits and meetings.
Relevant Hubs: London, Leighton Buzzard or Gloucester.
The regularity & flexibility of travel will be discussed further at interview stage. Regular accessibility to this network is essential.
See our canal network here: (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network).
Contact & Application


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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
In addition to your annual base salary of £37,500 - £44,140, we also offer Car Cash Allowance (£390 per month), a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. Applicants based in London will also be eligible for an outer or inner London allowance (£2,000 - £4,000).
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
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
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