Canal & River Trust
Director of Asset & Operations Strategy
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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: Director of Asset & Operations Strategy opportunity
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
We’re excited to welcome a new Director of Asset & Operations Strategy to our Operations Directorate. This is a pivotal leadership role that will shape the long-term future of the nation's historic waterways network, ensuring our infrastructure remains safe, resilient, sustainable, and fit for future generations.
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.
Working Hours & Location
This role follows a 37-hour working week and can be based from one of the Trust's key operational hubs, with regular travel across England and Wales as required. A valid UK driving license and access to a vehicle are essential.
Role Overview
In this exciting opportunity, you will lead the development and delivery of the Trust's long-term Asset & Operations Strategy, defining how we manage, invest in and operate one of the UK's largest heritage infrastructure networks.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operations Officer, you will provide strategic leadership across asset management, investment planning, resilience, operational strategy, and infrastructure governance. Working closely with engineering, operations, finance and environmental teams, you will ensure our asset and operational decisions are evidence-based, prioritised and financially sustainable.
You will play a key role in helping the Trust respond to climate change, increasing infrastructure risks, evolving regulatory requirements and future funding challenges, championing innovation and continuous improvement, while maintaining high standards of safety, service and stewardship across our waterways.
Key responsibilities
- Lead the development and delivery of the Trust's long-term Asset & Operations Strategy, ensuring the waterways network remains safe, resilient, sustainable and aligned to organisational priorities.
- Define the strategic framework for asset management, investment planning and operational delivery, enabling consistent, evidence-based decision-making across the Trust.
- Provide strategic leadership for infrastructure resilience, including critical assets, reservoir safety, climate adaptation and development of long-term water resources and flood management strategies providing long-term network sustainability.
- Establish and maintain a high-performing asset information and operational insight capability, ensuring robust data governance, quality management systems, technology and analytics support effective planning, risk management and investment decision-making.
- Drive continuous improvement in operational performance, efficiency and standardisation, creating clear alignment between asset condition, service levels and customer outcomes.
- Act as the Trust's strategic lead for asset and operational governance, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, regulatory requirements, the Strategic Asset Management Plan and ISO55001 principles.
- Build strong relationships with the Executive Team, Board, regulators, funding bodies and external partners, providing clear strategic advice on infrastructure investment, risk and long-term stewardship of the network.
- 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.
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About You
You will be an experienced strategic leader with a proven ability to shape long-term asset and operational strategies within complex, asset-intensive organisations. Known for your collaborative approach and continuous improvement mindset, you'll excel at balancing competing priorities, influencing senior stakeholders and turning ambitious goals into practical, sustainable outcomes. You'll bring the curiosity to challenge current thinking, the credibility to build support for change, and the vision to help organisations prepare for the future.
Skills & Qualifications
Technical:
- Degree qualified in a relevant discipline such as Engineering, Asset Management, Infrastructure Management, Environmental Management, with chartered status through a relevant professional institution.
- Significant experience in a senior leadership role within an asset-intensive environment such as utilities, transport, infrastructure, engineering, water, or energy.
- Proven experience of developing and implementing long-term asset, infrastructure, or operational strategies.
- Experience working within a regulated, publicly funded, charitable, or similarly governed environment, with an understanding of balancing operational, stakeholder, regulatory, and financial considerations.
- Strong understanding of asset management, investment planning, infrastructure risk, resilience, and performance improvement.
- Ability to use data, insight, and evidence to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
- Strong commercial and strategic awareness, with the ability to balance risk, service, sustainability, and affordability.
General:
- Demonstrable experience of influencing senior stakeholders and leading through complexity to deliver strategic outcomes.
- A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, creating clarity of purpose, empowering others to succeed, building trust-based relationships, and leading organisational change through collaboration and influence.
- Full UK driving licence.
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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.
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 £100,000 - £110,000 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
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