Canal & River Trust
Principal Engineer
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Join Our Team: Principal Engineer Opportunity (Non Core Asset Disposal)
We’re looking for a Principal Project Engineer, with a civil engineering background, to join our newly established Non Core Asset Disposal Project Team. This team plays a critical role in addressing infrastructure problems concerning assets which lie outside the routine asset management process.
We need an experienced engineer who can work alongside fellow professionals to reduce CRT liability and exposure to risk, whilst enabling selective investment to support the appropriate mitigation and unlock opportunities. This can involve responsible disposal or transfer of non core assets, or arrange for others to manage, through legal agreements.
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
Working Hours & Location
This role follows a 37 hour, Monday–Friday working pattern with flexible working options. The role is home‑based, with attendance at Trust hub locations as required for collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
Relevant Hubs:
- Birmingham
- Gloucester
- Little Venice
- Newark
- Ellesmere Port
- Leeds
The role requires significant travel across the national waterway network. Travel patterns will be discussed at interview, but regular accessibility to the network is essential.
Role Overview
You’ll be responsible for providing professional engineering expertise to help assess asset condition, risk and value, and to identify practical strategies that enable safe and viable disposal or transfer. You’ll implement a structured and financially disciplined approach to managing non core assets. This includes targeted capital investment, works to enable adoption, and structured dowry arrangements to facilitate transfer to third parties.
Your role is to assess risks, define and develop technical solutions, pull together business plans and support delivery through agreeing specifications and contributing to Contract documents.
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You will be working closely with internal teams and external partners to progress robust, acceptable and sustainable outcomes and reducing the overall levels of risk to the Trust.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical support to the Non Core Asset Disposal Project Team
- Provide expert engineering analysis and advice, for solutions to reduce infrastructure risks and /or improve asset condition.
- Investigate and develop cost effective design and construction solutions, ensuring best value and whole life cost considerations.
- Engage with the allocation of design resource, either within the Trust or through the contract supply chain
- Write briefs for the Trust’s Professional Services Consultant and manage the design process.
- Oversee the production of Specifications and Contract documents for any works required on the portfolio of Non Core Assets that aid disposal or transfer.
- Ensure works on the portfolio of Non Core Assets that aid disposal or transfer align with statutory, technical and operational requirements.
- Act as Client in accordance with CDM 2015, for interventions on the portfolio of Non Core Assets.
- Where required, act as Designer and/ or Principal Designer in accordance with CDM 2015, for interventions on the portfolio of Non Core Assets.
- Manage the contractors commissioned for works of the portfolio of Non Core Assets
- Develop and coach colleagues to maintain capability and competence.
- 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’re an experienced civil engineer with strong judgement, excellent communication skills and a commercial mindset. You’re comfortable assessing risk, balancing competing priorities and working collaboratively to enable successful asset transfer or disposal. You will have strong interpersonal skills to work across teams within and outside the Trust to achieve outcomes.
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Skills & Qualifications
- Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng). Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status will also be considered.
- Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. MICE).
- Experience of civil engineering design and construction.
- Substantial experience delivering complex engineering solutions.
- Knowledge of historic infrastructure and the natural environment.
- Experience in Asset Disposal / Asset Transfer
- Demonstrable experience of cross functional working and risk based decision making.
- Ability to negotiate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience working within diverse, multi disciplined project teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to non technical audiences.
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 starting salary of £53,750 - £58,750 plus £450 per month car cash allowance. Enjoy 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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