Canal & River Trust
Senior Hydrologist
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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: Senior Hydrologist opportunity
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
The Water Management Team at the Canal & River Trust is responsible for understanding, monitoring, and managing water across the canal and river network to keep it safe, sustainable, and resilient. They analyse river flows, rainfall, groundwater and water levels to support flood risk management, drought planning, asset safety (such as embankments, reservoirs, and culverts), and inform operational and strategic decisions. Their work helps ensure enough water is available for navigation, protects communities and infrastructure, supports environmental outcomes, and strengthens the Trust’s ability to adapt to climate change.
We are currently looking for a Senior Hydrologist to provide operational advice, and support the delivery of on-going strategic water resource and flood risk management projects. As a Senior Hydrologist you’ll be applying your technical knowledge and expertise to secure the effective management of water resources and flood risk management around the network. You’ll be exposed to diverse hydrological problems on our canals, navigable rivers, network of over 1,500 locks and 72 reservoirs, among other infrastructure. You’ll be able to visit our network first-hand through site investigations and surveys when required.
Find out more about our Water Management team: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/our-cause/looking-after-canals-and-rivers/managing-our-water
Working Hours & Location
This role follows 37 hours, Monday to Friday working pattern. The vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required.
Applicants should ideally be based within, or have reasonable access to, the southern half of the waterway network, particularly across the West Midlands & South West Waterways and London & South East regions. Key operational areas include Warwickshire and the South Midlands, Leicestershire, Gloucester & Sharpness, and the River Severn, reflecting the varied nature of the assets, environments and projects supported by the team. The role will involve regular travel across this geography, providing exposure to a diverse range of reservoirs, canals, river navigations and associated infrastructure.
In terms of travel commitments, applicants should be able to attend a monthly team meeting at Hatton, typically one day per month, alongside 1-2 site visits per month on average to support project delivery and stakeholder engagement. Occasional overnight stays may be required to facilitate visits across the wider network.
See our network here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers
Role Overview
The job holder will apply a wide range of technical expertise, modelling solutions and knowledge to secure the effective and efficient management of water resources around the network to meet navigational and other water demands, whilst ensuring compliance with relevant legal, environmental and operational constraints. You’ll have the opportunity to ground your hydrology/modelling first-hand through site investigations and surveys along the historic canal network.
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Key Responsibilities
- Provide specialist advice on water resource management issues, to operational and central teams. Support colleagues to ensure that water management requirements and concerns are accounted for in any planned engineering works or other projects. Ensure compliance with abstraction licences and support application of licence renewals.
- Develop and implement an approach to quantify the impact of future pressures e.g. climate change on water supply and demand.
- Engage with the Environment Agency on the Water Resources National Framework requirements for water resources plans and drought plans.
- Support Commercial Water Development Team opportunities with technical input to Strategic Resource Options (SROs) e.g. Grand Union Canal Water Transfer Project.
- Support the development of the Trust’s Water Resources Strategy, setting out the Trust’s expectations for water resource management to 2050.
- Lead and manage complex water management projects, ensuring delivery within agreed timescales and budgets. The role involves regular site‑based work outdoors, in all weather conditions, and requires strong attention to health and safety, environmental and heritage standards.
- Deliver high‑quality hydrological analysis, modelling and advice to external organisations such as the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, supporting strong working relationships and protecting the Trust’s reputation.
- Contribute to national policies, procedures and plans through involvement in specific projects, and support the Trust’s responses to consultations from regulators, government and other bodies.
- Provide leadership and support to colleagues on projects or placements, including line or functional management where required, and contribute to the development of others through mentoring when opportunities arise.
- Interpret legal and regulatory requirements and help adapt working practices to ensure compliance.
- Lead site‑based work, which may include surveying structures, carrying out in‑channel flow measurements, and assessing water flow capacity, constraints and losses across the network.
About You
You have strong technical experience in hydrology & water resources, with a proven ability to apply modelling, manage data and deliver practical solutions. You communicate complex information clearly, manage your work effectively, and take a positive, problem‑solving approach. You are likely working towards, or have achieved, professional chartership and are keen to keep developing in a unique operational environment.
Skills & Qualifications
Technical Skills
- A postgraduate qualification (such as an MSc) or equivalent experience in a relevant subject, for example water resources management or hydrology.
- Chartered, working at chartered level, or close to making an application for chartered membership of a professional body e.g. CIWEM
- Active involvement in professional practice, such as mentoring, contributing to technical groups, panels or committees.
- Strong experience working in hydrology, water resources and hydrometry.
- Proven ability to handle, analyse and clearly present hydrometric and spatial data.
- A solid understanding of core hydrological processes and modelling approaches, with experience applying these in practice.
- Experience delivering complex hydrological work, including technical leadership and project responsibility.
- Good awareness of regulatory and legislative frameworks affecting water management, such as the Water Resources Act, Water Act and Flood & Water Management Act.
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General Skills
- Confident using Microsoft Office, with knowledge or experience of GIS or mapping systems.
- Good understanding of financial, contract and budget management within projects.
- Experience leading or supporting others, including line or functional management where applicable.
- Strong written communication and numerical skills.
- Clear presentation skills, able to explain complex information to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
- Ability to manage time effectively, prioritise work and operate with a high level of independence.
- Awareness of organisational governance, compliance requirements and relevant standards or processes.
- A strong customer‑focused approach, with experience delivering high‑quality service in a comparable organisation.
- A valid driving licence suitable for the role.
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
In addition to your annual base salary of £44,750 to £50,750, we offer 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 -
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