Canal & River Trust
Senior Regulatory Lawyer
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Senior Regulatory Lawyer
Senior Regulatory Lawyer – Join Our Team
We’re excited to welcome a Senior Regulatory Lawyer to join our Legal Team.
"Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive."
Working Hours & Location
- Hours: 37 hours per week (Monday to Friday)
- Working model: Remote with the requirement to attend our central hub as needed when necessary
Role Overview
This Trust-wide senior position provides expert regulatory legal advice across a complex national framework, supporting strong organisational governance and ensuring compliance with key statutory frameworks.
As the Trust’s lead specialist, you will advise on regulatory risk, statutory duties, potential corporate and director liability, and governance matters across key areas such as:
- Health and Safety
- Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG & Climate Regulation)
- Governance & Infrastructure Regulation
You will guide senior leaders on regulatory risks and ensure compliance with relevant legislations, while also managing interactions with regulators such as Police and HSE, including:
- Interviews under caution
- Enforcement notices, improvement, and prohibition notices
- Serious incident investigations and statutory reports
- Coronial Inquests and HM Coroner engagements
- CDM Regulation (Construction) compliance
Furthermore, the role includes providing legal oversight on:
- Procurement and contractor safety
- Project delivery regulations
- Countering liability and strategic compliance strategies
Key Accountabilities
- Provide expert regulatory legal advice on health and safety, ESG, governance, infrastructure, and associated statutory regimes.
- Advise the Trust, senior leadership, and directors on:
- Regulatory risk
- Corporate & director liability exposures
- Statutory duties arising from regulatory obligations
- Lead and coordinate the legal response to serious incidents, investigations, and statutory reporting, ensuring proportionate and compliant engagement with regulators and stakeholders.
- Facilitate engagement with regulators (Police, HSE), including responses to:
- Improvement/prohibition notices
- Interviews under caution
- Enforcement proceedings
- Provide legal advice on ESG-related regulatory obligations, including:
- Statutory reporting requirements
- Climate and environmental frameworks
- Governance expectations
- Oversee the Trust’s involvement in Coronial Inquests, including:
- Engagement with HM Coroner & the Police
- Preparation of necessary documentation
- Legal support to colleagues
- Advising on compliance with CDM Regulations and associated project/regulatory risks.
- Provide legal oversight in:
- Procurement and contractor safety management
- Regulatory compliance in project delivery
- Advise on public law obligations, including statutory decision-making processes and regulatory powers impacting operations.
- Support implementation of governance frameworks, policies, and training to reduce regulatory exposures & compliance risks.
- Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, identifying risks and advising on necessary adaptations as new regulations take effect.
- Offer legal advice on any other regulatory matters affecting the Trust, as required.
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Roles & Responsibilities Exposed
This post requires the ability to excel in high-stakes environments, managing critical legal functions with principled advice, operational rigour, and engagement with senior leadership.
You will be proactive in managing tight deadlines, maintaining high responsiveness and progressive forward-thinking in statutory compliance.
About You
Candidates suitable for this role will:
- Be a qualified lawyer with 10+ years PQE (Partner Qualification Renewal) or equivalent experience.
- Preferably gained within private practice, public sector, or in-house roles.
- Expose comprehensive work in regulatory law, specifically across areas including:
- Health & safety
- Environmental governance (including climate frameworks)
- Infrastructure & public sector statutory requirements
Additionally, the ideal candidate will**)
- be deeply experienced in managing crisis response, investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and defensive legal strategies against significant litigation or scrutiny.
- Possess a clear grasp of corporate liability, examination of directors’ duties, and broader organisational accountability.
- Work confidently with Boards and executive leadership, translating technical legal expertise into practically actionable strategies.
Advantages:
- Direct experience supporting commerce heritage, construction, or maritime sectors is beneficial.
- Familiarity with CDM Regulations, controlling contractor risks, and infrastructure risk management.
- Understanding of protocol for statutory disclosure and information governance particularly where relevant public sector, charity, or infrastructure-driven environments align.
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Success:
- Autonomy and proven track record of self-managed workloads.
- Capable decision making under pressure, thriving in multi-striped regulatory terrain.
- Actively align with culture of safeguarding, fostering strong operational environments focused on safety and welfare.
Key Experience, Skills & Qualifications
For this position:
✔ Q ocorrered (or equivalent) lawyer: Management experience in 10+ years of PQE.
✔ Regulatory Expertise: Exhibiting robust understandings across:
- Senior-level governance
- Regulatory and statutory obligations in:
- Health & Safety
- Environment
- Infrastructure
✔ Specialist exposure: Preferred with insights in: - Heritage sectors - Construction and maritime contexts
✔ Competent in:
- Crisis management response
- Investigation handling
- Defending against regulatory and enforcement actions
✔ Understanding of:
- Corporate liability & director’s accountability
- Organisational accountability
✔ Specific Regulatory Knowledge beneficial:
- CDM and construction related licensing and permissions frameworks
- Contractor safety regulation systems
- Governing liability and risk management procedures
✔ Comfortable advising Boards/Exective Leadership on:
- Complex regulatory challenges
- Strategic legal implications
Benchmarking:
- Work experience in managing and winning support amongst stakeholders across tight timelines.
- Various client instructional acumen making decisions aligned with public duties to safeguard standards.
The Canal & River Trust Commitment to Early Applications
We invite applications across early submission to ensure robust consideration.
Early applications encourage timely response for potential early reassessment. Successful applications may close promptly once sufficient qualified candidates received.
Contact & Application Process
For further inquiries, feel free to direct emails to:
CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk
Comprehensive List of Benefits & what We Offer
CNTR's offers significantly include:
💰 Competitive Salary: Starting annually at £68,000
📅 Optimal Holiday Leave: Increasing entitlement aligned with years of service
🏛 Follow this link for comprehensive benefits including: 🔗 Explore Our Employee Value Proposition here
Job portal: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/
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