Canal & River Trust
Works Inspector (Clerk of Works)
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Join Our Team: Works Inspector (Clerk of Works) - North West - opportunity
Fixed-term or internal secondment contract until April 2027
Part time, 3 days a week - 22 hours a week
North West - primarily covering our networks along the M6, M65 & M62 corridors. See our network here: UK Canal Network Map | Canal & River Trust
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
Our Third-Party Works Team helps developers, utility companies and local authorities carry out projects safely on or near our 2,000 miles of historic waterways, guiding them through our Code of Practice and ensuring every scheme protects our heritage, environment and customers. The team supports hundreds of projects each year - from small local works to major infrastructure schemes - offering specialist guidance, engineering input, inspections and approvals. Their work ensures that third-party activities are safe, compliant and carried out without detrimental impact on navigation, towpaths, wildlife, heritage structures or public use.
We are looking for a Works Inspector (Clerk of Works) who can confidently act as the first point of contact for third-party promoters, working collaboratively with our Engineers and Technical Administrators to protect the Trust’s interests while delivering a professional, customer-focused service. You will take responsibility for monitoring and inspecting external works to ensure they are carried out safely, responsibly and without negative impact on our assets, heritage, environment, colleagues or customers.
This North West role offers a different style of remote and in person working. While your administrative work will be based at home, you’ll also travel for site visits when needed. Most of your day-to-day interaction with your team and line manager will take place online, with occasional opportunities to meet in person. It’s perfect if you like a blend of home working, regional travel, and occasional national meet-ups.
Working Hours & Travel
This is a administratively home-based role, with regular travel (2 / 3 days a week) to our sites to inspect work and our hub spaces for collaborative meetings. This role is great for someone who enjoys variety - splitting time between home, our Trust Hubs and site visits - and who’s happy to work flexibly when needed, including the occasional early start, late finish or weekend.
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- Core hours: 37 hours, 5 days a week, work pattern.
- You should be able to reasonably commute to one of the following hubs: Burnley & Ellesmere Port.
Role Overview
In this role, you’ll help protect the Trust’s waterways by monitoring and inspecting third-party works, ensuring they are safe, compliant and in line with our Code of Practice. You’ll build strong relationships with promoters and stakeholders, manage site activity and records, and play a key part in safeguarding our assets, environment and reputation.
Key Responsibilities
- Protect the Trust’s assets, operations and reputation by ensuring all third-party engineering works and activities fully comply with the Code of Practice for Works Affecting the Trust.
- Carry out site visits and inspections of Promoters’ works to confirm compliance with approved method statements, risk assessments, restrictions and agreed conditions, and undertake safety logs as required.
- Identify, investigate and respond to unauthorised, unsafe or non-compliant works, using professional judgement to assess risk and escalating issues to the relevant Works Engineer where necessary.
- Maintain accurate records of site activity, inspections and time spent working with Promoters, providing timely information to the relevant Works Engineer to support reporting and cost recovery.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with Promoters, customers and stakeholders, delivering excellent customer service and promoting a positive image of the Trust and the work it does.
- Capture, manage and feedback customer comments, concerns and complaints to the appropriate Trust teams, ensuring issues are addressed in a timely and professional manner.
- Identify opportunities to maximise value from third party works and provide appropriate support to internal teams to help realise these opportunities.
- Plan and manage workload effectively within a hybrid working environment, maintaining a visible site presence, completing administrative tasks through home working.
- Occasionally assisting with the coordination of small third party works schemes.
- Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level and responsibilities of the post.
- Lead by example, ensure your team take responsibility for the safety of colleagues, volunteers, themselves and customers.
- Comply with Canal & River Trust’s Health & Safety policy and defined standards.
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About You
You’ll bring practical technical know-how, confidence on site and the ability to spot risks fast and record them clearly. With strong people skills and a customer-first mindset, you’ll thrive in a role that keeps you moving, problem-solving and representing the Trust across the region.
Skills & Qualifications
Technical:
- GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths.
- Professional qualification in a relevant technical discipline (e.g. NVQ Level 2, OND, ONC, HND, HNC in Construction or Civil Engineering) or equivalent experience.
- Competent in producing clear site records, inspection notes and photographic evidence using mobile devices and internal systems.
- Proven experience of inspecting works and assessing infrastructure and site-based risk.
- Experience of engineering works in or around the water environment, desirable.
- Demonstrable experience and knowledge of infrastructure maintenance.
- Knowledge and understanding of historic infrastructure and heritage assets, beneficial.
General:
- Full UK driving licence, with the ability to travel to sites and Trust Hubs as required.
- A confident, professional communicator who can engage effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences, verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrated experience in delivering excellent customer service.
- A customer-focused approach with an understanding of how works impact waterway users and local communities.
- Able to manage and respond appropriately to complaints, incidents and challenging site situations.
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 £32,381 (full time equivalent), we also offer Car Cash Allowance (£390 FTE per month), 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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