Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
As a Craft Operative in our Operations team , you will play a vital role in caring for our network, responding to incidents as they happen and ensuring our waterways remain safe and accessible for everyone. They act fast, think on their feet and take real pride in protecting the places people love.
This is a mixed‑skills role suited to someone with experience in one or more trades (e.g carpentry). You’ll work flexibly, responding to emergencies as they occur across our network covering South Oxford Canal, Grand Union Canal, London East, London West and central/ Docklands waterways.
This role follows an annualized hours system, including weekends and bank holidays. You’ll be based at our Adelaide Dock, Southall depot and travel across the London and South East region, with occasional support in other areas.
Flexibility is essential, as emergency call‑outs and rapidly changing priorities are a core part of the team’s work.
As a Craft Operative, you will help improve, maintain and preserve our historic network. This includes refurbishing and repairing canal infrastructure such as locks, bridges, aqueducts, towpaths and associated equipment, always working to high safety, environmental and heritage standards.
- Carry out outdoor maintenance and repair works to maximize network availability, often involving heritage‑sensitive solutions.
- Use bricklaying or other trade skills to support manufacture and refurbishment work to agreed standards and timescales.
- Safely operate machinery, plant, tools and equipment, and support inhouse maintenance where required.
- Maintain personal equipment, workshop tools and workspace to required standards.
- Respond promptly to customer queries and urgent situations.
- Ensure equipment, materials and PPE are appropriate for each task.
- Assist with measuring locks and lock gates, learning heritage craft skills alongside specialist teams.
- Read and interpret technical drawings to inform work.
- Work with and supervise volunteers to support sustainable maintenance delivery.
- Travel regionally and flexibly to meet nationally prioritized work demands.
You must bring strong operative skills and be confident ing your trade knowledge in unique environments. While additional skills can be learned on the job, competence in at least one relevant discipline is essential to aid your colleagues.
Whether you come from a building or bricklaying background, your experience and enthusiasm will help you thrive in this role.
- Trade relevant apprenticeship or equivalent qualification (e.g. City & Guilds or NVQ Level 2).
- Experience operating plant/equipment (e.g, chainsaws, power tools).
- Experience in lifting operations- Crane/Hiab or Plant operator (slinger signaller, Lift Supervisor qualifications) - Desirable
- Experience in a relevant discipline in bricklaying or stonemasonry.
- Ability to read and interpret technical drawings.
- Full UK driving license (essential for regional response travel).
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.
We offer a starting salary of £29,354 + £4,000 per annum Inner London Allowance, with opportunities for progression. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits.
IND HP
