Job Purpose
Job Title: Craft Operative, multi-skilled bricklayer/stone mason
Advertised Salary: £26,904 with salary progression + benefits
Location: Based at Pipers Cottage (ST7 3AJ), with regular travel across our regional networks required.
The Canal & River Trust is one of the UK’s largest charities, maintaining 2,000 miles of historic canals, rivers, docks, and reservoirs, along with museums, archives, and the country’s third largest collection of protected historic buildings. Our waterways are exciting, vibrant places to work.
We are looking for a Craft Operative (Bricklayer and/or Stone Mason) to join our team.
As a Craft Operative for our waterway, you will play an important role in improving, maintaining, and preserving our network for our customers to enjoy today and into the future. This will involve undertaking the refurbishment or repair of canal infrastructure including locks, bridges, aqueducts, towpaths, and associated equipment, working efficiently to defined safety, environmental, and heritage standards at all times.
The post holders will be required to work an annualised hours system, including a rota'd system with statutory holidays and weekends. Our Craft Operatives look after specific stretches of our regional waterways, but the team may be called upon to support work in other areas as needed, so you need to have your own transport and a valid UK driving licence.
Location & Coverage
The official reporting base is Pipers Cottage (ST7 3AJ), but the successful applicant will be required to report directly to site and work across the Trent & Mersey, Macclesfield, and Peak Forest canals.
Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience
As a Craft Operative, you will play an important role in maintaining our waterway network for our customers. You will be responsible for efficiently maintaining our locks and other assets along the local network in line with safety requirements and heritage standards.
Responding to business needs, you will enhance the reputation of the network and support Canal & River Trust’s aims to improve safety and protect the heritage and integrity of the inland waterway network.
Our Craft Operatives perform a unique role, fitting new lock gates as they are replaced and refurbishing or repairing existing lock gates and associated equipment to ensure they work efficiently and to defined standards. You will work with specialist teams and experts in their field as our multi-disciplinary teams collaborate to improve our waterways and ensure our 200-year-old assets can be enjoyed for years to come.
Key Responsibilities:
* Carry out maintenance and repair works to the waterway infrastructure to maximise network availability, often involving sensitive heritage or environmental solutions.
* Use joinery expertise to undertake the manufacture and refurbishment within a timely manner, in accordance with defined standards and agreed programmes.
* Operate a variety of machinery, plant, tools, and other equipment in accordance with Canal & River Trust’s safety standards.
* Undertake general housekeeping of personal equipment, workshop equipment, and workspace, ensuring all are maintained to defined standards.
* Respond timely to customers’ queries and requirements, including emergencies.
* Ensure all equipment (PPE, plant, materials, etc.) is appropriate for the task.
* Assist with the measurement of locks and lock gates to identify correct lock gate measurements for manufacture, working alongside an experienced team to learn this heritage skill.
* Understand and interpret technical drawings to translate into production.
* Work alongside and supervise volunteers to ensure sufficient resources for sustainability while ensuring volunteer satisfaction.
* Operate regionally, displaying the flexibility needed to deliver the nationally prioritised works programme, occasionally involving travel to undertake repair work.
About You
Operative skills are a minimum requirement. It is important that you can adapt to other skills which will be taught along the way, with a high level of competence in certain disciplines necessary. You may have a background in the building trade or from a specialist joinery background, where measuring, cutting, and joining are second nature to you.
Skills/Qualifications/Experience:
* Apprenticeship or equivalent qualification (or experience), e.g., City & Guilds Level II, NVQ Level II.
* Experience handling plant/equipment in group A, e.g., chainsaw, hand power tools, forklift truck.
* Experience working within relevant discipline, e.g., bricklayer/stone mason.
* Experience reading technical drawings.
* Full valid UK driving licence - necessary for responding across the region.
To Apply: Click on the "Apply for this job" button and follow the process - complete the application form and upload your current CV.
If you have any questions about the role, please contact CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
What We Offer
All our Craft Operatives step up their salary through a salary progression plan, starting at £26,904.
Further, the Canal & River Trust offers a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement (increasing with years of service), and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits, all of which can be found here. These include:
* Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
* 25 days paid holiday (plus paid Bank Holidays), increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
* Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning-related activity.
* Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues, e.g., health, financial, well-being, and domestic matters.
* Access to a range of employee benefits including store discounts, boating holiday discounts, and holiday purchase scheme.
* 2 days paid volunteering leave per annum, allowing you to volunteer for a local community project.
* Free fishing facilities across our canal network.
At the Trust, we care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings a diversity of ideas, thinking, and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from all sectors of the community.
All candidates will be treated based on their merits, skills, and abilities, assessed solely against the requirements for the job.
When you join the Canal & River Trust, you become a member of an engaged team working to preserve our heritage for future generations. Come and share your passion and knowledge with a team that makes a difference to millions of people every day.
Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us
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