We are the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays its part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.

We are currently looking for two Senior Project Manager to join our high performing delivery team.

The opportunities are within our new dedicated team of project managers delivering our 2022 £20m programme of externally funded projects.  

Our projects focus on ensuring more people have access and ability to use our towpath and water way network and ultimately benefit millions of people across England & Wales. Towpath improvement schemes funding by DfT, Sustrans’, local authorities form the core of the work, but National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and a wide range of other funders allow us to deliver a range of projects including biodiversity improvements, interpretation and listed building work. 

You will use your skills and expertise to develop projects from start to finish, work with our teams of third party funders, heritage managers, ecologists, engineers, funders and local communities and of course our contractors. You will look for efficiencies and opportunities and be accountable for project safety. Delivering to the highest standard. 

As one of our Senior Project Managers or Project Managers you will be within the Asset Improvement Team and play an important role in supporting our vision and delivering our Waterways and Wellbeing strategy ensuring our national waterways, are improved, managed & maintained for our visitors, customers & service users to benefit from.  

Location & Coverage

Offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required for team working a collaborative meetings.  Significant travel throughout the regional waterway network will also be expected to enable site visits and to conduct improvements. Locations include;

Senior Project Manager PM South – London or Milton Keynes Hubs

Senior Project Manager Midlands – Birmingham Hub 

Please specify preferred location. 

Regular accessibility to this network is essential.

About the role and you 

In this role you will be working with diverse stakeholders and partners to deliver third party funded projects from conception through to successful completion. As a large and diverse organisation our projects will vary in size, scope, budget and impact. You will be managing medium and higher risk and complexity projects.  You will therefore need to bring with you an understanding of how to select and adopt different processes and methods to ensure that the project delivers its objectives on time and budget.  Towpath projects will range from £300,000 to £1,000,000 in value and be delivered with our framework contractors.

You don't need to have worked in a charity before, but we believe we can offer you an exciting change of environment and impactful projects to support and manage.  Our towpaths and various historic assets provide a refreshing backdrop and unique working environment.  As Senior Project Manager with the Canal & River Trust you will further develop your already impressive skill set and project management career on the sides of our canals and waterways, in an organisation that values wellbeing and work life balance.

Key accountabilities:

• Manage projects in accordance with the Trust’s Health and Safety policy and defined standards to ensure compliance. Work safely at all times, ensuring the safety of others and contribute to safe working in all activities.
• Capture project requirements, assess customer and stakeholder impact, and prepare a business case to justify investment in a project.
• Develop, implement and monitor a schedule of project activities and key milestones to achieve the project objectives.
• Provide financial and cost management, estimating and justifying project costs, whilst controlling expenditure and evaluating the outcomes.
• Assign, lead and motivate the project team to ensure all project (time, cost, quality, health and safety and environmental and heritage) objectives are achieved.
• Manage risks, issues and changes on the project.
• Maintain communications with stakeholders and the project team/organisation to satisfy their differing needs.
• Manage all contracts applicable to the project (e.g., NEC ECC, NEC PSC), administering all their aspects to ensure commercial control and compliance. Carry out the role of the Project Manager and Supervisor as defined in the NEC.
• Handover and closure of the project in a controlled manner highlighting any areas for improvements or elements of good practice to be considered in future projects.
• Provide environmental management by appraising the environmental impact of the project activities and ensuring that all controls and requirements are implemented and actioned.
• Always display the Trust values and behaviours. Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promoting inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of the Trust’s policies and values.

Qualifications 

• Degree (or equivalent) in a related discipline e.g. Civil Engineering, Project Management.
• Desirable to have a minimum Technician/Associate level (or equivalent) membership of an appropriate professional body i.e. Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Association for Project Management (APM), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Project/Programme Management accreditation/qualification i.e. APM Project Management Qualification, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), Prince2 [Desirable].
• Valid UK driving licence - Car Cash allowance & regional/national travel, including to remote locations is expected.

Experience

• Previous Project Management experience. Proven track record of successfully managing multiple projects within the relevant discipline/sector (e.g. construction, asset management).
• Comprehensive knowledge of project management processes and systems.
• Knowledge and experience of Managing Safety in Construction, and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
• NEC Contract Management experience
• Experience of SAP particularly in the Logistics, Accounting and Information System modules [Desirable].

Skills

• Possess excellent communication skills both verbal and written. Be able to manage stakeholders, taking account influence and impact.
• Proven ability to manage resources. Be able to coordinate work carried out by different people and organisations. 
• Be effective at planning, monitoring and reviewing all project activities, taking into account all dependencies and resource requirements.
• Proven ability to develop and agree budgets for projects, control forecasts and actual costs. Construction commercial awareness.
• Be able to motivate and encourage others. Be able to work as part of a team and on your own initiative.
• Be good at problem solving, be able to resolve conflicts, and successfully influence and negotiate.
• Possess good IT skills, including intermediate use of MS Project.
• Hold a valid driving license.

Interviews: Initial interviews will be conducted virtually.

What we offer

In addition to your annual base salary we also offer Car Cash Allowance, a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits.  We are also open to flexible working arrangements. 

Further details can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits). 

Senior Project Manager: 

£38,000 - £40,000 DOE + Car Cash Allowance (£425 Per Month) = Up to (DOE) £45,100 inclusive of allowances

Further details can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits). 

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 with it 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 across all sectors of the community. All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed 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 the work we do on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us