Area Operations - Craft Operative

Location: Administratively based out of Swarkestone, the day-to-day of this role requires travel across the East Midlands region. You will travel from Swarkestone to site to carry out any relevant regional tasks.

Hours: The post holders will be required to work an annualised hour’s system which is Monday to Friday. Overtime and possible weekend work applicable when reacting to emergency repairs that help to get our waterways open to our customers.

Our team and opportunity

We are looking for a Craft Operative to join our reactive response team. This role is mixed trade/skills with experience ideally in joinery & Carpentry, but also potentially metal fabrication, Bricklayer and/or Stone Mason. In our Reactive Response team, you will be working flexibly to respond to emergencies as they arise on our network.

As a Craft Operative, you will play an important role helping us improve, maintain, and preserve our wonderful 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.

Our Craft Operatives work an annualised hours system which includes working statutory holidays and weekends on a rota, you must be happy to work in an on-call rota. You will also be working with other staff, volunteer sand Operatives to undertake maintenance and repair works, operate assets and providing information to customers, as directed by your Manager/Team Leader.

Flexibility is very important certain that we can respond to critical needs when they occur. Please only apply if you are happy to work on a rotating shift pattern, with some emergency call out expected.

Location & coverage

Administratively based out of Swarkestone, you will report to site to perform tasks. This will include traveling the East Midlands areas including but not limited to the Erewash, River Soar, River trent, Grand Union Canal & Trent & Mersey Canal

See our network here:

About the role

This is predominantly an outdoor role. We love the outdoors at Canal & River Trust, and it' also important that as a member of the Reactive Response team you enjoy all weathers! Call outs, repairs, vegetation clearance and assisting the general public & towpath and waterway users doesn't only happen on the sunny days, so rain and cold is all part of the experience.

Working in and around our canals, operating locks, boats, bridges and weirs, your role will be to provide excellent service to a variety of customers and visitors with the Safety of yourself and colleagues and all who use our waterways at the forefront of your mind. Demonstrating pragmatism, your practical mind and approach will solve issues safely as and when they occur.

As part of the Reactive Response team, you will need to be adaptable to the every day changes and emergencies that can occur.

Key responsibilities:

• Working outside, carry out maintenance and repairs works to the waterway infrastructure to ensure network availability is maximised. Repairs will often involve sensitive heritage or environment solutions which the role will be expected to be familiar with. In some instances, the operative will be expected to complete repairs to the highest standard utilising relevant skills and experience.
• Use Joinery/Carpentry expertise to undertake the manufacture & 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 and where appropriate support in-house maintenance.
• Undertake general housekeeping of personal equipment, workshop equipment and workspace ensuring all are maintained to defined standards.
• Timely response to customers’ queries and requirements, including responding to emergencies.
• Ensure all equipment (PPE, plant, materials etc) is appropriate for the task.
• Assist with the measurement of locks and lock gates in order to identify correct lock gate measurements for manufacture - you…