Heritage Craft Operative — Carpentry & Maintenance

Canal & River Trust; Southall; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday entitlement

Employee benefits

Job summary

Canal & River Trust in Southall is seeking a Multi-Skilled Generalist Craft Operative (Carpentry & Construction) for an on-site, full-time role. The craft operative works across our waterways, performing maintenance, repairs and heritage-informed construction tasks to keep canals accessible and safe.

You will operate tools, read drawings, travel regionally, and support volunteers while contributing to preservation and safety standards.

Qualifications

• 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 bricklaying or stonemasonry.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Apprentice background

Plant operation

Lifting operations

Bricklaying/stonemasonry

Technical drawings

UK driving licence

Education

City & Guilds / NVQ Level 2

Job description

Canal & River Trust in Southall is seeking a Multi-Skilled Generalist Craft Operative (Carpentry & Construction) for an on-site, full-time role. The craft operative works across our waterways, performing maintenance, repairs and heritage-informed construction tasks to keep canals accessible and safe.

You will operate tools, read drawings, travel regionally, and support volunteers while contributing to preservation and safety standards.