Plater/Welder, Gravesend

Careers On The Thames; Gravesend; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Cory is seeking a Plater/Welder to maintain, repair and fabricate vessels for river transport. You’ll work with our Ship Repair Services team, handling heavy machinery, reading technical drawings, and delivering high-quality, practical solutions on a busy Gravesend site and occasionally at Charlton.

Safety and teamwork are essential as you contribute to emergency exercises and uphold Cory’s environmental and quality standards across the fleet.

Qualifications

• Solid hot works experience including welding, fabrication and burning.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate steel barge and vessel sections and perform emergency repairs.
• Support yard activities and vessel movements in and out of slipways.
• Assist in training apprentices and contribute to safe, compliant operations.

Skills

Welding

Fabrication

Reading drawings

Safety practices

Teamwork

Job description

Join Cory as a Plater/Welder, maintaining, repairing and fabricating vessels that keep London moving through safe and sustainable river transport.

Cory is one of the UK’s leading resource management, recycling, and energy recovery companies. We use the River Thames as a green highway, saving around 100,000 truck movements a year – a vital way of getting traffic off the road and making London safer and less polluted. As a river-based business, we are proud to support the growth of the Thames economy and the wider inland waterways sector.

As a Plater/Welder at Cory, you’ll play a hands‑on role in maintaining and repairing the vessels that keep London’s waste moving by river. Working as part of our Ship Repair Services team, you’ll support both in‑house operations and third‑party customers, helping ensure our fleet of tugs, barges and containers remains safe, compliant and reliable.

This is a varied, practical role where no two days are the same. From fabricating steel barge and vessel sections to carrying out emergency repairs and salvage work, your skills will be used across a wide range of engineering challenges. You’ll also support yard activities, vessel movements in and out of slipways, and the general upkeep of our Gravesend site. While based at Gravesend, you’ll occasionally be asked to work at other sites, typically our Charlton location. Safety and environmental responsibility sit at the heart of everything we do. You’ll work in full compliance with international, national and company legislation, take part in emergency exercises, and help ensure Cory’s high standards are met every day.

You’ll also have the opportunity to support the development of others, including assisting in the training of apprentices. It’s a role where your experience matters – not just in what you build and repair, but in the example you set for the next generation of engineers.

Job requirements

We’re looking for someone with solid hot works experience, including welding, fabrication and burning, who is confident working with heavy machinery and engineering equipment. You’ll be comfortable turning technical drawings into high-quality, practical solutions.

An understanding of working at height and confined or enclosed space environments is essential, as is a strong commitment to safe working practices. You’ll take personal responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment for yourself and those around you.

This role suits someone who enjoys teamwork and flexibility. You’ll work closely with colleagues across Ship Repair Services and be adaptable with working hours when operational demands require it.