At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead project delivery for capital, construction, and maintenance programmes across England and Wales.
- Company: Join the Canal & River Trust, dedicated to keeping waterways thriving.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, private medical insurance, pension scheme, and generous holiday entitlement.
- Other info: Home-based role with travel; excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our waterways while leading innovative projects.
- Qualifications: Degree in Project Management or related field; experience in large-scale project delivery.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 90000 £ per year.
Join Our Team: Head of Project Delivery Opportunity Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive. We're excited to have created a new Head of Project Delivery role in our new Operations division. This is a critical leadership role responsible for delivering the Trust's externally delivered capital, construction and maintenance programmes across England and Wales, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently and provide long-term value for our waterways and stakeholders.
Working Hours & Location: This is a home-based role which follows a 37 hour working week and will be assigned to one of the Trust's key operational hubs. Regular travel across England and Wales as required to competently perform the role. A valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential.
Role Overview: Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead the delivery of a diverse portfolio of externally delivered capital, construction and maintenance programmes. Working across the full project lifecycle, from concept and design through to completion and handover, you will ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently and in line with the Trust's strategic priorities. You will lead project management, contractor performance, supply chain relationships and delivery governance, creating a high-performing delivery function that balances cost, quality, risk and customer outcomes. With responsibility for major programmes, external infrastructure interfaces and delivery partners, you will play a key role in ensuring the Trust remains a credible, professional and commercially astute client organisation.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership for the Trust's project delivery function, ensuring the safe, efficient and consistent delivery of capital, construction and maintenance programmes across the network.
- Lead multidisciplinary teams responsible for project management, supply chain management, commercial oversight and programme delivery, creating a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and delivery excellence.
- Oversee the end-to-end delivery lifecycle, ensuring strong governance, effective risk management and clear accountability from concept design through to project completion and handover.
- Build and maintain high-performing relationships with contractors, consultants and delivery partners, driving quality, innovation, efficiency and value across the supply chain.
- Lead the delivery of major programmes and complex external interfaces, ensuring risks are effectively managed and opportunities maximised for the Trust and its stakeholders.
- Drive commercial performance, project controls and continuous improvement, ensuring lessons learned and best practice are embedded across all delivery activity.
- Provide Gold Command cover as part of the Trust's incident management framework, delivering strategic leadership during major incidents and ensuring effective organisational response and continuity.
- Display the Trust values and behaviours at all times, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life.
About You:
You will be an experienced delivery leader with a track record of delivering complex capital, construction or infrastructure programmes at scale. Commercially astute and results-focused, you'll excel at leading teams, managing delivery partners and driving performance across large-scale programmes. A collaborative and influential leader, you'll be known for turning plans into action, building strong partnerships and delivering high-quality outcomes against ambitious objectives. Known for your pace, accountability and ability to translate strategy into action, you'll be motivated by improving how projects are delivered and creating lasting value through innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Skills & Qualifications:
- Technical: Degree-qualified in Project Management, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline, holding chartered status with a relevant professional body. Significant experience leading major capital, construction, infrastructure, or maintenance delivery programmes within a complex organisation. Ideally holding a programme management qualification. Experience operating within a regulated, publicly funded, charitable, or similarly governed environment. Strong track record of managing large contractor frameworks, delivery partners, and complex supply chains. Proven experience delivering projects and programmes through the full lifecycle, from concept and business case development through to delivery and handover. Strong commercial awareness, with experience balancing risk, cost, quality, and operational outcomes. Experience developing and implementing project governance, assurance, and performance management frameworks.
- General: Demonstrable experience leading large teams and creating high-performing delivery cultures. Demonstrates the Trust's leadership behaviours through decisive action, operating with pace and purpose, actively communicating, collaborating to achieve the best shared outcomes, taking accountability for delivery and leading with authority, credibility and influence. Full UK driving licence.
Contact & Application: If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.
What We Offer: We offer a salary of £80,000 - £90,000 plus £6,240 car cash allowance per annum. Enjoy private medical insurance, a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits.
Head of Project Delivery employer: Canal & River Trust
At Canal & River Trust, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer that values innovation and teamwork. Our supportive work culture fosters professional growth through continuous learning opportunities, while our commitment to flexible working arrangements ensures a healthy work-life balance. Join us in making a meaningful impact on the UK's canal network, where your expertise will be valued and your contributions will help shape the future of our vital infrastructure.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Project Delivery
✨Join Construction Networks
Get yourself involved in local construction networks or industry events. They often have job boards, and networking can lead to unadvertised positions. Plus, it’s a great way to meet potential future colleagues!
✨Show Off Your Skills on Site
If you’ve done any hands-on work, whether it's through internships or personal projects, make sure you can showcase it. Consider volunteering for local construction projects or getting involved in community build days; it’s a solid way to demonstrate your skills and build connections.
✨Utilise Construction Job Sites
Don't just rely on the big job boards. Look at niche construction job sites—many companies prioritise these for full-time roles. Apply through these sites, but don’t forget to reach out directly to companies you admire, like Canal & River Trust, to express your interest!
✨Tailor Your Application for Full-Time Roles
Make your application stand out by tailoring it specifically for full-time positions. Highlight how your previous projects align with the company's work. At StudySmarter, we encourage you to demonstrate your commitment and long-term interest in the industry when applying for roles like Head of Project Delivery at Canal & River Trust.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Project Delivery
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:In the construction industry, it's essential to highlight any hands-on experience you have. Whether it’s past projects you've worked on or specific roles you've held, make sure your CV emphasises your practical skills and contributions to construction sites.
Include Certifications and Qualifications:Don’t forget to list any certifications relevant to construction, like CSCS cards or other safety qualifications. These can really set you apart from other candidates and show that you’re serious about health and safety on-site.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Construction:When writing your cover letter for a construction role, focus on your problem-solving capabilities and teamwork. Construction relies heavily on collaboration, so mention how you’ve worked successfully with others to complete projects on time and within budget.
Adapt Your CV Format to the Field:Ensure your CV is clear and easy to read, with sections dedicated to skills such as project management, technical abilities, and site supervision. Construction roles often require a blend of technical know-how and soft skills, so make sure both are highlighted effectively.
How to prepare for a job interview at Canal & River Trust
✨Brush Up on Technical Knowledge
For a construction role, it's crucial we have a solid grasp of industry standards, safety protocols, and specific tools used on-site. Make sure you're familiar with relevant regulations and can talk confidently about them, as these often come up in interviews.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Since this is a full-time position, be ready to discuss any previous construction projects you've worked on. Bring a portfolio or have detailed descriptions that highlight your role, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them—this’ll show you’re not just book-smart but also practically savvy.
✨Understand the Team Dynamics
Construction is all about teamwork, so prepare to discuss how you interact with different stakeholders like architects, engineers, and contractors. Maybe think of examples from past experiences to illustrate your ability to communicate and collaborate effectively.
✨Prepare for On-the-Spot Problem Solving
Be ready for some practical questions or scenarios where you'll need to demonstrate your problem-solving skills. Interviewers might present you with a hypothetical construction issue to solve, so practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically—this could really set you apart!
