Project Manager

Join Our Team: Project Manager Opportunity

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive. Are you an experienced Project Manager interested in putting your project management expertise into practice to ultimately benefit millions of people? We are looking for a Project Manager to join our Infrastructure and Programme Delivery (IPD) Midlands team; playing an important role in supporting our vision and delivering our Waterways and Wellbeing strategy. You will be involved in a range of projects that will ensure our existing national waterways, reservoirs and infrastructure are managed and maintained, as well as being fundamental in bringing new developments and improvements to life for our visitors, customers and service users.

Working Hours & Location

This role follows 37 hours, Monday to Friday working pattern. Travel throughout the Midlands waterway network will also be expected to enable site visits and face to face meetings. A valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle is therefore essential. Hubs include Birmingham & Hatton.

Role Overview

In this role you will be working with a diverse range of stakeholders and partners planning and delivering our third party funded projects. You will be managing projects of low/medium risk and/or low/medium complexity by applying processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives. Projects will range from £50,000 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 a Project Manager with the Canal & River Trust you will further develop your skill set and project management career alongside our canals and waterways, in an organisation that values wellbeing and work life balance.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage projects in accordance with the Trust’s Health and Safety policy and defined standards to ensure compliance.
• Always work safely, 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, budgeting and cost control.
• Estimate and justify project costs, whilst controlling actual costs and forecasts against the agreed budgets.
• Manage risks, issues and changes on the project.
• Maintain communications with stakeholders and the project team / organisation to satisfy their differing needs.
• With assistance from others, 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.
• Provide environmental management by appraising the environmental impact of the project activities and ensuring that all controls and requirements are implemented and actioned.
• 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.
• Always display the Trust values and behaviours at all times.
• 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.

About You

You’re a driven project professional with strong knowledge of project management processes and hands-on experience delivering multiple low–medium complexity projects. Confident working with NEC contracts and project finance, you keep schedules tight, budgets on track, and stakeholders aligned. With a positive, can-do attitude and great communication skills, you bring clarity, momentum, and control to every project.

Skills & Qualifications

Qualifications: HND (or equivalent) in a related discipline e.g., Civil Engineering, Project Management. Valid UK driving licence - Car Cash allowance & regional/national travel, including to remote locations is expected.

Experience: Previous Project Management experience of successfully managing multiple low/medium complexity projects. Knowledge of project management processes and systems. Some experience of administration of NEC ECC form of contract. Experience of finance control of project delivery.

General skills: Possess good communication skills both verbal and written. Be able to manage stakeholders, taking account influence and impact. Ability to prepare and maintain schedules for activities and events for projects, taking account of dependencies and resource requirements. Develop and agree budgets for projects and control forecast and actual costs against budget. Be good at problem solving and be able to resolve conflicts. Open, positive, can-do attitude which builds confidence and credibility both within the team and stakeholders. Possess good IT skills. Use of MS project would be an advantage.

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

In addition to your annual base salary of £35,000 - £40,750, we also offer Car Cash Allowance (£390 per month), a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits.