Reactive Response - Craft Joiner​/Carpentry generalist

Reactive Response - Craft Joiner/Carpentry generalist

Hatton, Warwick CV35, UK

Posted Monday 29 June 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Monday 6 July 2026 at 23:59

About the Trust

We're one of the UK’s biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We're looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?

Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country's third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

As a Craft Operative in our Reactive Response Team, you will play a vital role in caring for our network, responding to incidents as they happen and ensuring our waterways remain safe and accessible for everyone. They act fast, think on their feet and take real pride in protecting the places people love.

This is a mixed‑skills role suited to someone with experience in one or more trades (e.g., carpentry, metal fabrication, bricklaying, or stone masonry). You’ll work flexibly, responding to emergencies as they occur across our network.

The post holders will work an annualized hours system (averaging 37 hours), primarily Monday to Friday, with overtime and occasional weekend work as needed to respond to emergencies and carry out repairs that help keep our waterways open for customers.

Administratively based at Hatton Locks, this role involves regular travel across the West Midlands. You will travel from home in a company van, report directly to site to complete the day’s tasks, and return home at the end of the working day.

• North to Leek (Caldon Canal, Derbyshire)
• West into Wales (Montgomery Canal)
• East to Rugby (Oxford Canal)

Flexibility is essential, as emergency call‑outs and rapidly changing priorities are a core part of the team’s work.

As a Craft Operative, you will help improve, maintain, and preserve our historic network. This includes refurbishing and repairing canal infrastructure such as locks, bridges, aqueducts, towpaths, and associated equipment, while consistently working to high safety, environmental, and heritage standards.

This role sits within our reactive response team and involves planned work alongside emergency call-outs. As priorities can change at short notice, a flexible and adaptable approach is essential.

• 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 in house 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.

You must bring strong operative skills and be confident applying your trade knowledge in unique environments. While additional skills can be learned on the job, competence in at least one relevant discipline is essential to aid your colleagues.

Whether you come from a building or [ Joiner/Carpentry generalist ] background, your experience and enthusiasm will help you thrive in this role.

• Trade relevant apprenticeship or equivalent qualification (e.g. City & Guilds or NVQ Level
  2).
• Experience operating plant/equipment (e.g., chainsaws, power tools, forklift trucks).
• Experience in a relevant…