Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
We are seeking an experienced Transformation Programme Manager to lead a complex; high-profile programme aimed at delivering a better boating experience and stronger customer relationships across the UK canal network. This role will drive strategic change, delivering an integrated programme of work to deliver our ‘Better Boating Programme’ while also implementing recommendations from the Boat Licensing Commission’s report to create a fairer, clearer, and more efficient licensing system.
This role follows 37 hours, 5 days a week, work pattern.
This is a home‑based role, with occasional travel to our hub spaces for collaborative meetings. You should be able to reasonably commute to one of the following hubs: Leeds, Ellesmere Port, Burnley, Newark, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Gloucester.
Role Overview
This is a new role that will oversee establishing the three-year Transforming Boating programme, including:
- Coordinating delivery of new and existing workstreams.
- Monitoring and reporting against key performance indicators.
- Reporting on delivery of the programme to Trustees (Boating Committee)/Executive (Executive Programme Board).
- Leading the Transforming Boating Programme Delivery Board involving leads for each workstream.
- Ensuring extensive stakeholder engagement in the programme.
- Recruiting and managing a new team to support delivery of the programme.
Key Responsibilities
While specialist boating knowledge is not required, you’ll oversee a major transformation programme that improves the boating experience, rebuilds trust with the community, and delivers key reforms to licensing and customer engagement. This role demands exceptional programme leadership and stakeholder management as you drive complex, multi‑year change across multiple workstreams and partners.
- Working with the Trust’s Executive team, develop and deliver a multi-year transformation programme aligned with the Canal & River Trust’s Better Boating Plan and proposals derived from the Boat Licensing Commission recommendations.
- Reset relationships with the boating community and improve trust and reputation.
- Oversee the multiple workstreams that will contribute to the programme, with appropriate scheduling, management of interdependencies and budgetary control.
- Carry out the communications strategy to engage boaters, policymakers, and partners.
- Coordinate efforts to review and update the legislative framework governing boat licensing in accordance with consultations, working with boaters and the Trust’s legal and government affairs teams.
- Establish governance structures, manage risks, and provide transparent reporting to the Executive team and the Board of Trustees.
- Ensure measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, licensing clarity, and operational efficiency.
About You
You’re an experienced transformation leader who thrives in complex, regulated environments—bringing strategic thinking, strong stakeholder influence, and proven programme‑management expertise to drive meaningful, multi‑year change.
Skills & Qualifications
Technical:
- Significant experience in programme management within large organisations or public sector, including budget control.
- Proven ability to lead complex transformation programmes in regulated environments.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, ideally including experience of legislative changes.
- Expertise in programme management methodologies (e.g. MSP, PRINCE2, Agile).
- Professional certifications (MSP, PMP, PRINCE2) and change management credentials desirable.
- Experience in legislative or regulatory change programmes highly advantageous.
General:
- Strong IT skills across relevant platforms, with the ability to extract, interpret and present data effectively.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills for public-facing programmes, with compassionate understanding of the diverse groups affected by the programme.
- Strategic thinker with ability to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
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 c. £65,000, we also offer Car Cash Allowance (£485 per month), a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here: EVP – 1.
Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits
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