Principal Environment Lawyer

Posted Tuesday, 18 August 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Tuesday, 15 September 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. Join Our Team: Principal Environmental Regulatory Lawyer We’re excited to welcome a new Principal Environmental Regulatory Lawyerr to join our Legal division. Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive. Working Hours & Location This role follows 37 hours, Monday to Friday working pattern. The vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend our main hub spaces as and when required. Role Overview The Principal Lawyer delivers expert legal advice on environmental and regulatory matters. Reporting to the Senior Regulatory Lawyer, the Principal Lawyer will play a key role in providing legal support across the Trust’s operations, helping to protect and enhance the natural environment. The successful candidate will provide strategic legal guidance on complex and high-profile issues, contribute to the development of organisational policy, and work independently to support the Trust in achieving its objectives. Key Responsibilities Supporting the Senior Regulatory Lawyer to provide strategic and operational advice to the Trust (including Executive and Board) on all aspects of environmental law and regulations, including critical water resource, flood management issues, reservoirs, environmental designations and habitats, waste and permitting. Advising on developing areas of environmental law (including climate change) as they affect the Trust. Providing strategic and operational advice regarding compliance with reservoirs‘ legislation. Advising on water industry regulation in the context of the Trust’s commercial water development activity. Providing legal advice on Trust interaction with key environmental regulators (e.g. The Environment Agency, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, the Office of Environmental Protection and Local Authorities) and water industry regulators and key stakeholders (e.g. OFWAT, water and sewerage undertakers). Assisiting with any environmental litigation taken by or against the Trust (e.g. abstraction licence appeals, judicial review, civil litigation, regulatory enforcement action). About you You will be a qualified lawyer with at least three years' post-qualification experience and a strong background in environmental law. You will have a proven ability to provide strategic, proactive and commercially focused legal advice on complex regulatory matters, translating legal risks into practical solutions that support organisational objectives. With excellent written and verbal communication skills, you will be confident engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leadership and Board members. You will be able to work independently, manage a varied and challenging caseload, and build effective relationships across the organisation. Experience of environmental litigation, regulatory enforcement, water industry regulation or health and safety law would be advantageous, but is not essential. Most importantly, you will be committed to delivering high-quality legal support while promoting a positive health and safety culture in line with Canal & River Trust's values and standards. Skills & Qualifications This role requires a fully qualified lawyer with at least 3 years’ post-qualification experience and a strong background in environmental law. Excellent oral and written communication skills Track record of providing strategic, proactive, expert and timely legal advice Ability to give pragmatic advice and to solve problems to meet the needs of the Trust Lead by example, ensure the Legal team take responsibility for the safety of colleagues, volunteers, themselves and customers. Comply with Canal & River Trust’s Health & Safety policy and defined standards. Investigate and report incidents, accidents and near misses. Ensure safe use of appropriate equipment, prepare Risk Assessments and Method Statements ensuring contents are understood and acted upon. Some health and safety law experience would be beneficial but not necessary. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. Contact & Application If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates. What We Offer We offer an annual salary of £61,930. Enjoy 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 INDHP Our values We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community. We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments - whether for a disability, neurodiversity, or health condition - please let us know what you need and how we can support you. We’ll work with you to make any necessary changes. All of our jobs can be considered on a part time, flexible or job share basis. We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. You are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We recognise not everyone who is classified as disabled under the Equality Act personally identifies this way, or with this definition of disability. Please do not let this discourage you from applying under the scheme. At Canal & River Trust, we are committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. As part of our hiring process, we may use AI to analyse applications and support us work more efficiently. However, all hiring decisions – without exception - are made by our hiring managers. Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive. Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us