Project Officer

Role Summary

Job Title Project Officer
Job Location Home based within the Bristol Avon catchment, with frequent
travel and site visits throughout the catchment
Contract 12 months, with a view to extension, subject to funding
Hours Full time, 5 days per week (40 hours per week / 1 FTE). The role may
sometimes require evening and weekend work. Part time hours may be considered
Salary £27,888 pro rata
Holiday 25 days per year (in addition to bank and public holidays)
Line Report to Project Manager

Brief

Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) is a growing Trust, with big ambitions to protect, enhance,
and restore excellent quality river and freshwater habitats throughout our catchment. At
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, we work in partnership with landowners, businesses, community
groups, and government to identify and deliver interventions to make our catchment richer and
more resilient to pressures. We are looking for a person to join our expanding team to support
the delivery of freshwater restoration and community engagement across our watershed—from the
headwater of sub-catchments, right down to the lowland floodplains of North Somerset and the
Severn Vale.

This new role is a key addition to our team, who focus on solving environmental problems with
nature-based solutions, engage and inspire local communities to take action to support BART’s
mission in providing a clear future for our river. Working to support colleagues, in particular
directly supporting our Project Managers, you will be out in the field conducting surveys,
walkovers, and undertaking site visits —to help both gather evidence of issues and build
habitat improvement projects that offer multiple benefits to important ecosystem services such
as natural flood management, carbon capture and storage, and water stewardship to support a
biodiverse and resilient catchment. You will also be in charge of overseeing the delivery of
small projects, such as school and community events, as well as river restoration or natural
solutions. You will be actively managing resources and a small project budget.

This position will also play a central role in assisting with the coordination of BART’s
citizen science programmes and will require regular contact and support with BART’s volunteers
and enthusing individuals to take an active role in our citizen science programmes across the
Trust.

You will be a qualified Environmentalist with a passion for landscape and river restoration.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide project delivery support to Project Managers;
• Deliver a range of surveys throughout the Bristol Avon catchment;
• Build relationships with a range of communities, landowners, hub organisations, schools and
  stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of projects;
• Recruit volunteers to help with the delivery of a wide range of projects;
• Raise funds for continuing and future works;
• Implement rigorous safeguarding and health & safety procedures;
• Contribute and assist in the production of publicity and marketing materials;
• Report the progress of works to key stakeholders and promote more widely through social
  media;
• Communicate BART’s voice to a wide audience.

An example working week could involve delivering a volunteer Riverfly monitoring training
course, a tributary habitats and opportunities walkover survey, writing a funding application,
and assisting with the delivery of a large woody debris project in the river.

Where you’ll be working

The Bristol Avon Rivers Trust is a charitable organisation focussed on protecting and improving
rivers and waterways across the Bristol Avon Catchment. We operate across North Somerset,
Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and Northeast Somerset and Wiltshire, working in
partnership with the Environment Agency, local authorities, the water industry, private
landowners and their tenants, charitable organisations, and community interest groups. You will
be working across the range of landscapes and habitats in the Bristol Avon catchment, from
urban streams, agricultural land, through woodland and riparian and riverine habitats. There
will be a mix of working from home and across the river catchment.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a candidate with a passion for the environment and who is keen to engage in
all aspects of the Trust’s activities, from habitat surveys to leading community engagement
events, assisting in the consenting of river restoration works and managing small project
budgets. We’d like you to be a confident communicator, with experience of delivering activities
with schools or communities in order that you can lead on these types of activities with
minimal supervision. We’d like you to have practical conservation experience, ideally being
involved with river restoration, pond or wetland habitat projects either employed or on a
voluntary basis with a sound understanding of aquatic ecology/land management/ catchment
management.

You will have excellent communication skills and a down to earth approach towards working with
people. You will be self-motivated, can manage competing deadlines, and deliver tasks to a high
standard. You will have a full UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle.

Above all, you will be committed to our agenda as a Trust, what we stand for, and what we want
to achieve.

Person Specification

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, ideally in a relevant subject;
• A confident and clear communicator with experience in delivering activities with school
  children & / or community groups;
• Experience of practical conservation work, ideally with rivers, ponds or wetlands. Or
  experience in terrestrial habitat management.
• Sound understanding of catchment and land management issues, aquatic-based directives and
  invasive non-native species;
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively from home;
• Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Ability to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends;
• Able to prioritise and plan activities to meet strict deadlines;
• Proven experience in developing successful funding applications;
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and report-writing skills;
• Exceptional presentation skills and communication skills;
• Good computer literacy skills (e.g. with Excel, Word, PowerPoint);
• Valid driving licence and own car, insured for business use.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the Bristol Avon Catchment;
• Experience delivering walkover surveys;
• Experience organising and leading groups of volunteers;
• Experience project budgets.

General Notes

• Extensive travel around the Bristol Avon Catchment will be necessary therefore a current
  driving licence and access to your own vehicle is essential.
• This position will from time to time require work during some evenings, weekends and public
  holidays to meet the needs of the post. A time-off in lieu system is operated by the Trust.
• We expect you to carry out your job responsibilities in an environmentally aware manner,
  ensuring as little damage to the environment as possible. Our aim is to ensure all resources
  are utilised effectively and efficiently.

Standard Terms & Conditions

Salary: £27,888 pro rata. Salaries are paid each month by bank transfer.

Hours: The Trust operates a 40-hour working week (full time). Our core hours
of business are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Contract: This position is initially available on a fixed term contract for 12
months.

Flexibility: The Trust recognises the importance of a strong work-life balance
and actively promotes this. The Trust, where possible, endeavours to meet the flexible working
needs of its employees. A high degree of flexibility is provided to staff members in relation
to hours and location of work. Part time work may be considered.

Holidays: 25 days per year (in addition to bank and public holidays). (Pro
rata for part time roles)

Pensions: You may be eligible to be auto enrolled to the Rivers Trust Group
Pension Plan with Royal London which provides an employer contribution of 9%.

Notice Period: One month following satisfactory completion of a 3 month
probationary period.

Place of Work: Home office based, with very frequent travel across the
catchment and therefore being located within the Bristol Avon catchment area will be a requirement of the
role.

Travel: Public transport is encouraged where possible. Business mileage is
claimed through our expense’s procedure. The candidate must have access to a vehicle for
business purposes and a clean driving license.

Closing date

The closing date for applications for this role is Sunday 31st March 2024 at 23:59

Interviews

Interviews will be held using video conferencing week commencing 15th April 2024.

How to Apply

To apply please email your CV and a covering letter detailing your experience relevant to the
role to [email protected] before the
closing date.

We look forward to receiving your application.

If you would like an informal conversation about this role, or if you would like more
information, please contact us at: [email protected] and we will
arrange a convenient time for a discussion.