Work base: The Trust’s activities cover Hertfordshire and the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Harrow and Hillingdon. The Trust’s offices are at Grebe House, St Albans, AL3 4SN
The Trust supports flexible and hybrid working. This role involves regular fieldwork on site and may require some lone working
Hours: 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE). Other options would be considered for the right candidate
Employment Term: 1 year fixed term contract with possibility of extension
Salary Scale: Scale point 24-28 plus contribution to pension auto‑enrolment
Salary: £23,343 (FTE £29,179) (SCP 24)
Job purpose
As Rivers Officer (Catchment Support), you will provide crucial support to the River Lea Catchment Partnership by working towards guidelines set out by the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) to improve the catchment management plans, set up and support strategic working groups, help drive action towards shared catchment priorities, re‑invigourate the catchment website through a redesign and improving its operability, provide GIS and data support to evidence gathering projects, and facilitate collaboration across stakeholders through coordinating a programme of learning and catchment events. It is assumed 0.6FTE (3 days per week) will be spent delivering Catchment Partnership hosting activities. This part of the role is funded by Thames Water Catchment Partnership (CaPs) fund.
Alongside this, you will oversee delivery of a successful 12-month development phase of the Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP), in the River Lea Catchment, working alongside HMWTs Rivers Officer (Citizen Science) and other project partners including the Thames Rivers Trust (TRT), Thames Estuary Partnership (TEP), Thames 21, and Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Funding has been awarded to pilot a partnership approach to delivering European Eel conservation, with a view to submitting a full 2-year delivery phase bid in 2027, led by TRT.
The role will include fieldwork and desk study to test new approaches to European Eel migration monitoring, including supporting HMWTs Rivers Officer (Citizen Science) on eDNA trials. You will work closely with other partners to develop and integrate monitoring methodologies, as well as contribute to barrier assessments, site feasibility and delivery phase planning. The post-holder will contribute to education, volunteer and citizen science planning activities, feeding into partnership working groups as required.
This role is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to secure a pilot phase of the Thames Catchment Community Eels Project.
Main responsibilities
Catchment investigation, project development and delivery – HLF European Eels Project (1 day per week)
* Work with ZSL, TEP and other partners to develop and pilot a new methodology for monitoring overland European Eel migration.
* Conduct site walkovers, barrier assessments and ecological data collection to inform capital delivery planning for the TCCEP project.
* Assist in prioritising TCCEP sites for potential European Eel passes, reconnection, or habitat improvements.
* Contribute to assessment of land ownership, access, and site viability for delivery phase work.
* Liaise with landowners, water managers, community groups, and local authorities to explore site delivery partnerships through TCCEP.
* Work with colleagues and partners to ensure effective project management, including budgeting, reporting, and evaluation.
Catchment Support – Thames CaPs fund (3 days per week)
* Organise, administrate and lead catchment partnership meetings, events and networking activities to facilitate partnership growth and sustainability, including the annual Lea Catchment Conference.
* Attend CaPs forums, workshops and partnership meetings representing HMWT, as required.
* Lead a project to refresh the Catchment Partnership website to improve its appeal and accessibility to a wider audience. This is likely to involve working with external website developers and/or pro‑bono comm’s and design specialists.
* Produce a “Pressure and Impacts Assessment” for the River Rib catchment using the methodology developed by the River Restoration Centre. This will act as a central framework for informing catchment monitoring and restoration activities.
* Provide GIS and technical support to environmental and citizen science monitoring projects, helping build a robust evidence base used to inform decision making and restoration activities.
* Set up and facilitate a new Catchment Steering Group and themed working group to drive action on solving water quality issues.
* Lead on coordinating internal and external responses to river and catchment related consultations, including Public, Statutory and Non‑Statutory, working with the RCC to refine HMWTs response.
* In consultation with HMWT comm’s colleagues and relevant stakeholders, develop and implement a simple communications plan for the River Lea Catchment Partnership.
Communications and Reporting
* Represent HMWT in TCCEP Development Phase workshops and monthly partnership calls.
* Lead on preparation of monthly progress and funder reports for TCCEP.
* Feed-in to relevant TCCEP working groups and resource development activities.
* Contribute updates, maps and visuals to support funding bids and project comm’s for TCCEP, as required.
* Lead on quarterly reporting of CaPS activities to TRT and Thames Water.
* Complete the annual CaBA partnership report, liaising with partners for input.
* Undertake an annual catchment partnership review, including GAP and SWOT analysis.
* Present updates to catchment partnership meetings and, as required, give presentations to groups and partner organisations in line with the communications plan.
* Maintain relevant stakeholder and contacts records on the Trust’s CRM system
Carry out all other such duties, as may be reasonably required, from time to time, determined by the River Catchment Coordinator and/or Head of Department and/or Chief Executive.
For further information and to apply, please click here
The application deadline is on 10th February 2026 at 9am
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