Overview
West Cumbria Rivers Trust is an environmental charity dedicated to improving the watercourses and surrounding catchments in West Cumbria for people and wildlife. Our patch covers several principal river catchments spanning a substantial part of the Lake District National Park, West Cumbria and the Solway. We have an impressive track‑record of successful delivery of projects.
West Cumbria Rivers Trust is looking for a Catchment Officer to help drive a collaborative, catchment‑based approach to improving rivers, water quality, biodiversity and climate resilience across West Cumbria. If you’re passionate about rivers, landscapes and communities and want to turn data, partnerships and practical action into real environmental change – we’d love to hear from you.
Responsibilities
* Coordinate and support Catchment Partnerships – Help organise and facilitate West Cumbria Catchment Partnership meetings, workshops and subgroup sessions, while building stronger links with communities, businesses, universities and environmental organisations.
* Manage catchment data and GIS systems – Maintain and develop catchment action plans in ArcGIS Online, produce GIS‑based maps, collate environmental data from partners, and help create accessible tools and resources that turn data into action.
* Engage and inspire stakeholders – Work closely with local communities, land managers, funders and partner organisations to develop local action groups, deliver events and site visits, and champion the catchment‑based approach across West Cumbria.
* Support project delivery and funding – Manage project budgets and reporting, contribute to funding bids, and help deliver projects that improve water quality, biodiversity, flood resilience and catchment health.
* Contribute to monitoring and practical delivery – Support with environmental monitoring and assessments and occasionally support on‑ground river and habitat improvement work.
What we look for
* Communicate well and build positive relationships easily.
* Confident speaking with farmers, community groups, agencies and partner organisations alike.
* Balance strategic thinking with practical delivery.
* Self‑motivated, adaptable and organised.
* Enjoy working as part of a collaborative team while taking ownership of own projects.
* Want to make a tangible difference for rivers, wildlife and local communities.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will have a degree, or equivalent experience, in an ecological or environmental discipline and at least 2 years’ experience in a relevant field. They will have a strong understanding of nature conservation, catchment management and hydro‑geomorphological progress and excellent data management and GIS skills. Experience of partnership working is essential as are excellent organisational, I.T. and report writing skills. Training and support will be provided.
Benefits
The Trust offers a range of benefits including a generous pension scheme, life assurance scheme, flexible working opportunities, a holiday buy‑back scheme and a never‑ending supply of tea and biscuits.
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