This is a Grade 2 role with a salary between £20,300 – £23,000 (dependent on experience) plus benefits including 8% pension.
This is a permanent full-time role of 37.5 hours per week.
The Westcountry Rivers Trust is an environmental charity that works across the South West to improve our rivers for the benefit of all. We work with EU grants, Water Company funded initiatives, commercial contracts and government funding to deliver change both in our rivers and on the land that they drain.
The Somerset and Dorset (Wessex) area of the Trust has been an area of exciting developments in terms of fisheries and catchment scale projects. The diverse work can range from providing fisheries and river expertise to larger partner led, multiple benefit projects to bespoke and specialist fisheries work and everything in between.
To apply: Send your CV and a one page covering letter clearly marked as applying for the job of Fisheries Officer to Westcountry Rivers Trust, Rain-Charm House, Kyl Cober Parc, Stoke Climsland, Cornwall PL17 8PH or email to [email protected]. For further information see www.wrt.org.uk
Submission by: 5pm Friday 28th February 2020. Interviews will be held on Friday 13th March 2020.
Job Description:
This Rivers Officer role will report to Scott West, Fisheries Scientist and Dorset and Somerset Fisheries Team Leader, and is primarily a fisheries role.
The role has been created to support our Fisheries Scientist and Dorset and Somerset Fisheries Team Leader. The role will help deliver and manage small to medium scale fisheries and river catchment projects, often in partnership with other organisations. The work will be predominantly based on the catchments of Somerset, with occasional work in Dorset and further afield. The role will also be expected to promote and develop the strategic aims of the Trust and its commercial delivery arm (Westcountry Rivers Limited). Work commitments will generally be based within the Somerset area (with Taunton being a hub for projects and partners).
The work streams are diverse and varied but most have fisheries themes as the main focus. The current list of projects includes habitat enhancement, eel monitoring, catchment strategies, electrofishing, gravel augmentations and fish passage solutions.
The successful candidate will be expected to visit the Trust’s Cornwall office in Stoke Climsland to stay in touch with the Fisheries and Rivers Team. They will also need to travel to multiple sites generally in the Somerset area. There is currently a Topsham (Exeter) office that can also be used for working closely with the line manager. In addition, there may be opportunities to work from home to be agreed with your line manager if deemed suitable.
Responsibilities:
- Project manage small to medium scale projects, with assistance.
- Fisheries and ecological based field surveys (e.g. barrier assessment, walkovers, electrofishing).
- To support the development of funding bids.
- Assist in the development of commercial marketing opportunities for fisheries work.
- Represent WRT at relevant meetings with clients, partners and funders as well as showcasing the work of WRT when opportunities arise.
- Deliver high quality outputs in terms of reporting and data analysis.
- Build and maintain good local and national connections.
- Assisting other staff with river related projects.
- Assisting with WRT’s river operations team.
- Provide other assistance as the Trust reasonably may require .
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
- Relevant degree.
- A keen interest and/or knowledge in coarse fish species, eels and salmonids.
- Fisheries field work experience.
- Report writing experience.
- Experience of data analysis.
- Ability to present WRT’s work to partners and stakeholders.
- Ability to manage own workload and use initiative.
- An understanding of pressures, drivers related to river and fisheries conservation.
- An understanding of the catchment-based approach.
- Able to undertake field work and travel to multiple sites.
Desirable Criteria
- 2 years fisheries or river related work experience.
- Member of a relevant professional body
- Electrofishing qualification.
- Experience of aquatic ecological surveys.
- Certificate or diploma qualifications.
- Knowledge of land management practices.
- An understanding of the Wessex landscape.
- Use of GIS software.
- Experience of funding and bid writing.
