Details
Farming, Water and Natural Capital Advisors (Cornwall)
Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting TWO Farming and Natural Capital Advisors with a Cornwall focus.
These are permanent contracts after a successful 6-month probation period.
The starting salary for these roles is £25,000 -£26,000 per annum (dependent on experience).
The roles are 37.5 hours per week.
Apply by midnight on Monday 19th February 2024 by CV and Covering Letter to:
https://hr.breathehr.com/v/farming-water-and-natural-capital-33916
Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on the 28th February 2024
For queries about this role or the application process please contact recruitment@wrt.org.uk
We support hybrid working, therefore there will be the opportunity to work from home in this role and to work flexible hours. Travel across the Westcountry for fieldwork, events and meetings will be required.
About Westcountry Rivers Trust
Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore Westcountry rivers. Measures to protect rivers can help to save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism, reduce the need to dredge estuaries and even benefit human health. Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science. Their work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them.
Today the charity works with a wide range of stakeholders from landowners to local communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect the rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for the benefit of people, wildlife and the local economy. There has never been a more important time to work on the rivers of the West Country as the impacts of climate emergency and the ecological crisis is forcing society to invest in building catchment resilience.
Spurred by a shared love of rivers, the Westcountry Rivers Trust is very much a grassroots organisation, brought into existence from the bottom up. In the early 90s, a group of individuals, passionate – but concerned – about the waterways around them, began to stitch together their ambitions for restoring Westcountry rivers, laying the foundations for the Trust we know today.
Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science. Their work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them
It was this new perspective – not to mention the hands-on and tireless approach to river restoration – that grabbed the attention of so many supporters and funders and which lies behind the flourishing rivers trust movement. Since then, the Trust now has circa 75 employees with an annual turnover of c£3m running multi-annual projects spread across a wide range of funders.
The Trust has three main delivery teams and a support services team. Our employees work on delivery sites, from home and from the office.
The Role
The Farming, Water and Natural Capital Advisors will provide support to the Land Team in delivering project work on our catchments, with a particular focus in Cornwall. Within Cornwall, Westcountry Rivers Trust has several active projects delivering land management advice: including water management, phosphate mitigation and nutrient neutrality, and natural flood management. There will also be a need to liaise with project partners within the area.
There will also be broader catchment management outputs, to include but not limited to, soil sampling, tree planting opportunities, habitat creation and restoration opportunities, monitoring, and community engagement.
Reporting to the Land Team Manager the post holder will be encouraged to develop their knowledge and experience of working with farmers using interventions such as those outlined above to develop resilient, transformational land management, contributing to the sectors climate mitigation and environmental efforts, with a focus on protecting and enhancing water quality.
The role will be home, office, and site-based, working at various locations on our catchments throughout the South West (although principally in Cornwall), supporting on the delivery of an array of project outputs for the Trust.
Key responsibilities include:
· Working with farmers to evaluate their water use, conducting water audits and developing plans for increased water storage on the farm, including reducing mains reliance.
· Supporting the Land Team’s Nature based solutions outputs and opportunities for tree planting, natural flood management schemes, habitat creation and restoration, and soil sampling.
· Working with landowners to create phosphate mitigation solutions.
· Applying for consents, permits and exemptions required to deliver project work.
· Working with the Operations Team to safely and professionally deliver work on WRT projects and tenders.
· Creation and support on applications to environmental schemes such as the Woodland Creation Offer, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive.
· Proactively develop leads and contacts over time, to build on WRT existing coverage across the target catchments to engage directly with farmers, landowners and growers to raise awareness of the project and build opportunities for project delivery through liaison with Senior Advisors to delegate follow up.
· Undertake surveys, monitoring (eg. water quality, soil or nutrient) or analysis as required – supporting evidence of actions for case studies, reports and project promotion.
· Co-ordinate, attend and contribute to relevant meetings, workshops or stakeholder groups to achieve Project aims and to share best practice, raise awareness and promote WRTs role.
· Work closely with the Project Manager to ensure project outputs, deadlines and reporting are met as well as with other key members or Teams at WRT eg. for delivery, admin etc.
· Proactively build contacts across sectors to further identify opportunities which align with project remit or achieve mutual objectives eg. Countryside Stewardship, Community Initiatives etc.
· Report writing.
Person specification.
Knowledge and Experience
· Appropriate Degree level qualification (or equivalent qualification or work experience) in an agricultural or conservation/farming related discipline.
· Sound knowledge of agriculture and local farming practices, as well as Agri-Environment schemes and relevant Policies or Legislation; in particular soil and water conservation.
· Experience of catchment-scale approaches and processes, familiar with concepts of Ecosystem Services, Natural Capital, Natural Flood Management, Nature Based Solutions etc.
· Knowledge and competence in Microsoft Office applications, accuracy and attention to detail with record keeping.
· Local area knowledge an advantage.
· BASIS Soil & Water trained (Desirable).
Skills and Competencies
· A proactive approach and evidence of using own initiative with effective problem-solving skills.
· Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate, engage and present at multiple levels and across different sectors.
· Ability to develop and maintain good working relations with colleagues and external clients.
· Adaptable and organised in prioritising workload, managing conflicting demands and working effectively to deadlines with minimum supervision.
· Ability to travel regularly and to remote sites.
· A professional and business orientated approach.
· A sound working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Attributes
· Reliable, positive attitude and work ethic
· Ability to deliver accurate and timely project reporting and administration.
· Team player, tactful, diplomatic and confident. Willing to work with others to seek solutions.
· Approachable, professional, trustworthy.
· Innovative, adaptable, practical.
· Supports and promotes the WRT ethos.
These roles are relatively new within the Trust, and as such the duties may be subject to change as this area of work develops.
You will need the ability to travel to sometimes remote sites across the South West and visit the office in Stoke Climsland (near Callington).
Benefits
9% Employer Pension
