JOB DESCRIPTION
River Waveney Trust – Senior Project Officer
Salary: £31,867 – £35,408 per annum.
Hours: Full-time. 37.5 hours working week.
Role: Senior Project Officer.
Duration: Permanent position, with the understanding that the successful candidate will contribute to the future long-term success of the role.
Location: Blended model: home working plus office space in Bungay provided. Candidate must be based within easy travelling distance of the Waveney Catchment due to the number of site visits and face-to-face meetings required for the role.
The River Waveney Trust is an environmental charity dedicated to improving and protecting the River Waveney, making it a better place for people and wildlife. We are part of the Rivers Trust movement, a network of over 60 Rivers Trusts across the UK. We work on a variety of projects with partners, communities and volunteers to deliver a wide range of projects including river restoration, natural flood management, farm advice, river access, river monitoring, volunteer events, community engagement and education.
This is an exciting opportunity for a new person to join our Trust and take a pivotal role in developing and growing the organisation. The Trust currently comprises four members of staff and is running many varied environmental and community projects with further work in development. The team is welcoming, open and inclusive and places a high value on supporting each other to work to the best of our abilities.
The role will suit an experienced and self-motivated individual with skills in project management and finance within a charity setting. The ideal candidate will have a background in environmental charity work, with an emphasis on rivers and catchments, but other project management backgrounds will be considered if the candidate is dedicated to the role. Critical to the role is enthusiasm and dedication to help our charity succeed in its mission. The role will include providing direct line management support for up to five members of staff, and overseeing project delivery for those staff members.
We are committed to providing equal opportunities and welcome applications from all groups, communities and personal circumstances.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
- Directly manage a range of environmental projects, ensuring milestones are met, budgets are adhered to and successful delivery is achieved.
- Support with or lead on direct line management for up to five members of staff, depending on skills and experience.
- Work with the Director to prepare and manage project budgets, and provide input to annual budgets and business plans.
- Work with the team to develop existing and new projects through effective team work, understanding of data and evidence and creative thinking.
- To identify and write funding bids to a variety of funders to ensure continuity and development of projects.
- Progress and finalise all project lifecycle paperwork and reporting systems.
- Maintain and oversee all project delivery and reporting systems.
- Set effective project milestones and work proactively to resolve any issues that arise in project delivery.
- Visit project sites to support work and take part in delivery where needed.
- Understand the consents and permits required for projects and ensure these are obtained so work can commence as planned e.g flood risk, planning permission.
- Understand, guide and record procurement of services and maintain a database of trusted contractors and consultants.
- Have an oversight of all H&S requirements for projects and lead by example in prioritising H&S and wellbeing.
- Complete or oversee project reporting and claims requirements as needed.
- To maintain and develop partnerships with stakeholders, including attending catchment meetings to represent the Trust.
- Build landowner and community relationships where needed to support project officers with scoping, development and delivery of projects.
- Understand and begin to develop private investment opportunities, for example BNG & the Replenish model.
- Oversee and develop project evaluation and impact assessment.
- Any other reasonable duties as required by the Trust.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Criteria
- Valid driving licence and own car insured for business use.
- Experience and a track record in environmental project management and project management systems.
- A clear understanding of project lifecycles and the steps involved in managing a project from ideas stage through to evaluation.
- Experience in managing budgets and project finances.
- Confident with use of excel databases, including setting up new systems.
- Some experience of line management responsibilities.
- An understanding of H&S considerations related to the kind of projects delivered by a Rivers Trust.
- Experience in procuring and working with contractors.
- Experience of writing funding bids, with ideally a track record of successfully bringing in funding.
- Knowledge of the work of Rivers Trusts and the issues facing our water environments.
Essential Personal Skills and Qualities
- The ability to work together as part of a small team and be adaptable to different working styles.
- A willingness to learn together and support each other in our journey as a small, ambitious and growing Rivers Trust.
- The confidence to share our work in different ways, to different audiences.
- Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision, manage time, prioritise and meet deadlines.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
- A commitment to the vision and values of the River Waveney Trust.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience in river and catchment management, with an ambition to be part of a leading movement on rehabilitation of our UK rivers.
- Degree or other relevant qualification.
- Knowledge/experience of project management in the charitable sector.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Salary: £31,867 – £35,408 per annum, with progression in the role expected for the right candidate.
Contract period: The position is full-time, on a permanent contract, with the understanding that the successful candidate will contribute to the future long-term success of the role, through the development of projects and funding streams alongside the Director.
Reporting to: Director of the River Waveney Trust.
Annual leave: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays).
Hours of work: A working day is 7.5 hours, generally from 9 am to 5.30 pm, with an unpaid hour-long lunch break. Flexible work hours are fully acceptable for personal circumstances and we are happy to accommodate any requirements needed in order to make the role work for the right candidate. Job-share considered.
Place of work and ethos: A blend of home, office and other site visits/meetings is expected. Flexibility is encouraged to achieve a good work life balance; in exchange commitment, honesty and integrity are expected from the candidate. The candidate must be based within a reasonable distance of the Waveney Catchment. We cannot accept applications from candidates who are based remotely or who do not have the right to work in the UK.
Pension: 9% employer pension offered.
Driving licence and vehicle: A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential. Due to the remote nature of the work, we cannot accept applications from individuals who do not have a driving licence or access to a car. The candidate is expected to insure their own vehicle for work-use (this should not increase the premium). Mileage expenses are paid at £0.45 a mile. Mileage does not cover commuting to the office but will cover agreed commutes from home and office within the catchment.
Application Process: Please send your CV and a cover letter/email outlining why you are interested and how your experience links to the job specification. At most two sides A4 recommended for each. We also accept videos in place of the cover letter. Please send your completed application to info@riverwaveneytrust.org
If you have any questions about the role, please contact Martha Meek, the Trust’s Director, martha@riverwaveneytrust.org or 07903 243108
Application deadline: Monday 22nd April 2024 at 11.59 pm
Interview venue and format: Thursday 2nd May. In-person within the Waveney Catchment, or online if preferred.
If you have missed the deadline, or are unsure if you fit the criteria for the role, but still feel you would be a good fit for working with our Trust, please do forward on your CV which we will keep on record for the future.
