Job Title: River Restoration Officer
Salary: £31,290- £36,290 per annum (dependent on level of experience), inflation pay increase due April
Contract length: Fixed term contract – 35 hours per week for 1 year – extension likely
Location: Home Based and any Thames21 office
Responsible to: Thames21 River Restoration Manager
About Thames21
Thames21 is a leading environmental charity, working across London and the Thames Basin to deliver high-impact nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis through restoring rivers, whilst also connecting communities to their local green-blue spaces and inspiring long-term stewardship of them.
Diversity at Thames21
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Thames21 is key to our success and as such we employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds, this we feel is key in ensuring that everybody has an equal opportunity and is not treated differently or discriminated against because of their characteristics. We value the voices of our individual employees, and we strive to work in a collaborative, innovative balanced way. The postholder must actively support this.
Purpose of the job
Thames21’s purpose is to deliver increasingly resilient and healthy rivers and landscapes that are closer to their natural state with an abundance of fish and wildlife, empowering and working with people to bring multiple benefits to the natural environment, to individuals and communities. In recent years we have significantly up-scaled our planning and delivery of river restoration works and by 2027 we will improve 15km of river habitat annually.
To enable this, we are looking for a committed, self-motivated and technically capable River Restoration Officer.
If you have a strong interest in river/ wetland ecology, have studied rivers, their restoration and have a grasp of the techniques, designs and permits which restore river and deliver healthy rivers you may be perfect for this position.
Your role is to carry out field work, delivering nature-based solutions across river catchments, working with a variety of stakeholders and running events with volunteers and local groups, supported by other sections of the organisation. Other additional requirements may include project development, citizen science to support delivery, as well as oral presentations and reporting.
The role involves developing concepts and graphics for river restoration actions across catchments in London. In addition to working with principal designers and contractors, applying the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) so the risks involved are managed from start to finish of all of river restoration schemes.
This role is a key position in implementing Thames21’s mission. The selected candidate will be part of a successful and dynamic environmental charity, as well as part of a committed team. You will have the chance to input, help develop our goals and make a real difference to the health of London’s waterways.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Work with Thames21’s River Restoration Manager, other sections of the organisation, as well as external stakeholders, to develop and deliver river and wetland restoration projects across our operational areas.
- Obtain all necessary permissions to deliver the projects, potentially including flood risk activity permits (FRAPs) and planning permission.
- Conduct field work in riverside environments in a variety of weathers – alone, and/ or with team members, volunteers, other professionals.
- Develop, co-ordinate and deliver a series of river habitat and floodplain improvements, including community-led river restoration activities.
- Preparation of documentation for river restoration construction: client brief, construction phase plans, health and safety files.
- Support, co-ordinate and deliver volunteering events.
- Work with contractors to implement projects so they achieve the maximise benefits.
- Transport of equipment to/from our offices and restoration sites.
- Present project updates and results to stakeholders and catchment partnerships in oral presentations both online and in-person.
- Work with project partners to develop and manage tender processes for works which require the use of contractors, the tender processes will need to meet relevant requirements for project partners and funders (including CDM).
- In partnership with others, use a range of monitoring tools to record and quantify the impact of different activities.
- Regular co-ordination with Thames21’s Communications Team to ensure key milestones are recognised and publicised.
- Maintain clear records of progress, ensure all administration and statistical information is kept, and regularly upload information onto the Thames21 database.
- Work with Thames21 colleagues to develop and implement Thames21’s 5 year plan.
- Potential to lead project development and implementation.
- Adopt Thames21 core values.
This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the post-holder will be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time, which are broadly consistent with other Thames21 activities with those in this document. For more information, please see the attached link top the job description. RRO0425
