Data, Evidence and Engagement Officer

Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting for a Data, Evidence and Engagement Officer.

This is a permanent contract, after a successful 6 month probation period.

The role is 37.5 hours per week.

The starting salary for this role is between £25,000 to £27,500 per annum, depending on experience.

Benefits whilst working for Westcountry Rivers Trust include:

• 25 days Annual Leave per annum, with a reward for long service - an additional 1 day per year for each year worked over 5 years, up to a maximum of 30 days for employees with 10 years continuous service.
• Additional Leave covering the Christmas Closure period.
• 9% Employer Pension, plus Life Assurance cover.
• Flexible working.

Apply by midnight on Monday 9th September 2024 by CV and Covering Letter, stating how you meet the requirements of the role.

Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on Thursday 19th September 2024.

Westcountry Rivers Trust’s office is in Stoke Climsland, and whilst we have adopted hybrid working, there is an expectation to work from the office on a regular basis and to travel to sites across the delivery area. During the probation period, there will be an expectation to be in the office 2 days a week as a minimum.

About the Role

The Evidence & Engagement Team supports the Trust’s ongoing work in using a whole ecosystem approach to plan and deliver nature-based solutions for catchment management and river improvement initiatives across the river catchments of the South West and beyond. The team is instrumental in ensuring that the Trust is delivering the right measures, in the right places, and in monitoring and reporting the impacts of our work. Effective engagement and communication are essential to ensure that key stakeholders, both external and internal at WRT, are well informed and engaged.

This role will focus on assisting delivery within the areas of Monitoring and Citizen Science.

Key responsibilities include:

• Coordination and support for Citizen Science volunteers (emails, surveys, general support)
• Data collation, analysis, and reporting.
• Planning, coordinating, and delivering training to Citizen Science communities across the South West.
• Fieldwork, monitoring, and data collection including physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters.
• Designing, coordinating, and delivering engagement and co-creation events and workshops.
• Some small budget management.
• Delivery of other types of project work, as and when required.
• Assist with the development of Westcountry Rivers Trust volunteer offer.
• Assist with the growth of volunteer numbers and retention against agreed targets.
• Recruitment, training, supervision, and support of volunteers.
• Other administrative tasks required by the Trust including meeting H&S requirements; time sheeting & expenses; attendance at training, CPD & team away days; attendance at project inception meetings etc.

Essential Criteria:

• A good knowledge of, or background in, the environmental or conservation sectors.
• A degree, or comparable qualification or experience in Environmental Science/Ecology/Geography or related discipline.
• A knowledge of approaches to landscape-scale conservation, ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, catchment management, river restoration, and engagement and/or co-creation.
• Experience in fieldwork and data collection, analysis, and presentation.
• Ability to manage workload and time effectively.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office 365.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills for a wide range of audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both face-to-face and in online meetings.
• Organisational and admin skills, with good attention to detail in order to maintain a filing system, keep appropriate records of work undertaken and outcomes, and file expenses in line with funders' requirements.
• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• The role requires travel across the Westcountry for meetings, events, workshops, and to remote fieldwork sites.

Desirable Criteria:

• A post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience of working with communities and citizen scientists.
• Experience in environmental and biological monitoring.
• Experience in environmental modelling or GIS.
• Ability to produce high-quality, visually engaging science communications materials.
• Experience in knowledge brokering with communities or community resilience.
• Knowledge of or experience in or willingness to learn about sustainability transitions.