Location
Westcountry Rivers Trust’s office in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall. Hybrid working is adopted with an expectation to work regularly from the office and travel to sites across East Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

Hours
Full Time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary
£30,700 per annum

About the Role
Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting an Evidence and Engagement Officer to support its whole-ecosystem approach to nature-based solutions for catchment management and river improvement. This role is central to delivering the Community Water Enterprises (CWE) project, a multi-year programme led by Wessex Water and funded through Ofwat's Water Breakthrough Challenge. The CWE project places communities at the heart of caring for nature-based solutions such as rain gardens and wetlands, which help reduce flood risk, ease pressure on sewers, create greener spaces and protect rivers.

The role involves building relationships with local people, running events and workshops, supporting volunteers and community crews, and gathering evidence of the impact of these initiatives. Much of the work will be face-to-face with communities in East Devon, West Dorset and Somerset. The postholder will also inspire the public and community groups to take further action for rivers through pledging, volunteering or donating.

The Evidence & Engagement Officer will work closely with colleagues and partners across the water, local authority, community and charity sectors to deliver catchment action plans that benefit people and the environment.

Experience
- Planning and delivering community engagement projects and events
- Producing high-quality engagement materials
- Working with or supporting volunteers or community groups
- Fieldwork and data collection, analysis and presentation
- Knowledge of landscape-scale conservation, ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, catchment management and river restoration
- (Desirable) Experience of co-creation or participatory approaches with communities
- (Desirable) Knowledge of the rivers and catchments of the Southwest and how catchments function
- (Desirable) Experience of water quality monitoring or using monitoring equipment
- (Desirable) Experience of charity fundraising

About you
- Passionate about the environment and enjoys working with people
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust with diverse audiences
- Strong presentation and communication skills for a wide range of audiences
- Ability to build effective working relationships with partners from different sectors
- Good organisational and administrative skills with attention to detail, including accurate record-keeping and expenses management
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office 365
- Ability to manage workload and time effectively

Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent experience in environmental science, ecology, geography, social science, community development or a related discipline
- Understanding of data protection and confidentiality requirements