Location
Edinburgh, with regular travel across the Forth catchment.

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£27,000 per annum

About the Role
The Project Officer will work closely with the wider Trust team to coordinate and support the delivery of various projects, targets, and objectives across the Forth Rivers Trust. Reporting to a Senior Project Officer or Project Manager, this role contributes to a broad range of activities including project work, science-based initiatives, consultancy, and day-to-day operations. The Trust collaborates extensively with partners and stakeholders across the Forth Catchment, and the Project Officer will support staff delivering work in these fields.

The role includes providing support to volunteers and interns and delivering catchment-wide initiatives such as Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) management, ecological fieldwork and surveys, riparian and habitat improvement projects, in-stream river restoration, and educational projects like Fish in the Classroom. The Project Officer will also assist with community and youth engagement, media production, stakeholder engagement, project development, fundraising, and project activity coordination including reporting.

Additional responsibilities include supporting consenting processes with landowners and regulatory bodies, baseline and project monitoring in conjunction with the Science Team, procurement and contracts, funding reporting alongside the Finance Manager, and representing the Trust at local and national levels.

The role requires working with a variety of external organisations and stakeholders such as Local Authorities, NatureScot, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Government, Marine Scotland, Fisheries Management Scotland, Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre, landowners, schools, and the public. Activities may involve meetings, liaison, and discussion of views with these agencies and wider stakeholders.

Given the evolving nature of the organisation, the Project Officer may also assist with other Trust activities as reasonably requested by the Trust Director, including scientific data gathering, consultancy work with Forth Rivers Consulting Ltd, reporting, and practical equipment maintenance and inventory tasks.

Effective communication is essential in this role, including proactive internal and external knowledge sharing, presentations (including filming content), case studies, blogs, and website support.

Experience
- Understanding of river restoration, catchment management, and conservation work
- Experience supporting coordination and delivery of environmental or conservation projects
- Knowledge of project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting

About you
- Strong communication, relationship-building, and collaboration skills
- Ability to engage effectively with communities, agencies, landowners, and partner organisations
- Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, administration, and timekeeping
- Report writing and documentation skills
- Ability to work independently while contributing to a wider project team

Desirable Technical Skills
- Experience or qualifications relating to Invasive Non-Native Species control
- Experience or qualifications relating to electrofishing for surveys and fish rescues
- Experience with invertebrate sampling
- Knowledge of riparian habitat management and in-stream restoration techniques
- Knowledge of Natural Flood Management initiatives
- Knowledge of or ability to complete/contribute to UK Habitat surveys or other field surveys
- Experience working with Arc GIS

Desirable Previous Experience
- Supporting or contributing to river restoration projects or delivering innovative river restoration techniques
- Contributing to Invasive Species surveys and control
- Working with communities, landowners, or the wider public
- Contributing to on-the-ground surveys, monitoring, and reporting
- Proven track record in good written and oral communication