Location
Leatherhead, Surrey with predominantly work in the East of the South East region; hybrid working available with some travel across the South East as required.

Hours
Full Time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary
£30,371 per annum

About the Role
Could your next career move make a big impact on the environment? This exciting opportunity within the Restoring Rivers & Catchments Team involves developing and delivering a portfolio of physical enhancement projects on the ground. The Project Officer role is ideal for an experienced and knowledgeable individual looking to build on existing skills by overseeing all stages of river and catchment enhancement projects, from conception and development through design to physical implementation. You will have practical impact and influence on the natural environment, creating sustainable and healthy rivers for the future.

While the role is predominantly based in the East of the region, flexibility to work across the South East is essential. Typical river enhancement projects include weir removals, fish passage easements such as rock ramps, nature-like bypasses or technical fish passes, and river re-naturalisation projects including habitat enhancements, reconnecting floodplains and palaeochannels, re-meandering, and backwater creation. Catchment management projects may involve wetland creation, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), and Natural Flood Management (NFM) measures.

Using your freshwater expertise and proven ability, you will proactively lead smaller and medium scale projects while collaborating closely with staff, external partners, and stakeholders. You will work alongside more experienced team members to support your career progression and oversee Assistant Project Officers, sharing your knowledge. Most importantly, you will support the whole team, your line manager, and the wider organisation in delivering high-quality environmental outcomes.

Experience
Proven experience in freshwater aquatic ecosystems and river or catchment enhancement projects is essential. Experience with weir removals, fish passage easements, river re-naturalisation, wetland creation, SuDS, or NFM measures is highly desirable.

About you
- Able to apply understanding of freshwater aquatic ecosystems to design, oversee, and deliver projects.
- Comfortable working across catchments to support project development and funding.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
- Willing and able to participate in practical, hands-on physical delivery of projects.
- A proactive team player who supports colleagues and contributes positively to the organisation.

Qualifications
Relevant qualifications in environmental science, ecology, freshwater biology, or related fields are expected. A commitment to ongoing professional development and learning is important.