Evidence and Engagement Officer

Evidence and Engagement Officer

Contract:

Permanent Report To:
Head of Resilience & Communities Grade: 3.3

Hours:

37.5

Location:

West country 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 - East Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

West country Rivers Trust is recruiting an Evidence and Engagement Officer.

The starting salary for this role is £30,700 per annum.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 25 days’ Annual Leave + Bank Holidays, with a reward for long service up to a maximum of 30 days
• Additional leave at Christmas
• WRT contributes 9% of salary to a personal pension scheme (following a three-month postponement period), plus Life Assurance cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Specsavers Eyecare Vouchers
• Supportive Policies
• Hybrid & Flexible Working

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore West country rivers. Protecting rivers can save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism and even benefit human health.

Today the charity works with landowners, communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for people, wildlife and the local economy. With the climate and ecological crises driving investment in catchment resilience, this work has never been more important.

The Trust is a grassroots organisation, started in the early 90s by a group of people who were passionate about, and concerned for, the waterways around them.

Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science and an ‘ecosystems approach’, considering the function of the whole catchment, not just its rivers.

This approach, and a hands-on, tireless commitment to river restoration, helped inspire the wider rivers trust movement. The Trust now has around 75 employees, an annual turnover of c £3m and multi-year projects supported by a wide range of funders.

There are three main delivery teams and a support services team, with employees working on sites, from home and from the office.

We bring together stakeholders across the Southwest to develop and deliver catchment action plans with lasting benefits for people and the environment.

The Evidence & Engagement Team supports the Trust's whole-ecosystem approach to nature-based solutions for catchment management and river improvement, helping us deliver the right measures in the right places and monitor and report our impact. Good engagement keeps internal and external stakeholders informed and involved.

This role will work primarily on the Community Water Enterprises (CWE) project. CWEs put communities at the heart of caring for nature-based solutions such as rain gardens and wetlands, which soak up rain, ease pressure on sewers, reduce flood risk, create greener spaces and protect rivers. Each CWE is a local team of customers, communities, water companies, councils, charities and others looking after these features, creating local jobs and training.

The multi-year programme is led by Wessex Water and funded through Ofwat's Water Breakthrough Challenge. WRT leads the Southwest pilot, one of two nationally.

You will be central to making the pilot work on the ground: building relationships with local people, running events and workshops, supporting volunteers and community crews, and gathering evidence of the difference the work makes. Much of your time will be spent face to face with communities, in venues and on sites, mainly in East Devon, West Dorset and Somerset.

You will also inspire members of the public and community groups to take further action for…