West Rivers Trust: River Restoration Operations Manager

Hours:

Fulltime (37.5 hours)
Salary: £42,400.00 - £48,300.00 per annum (dependent on experience)

Location:

Hybrid working in Stoke Climsland. With an expectation to work from the office on a regular basis and to travel to sites across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore West country rivers. Measures to protect rivers can help to save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism, reduce the need to dredge estuaries and even benefit human health.

Today the charity works with a wide range of stakeholders from landowners to local communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect the rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for the benefit of people, wildlife and the local economy. There has never been a more important time to work on the rivers of the West Country as the impacts of climate emergency and the ecological crisis is forcing society to invest in building catchment resilience.

Spurred by a shared love of rivers, the West country Rivers Trust is very much a grassroots organisation, brought into existence from the bottom up. In the early 90s, a group of individuals, passionate – but concerned – about the waterways around them, began to stitch together their ambitions for restoring West country rivers, laying the foundations for the Trust we know today.

Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science. Their work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them.

It was this new perspective – not to mention the hands‑on and tireless approach to river restoration – that grabbed the attention of so many supporters and funders, and which lies behind the flourishing rivers trust movement. Since then, the Trust now has circa 75 employees with an annual turnover of c £3m running multi‑annual projects spread across a wide range of funders.

The Trust has three main delivery teams and a support services team. Our employees work on delivery sites, from home, and from the office.

Reporting to the Head of River Restoration, the River Restoration Operations Manager is responsible for the site‑based planning and delivery of river restoration projects, ensuring all works are undertaken safely, efficiently, and to the highest environmental standards. Other key responsibilities involve managing the River Restoration Operations Team, with direct line management of the River Restoration Team Leader.

The role will oversee the operational aspects of river restoration project implementation, including planning, site management, logistics, contractor supervision, and compliance. The role includes scoping and developing new river restoration and barrier removal opportunities, engaging with landowners and partners, and supporting the preparation of project proposals and funding bids. The postholder will be required to work outdoors in varying weather conditions and terrain.

Flexibility in working hours may be required to meet project needs.