Job Opportunities

We are looking for a highly motivated, organised and enthusiastic Junior Education and Engagement Officer with a focus on assisting with the development and delivery of the WRT Education programme.

This is a permanent contract, following a successful 6-month probation period.

The starting salary for this role is £23,000 to £25,000 per annum (dependent on experience).

The role is 37.5 hours per week.

 Benefits while working for Westcountry Rivers Trust:

• 25 days Annual Leave per annum, with a reward for long service – an additional 1 day per year for each year worked over 5 years, up to a maximum of 30 days for employees serving 10 years.
• An additional 3 days leave for the Christmas Closure period.
• 9% Employer Pension, plus Life Assurance cover.
• Hybrid and Flexible Working.

Apply by midnight on Sunday 4 August 2024 by CV and Covering Letter to: https://hr.breathehr.com/v/junior-education-and-engagement-36452

Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on Monday 19 August 2024.

For queries about this role or the application process please contact [email protected]

About Westcountry Rivers Trust

Formed in 1994, the trust was established to restore Westcountry rivers and everything we do is informed by the best available science.

Our work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them.

We work 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. 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 benefit human health.

There has never been a more important time to work for the rivers of the Westcountry as the impacts of the climate emergency and the ecological crisis forces society to invest in building catchment resilience.

Spurred by a shared love of rivers, the Westcountry 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 Westcountry rivers, laying the foundations for the trust we know today. We now have circa 75 employees with an annual turnover of c£3m, running multi-annual projects spread across a wide range of funders. Visit Our History to find out more.

The Role

Education and Engagement are two of the most important activities that we deliver. We have a long history of successfully developing and delivering a programme of school activities that meet the needs of teachers, learners and the national curriculum, as well as communicating with communities and businesses across the region, highlighting rivers as a key habitat and landscape feature that are central in building climate resilient landscapes and communities of the future.

This is an exciting time for education at WRT as we develop and expand our current education offering. This role will assist the delivery of our education programme, as well contributing to community engagement activities through other trust wide projects, including the Rapid Response Catchments project.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and competent candidate who is passionate about the environment and building opportunities for children and wider communities to engage with river conservation.

Proactive engagement with schools and communities across the Southwest will form the bedrock of much of this work, including activities such as school sessions, community engagement events, co-creation workshops and community meetings. Working with the Senior Education and Engagement Officer, you will contribute to the development of a suite of interactive and inspiring education packages, including tailored resources, for both children and adults.  These will be designed to promote understanding of local environments, the risks they are facing in a changing climate and, most importantly, how we can work together to plan and deliver actions that will protect them in the future.

Training, support and a career pathway will be provided to the right candidate to enable development into this role.

Key Responsibilities

 

• Contribute to the development of an exciting and diverse range of engagement and education activities.
• Assist with the development of environmental education packages that align with and support relevant areas of the current National Curriculum.
• Contribute to the development of education and community engagement activities across a range of Trust projects, including our citizen science programme and the Rapid Response Catchments project.
• Deliver school and community-based education and engagement events, including, but not limited to, school sessions, farmer workshops, co-creation workshops, litter picks, river festivals, guided walks, art and digital media projects.
• Public speaking at educational events, workshops and meetings.
• Data collation, analysis and reporting to ensure project activities are evidenced.
• Assist in the delivery of project activities and key milestones to achieve project objectives.
• Assist in the planning, and attend, and deliver meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Other administrative tasks required by the Trust including meeting health and safety requirements; time sheeting and expenses; attendance at training, CPD and team away days; attendance at project inception meetings etc.
• You may be asked to take on other duties as appropriate.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience:

 

Essential

• A good knowledge of, or background in, the environmental or conservation sectors.
• A degree, or comparable qualification or experience in Environmental Science/Ecology/Geography or Education, or a related discipline.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both face-to-face and in online meetings.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills for a wide range of audiences.
• Good organisational and admin skills, with good attention to detail in order to maintain a filing system, keep appropriate records of work undertaken and outcomes, and file expenses in line with funders requirements.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office 365.
• Ability to manage workload and time effectively.
• Good knowledge of requirements for data protection and confidentiality.
• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Be willing and able to travel across the area of operations as required by the role.

Desirable

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience of working with communities or in an informal education setting.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding.
• Knowledge and experience of environmental issues, preferably river conservation.
• Knowledge of the rivers and catchments across the southwest and river catchment function.
• Experience of co-design, co-production and/or co-creation activities.

Please note: Our offices are based in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall and whilst we have adopted hybrid working there is an expectation to work from the office on a regular basis and travel to sites across the delivery area. During the probation period there will be a requirement to work from the office a minimum of 2 days a week, unless by prior agreement.

Westcountry Rivers Trust is committed to equal opportunities and maintaining a safe and secure environment for the children and young people we engage with.  As part of our safer recruitment process, successful candidates will be subject to thorough background checks, including reference checks, employment history verification and an enhanced Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) check as well as proof of identify and qualifications.