Test and Itchen River Restoration Project Officer - 18847

Do you understand chalk streams - their form, function and natural processes, relationship with their floodplains and aquifers; their biodiversity and the pressures they face; and the politics? If working with nature to restore and enhance our environment excites you, then join us.

An opportunity has arisen within the Fisheries, Biodiversity & Geomorphology Team in Solent, and South Downs to deliver our award-winning Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy.

Delivering and reporting on this catchment-scale Strategy, you will work with river owners and users to help to restore these iconic rivers towards the national and international standards of health they should meet.

The successful candidate will need to plan and prioritise a rolling programme of river restoration and get projects across the finish line. Tasks will include assessment and design of river and floodplain restoration schemes; project management; identifying and securing funding; overseeing delivery of construction work; monitoring and reporting on the success of schemes; reporting progress and raising the profile of the strategy.

To be successful you will build collaboration with fisheries, riparian owners and managers, anglers, river keepers, charities; and work daily with contractors, the public, Local Authorities and Natural England colleagues.

You’ll join a vibrant Team of ecologists and fisheries specialists, integrating biodiversity management and fisheries enforcement. We conserve and enhance rivers, still-waters, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal habitats to deliver long-lasting landscape-scale environmental improvements for future generations. The Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy Project Officer is a lynchpin role so we are looking for a charismatic and passionate individual.

Ideally you’ll be an ecologist, or fluvial geomorphologist, qualified to degree level (or equivalent), with experience in practical river management and restoration techniques. You’ll have:

• Communications skills to relate to people from all walks of life, with highly developed negotiation and influencing skills.
• A thorough understanding of ecological requirements of chalk stream and wetland habitats, species, natural processes, nature based solutions and fisheries management. (Essential)
• A good working knowledge of environmental and fisheries legislation, policy, and strategy.
• Project Management skills with a track record in project delivery, working with Construction Design and Management Regulations (2015), procurement process, contract management and contractors.
• Expertise in GIS and computer-aided design (CAD) or similar would be highly desirable and the ability to process and interpret a range of data, for example LIDAR, topographic and historic maps.
• Practical expertise in surveying for chalk stream fish/macrophytes/macroinvertebrates, and water voles.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion. We want all our staff to feel valued and respected and to see this as a great place to work. Diversity: it’s in our nature.
We support flexible working hours and practices to help you strike a good balance between your work life and your personal life. We will also encourage you to keep developing your skills and professional knowledge throughout your career.
Please contact Tim Sykes for more information on this position at tim.sykes@environment-agency.gov.uk

The Project Officer will be intimately involved in practical works from concept to completion, and post-project monitoring and reporting. Timely delivery, to award-winning standards, and to budget is the expected norm. This includes desk-related outputs, such as flood risk activity permits (FRAPs) and consultation with Natural England, as well as completion of practical site-based works. The successful candidate will be able to work efficiently and effectively under pressure and within tight deadlines and demanding priorities, whilst ensuring their work is of the highest standard; an impressive track record as a completer-finisher is therefore essential. Using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action taken, Result) model to frame your answer, tell us about how you achieve your successes.

Developing, managing and sustaining effective working relationships is very important in helping us achieve our Test and Itchen River Restoration Strategy. Leading delivery of practical works requires working with people from a range of backgrounds, all with different expectations, time constraints and attitudes. Securing permissions, compliance with CDM Regulations and our procurement process can be time consuming, but on the other hand FRAP applications with poorly thought out method statements are unconsentable and waste everyone’s time. As Project Officer you will bridge the whole range of project delivery. We want to know how you get on with people, how you get the best from them to optimise mutual wins – tell us what you’ve done.

You’ll work alongside a range of Environment Agency colleagues, partners and stakeholders and members of the public. All of these will hold different views, have different experiences and backgrounds, perceptions motivations, needs and skills, knowledge, capabilities and ambitions. We will fund up to 50% of the vast majority of our projects – working in collaboration is the norm, but reconciling differing ambitions and winning match-funding contributions from river owners requires well-honed influencing and persuasion skills. You will be able to demonstrate at interview examples where you have presented cases in convincing and attractive ways that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly, even in cases where they did not initially agree with your position. Persuade us you are the right person for this role.

Driving License