River and Fisheries Project Officer

Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting a River and Fisheries Project Officer. This is a permanent contract after a successful 4-month probation period.

The starting salary for this role is £26,500.00 - £29,700.00 per annum (dependent on experience).

About Westcountry Rivers Trust

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore Westcountry 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. 

About the role

The River and Fisheries Project Officer is a key member to the River and Fisheries Team in delivering project work, habitat work and monitoring of our catchments throughout the Southwest.  Upcoming and existing projects include: fisheries (including eel) monitoring and conservation, shad research and fish passage improvements. 

Reporting to the Head of Fisheries and Ecology, the post holder will be encouraged to develop their knowledge and experience of working in and alongside rivers.

Project Delivery

• Act as project officer on one or more projects, delivering outputs to a high standard and upholding WRT's reputation
• Apply for consents, permits and exemptions required to deliver project work, with support from the team
• Work with the Operations Team and subcontractors to safely and professionally deliver work on WRT projects and tenders
• Undertake procurement and some supplier contract management

Field Work & Monitoring

• Support planning and delivery of the Team's monitoring programme, including electric fishing surveys and habitat walkovers
• Collate site data, records and images for reporting purposes
• Undertake fieldwork and site supervision independently, with appropriate support from the team

Stakeholder & External Engagement

• Engage professionally with the public, landowners and volunteers, representing WRT externally
• Attend, plan and assist with organising events, meetings and workshops, including dissemination of materials and minutes
• Contribute to promotional and educational events and workshop delivery

Reporting & Administration

• Support the production of technical and output reports, collating data and drafting project paperwork
• Lead on a specialism within the role, developing knowledge and skills commensurate with a Project Officer position

Team & Development

• Collaborate with project teams to achieve objectives and milestones
• Support the Team Manager in the development of junior staff
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the role

Please see the attached job advert for more information about the role and person requirements and visit Westcountry Rivers Trust's website to learn more about the organisation. 

Apply

Apply by midnight on Sunday 28th June 2026 by CV and Covering Letter to: https://hr.breathehr.com/v/river-and-fisheries-project-officer-47172

Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on Thursday 9th July 2026.

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