Senior Project Officer

Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT) is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of rivers and their catchments within the YDRT catchment area. We work collaboratively with local communities and action groups, national parks, and various environmental organisations to deliver impactful projects that restore our rivers, enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and increase resilience to climate change.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Senior Project Officer. You will play a crucial role in delivering YDRT’s Diffuse Metal Pollution Project in Nidderdale, ensuring all milestones and deliverables are met.

The successful candidate will be passionate about the water environment with practical knowledge of catchment management, river restoration, pollution issues (preferably those resulting from metal mines and/or sediment run-off), and managing contractors.

You will work closely with a diverse array of partners and stakeholders in Nidderdale to develop and deliver a suite of innovative works that will improve water quality while balancing the sometimes competing needs of a diverse array of stakeholders.

You will be working on sensitive sites with designations associated with the abandoned mines such as scheduled ancient monuments and sites of special scientific interest. Therefore, you will need to work around site-specific limitations to develop innovative solutions to the challenges of the role.

During the first year you will develop innovative interventions dependent on the pollution source being addressed. Each has a different set of challenges that must be tackled and will involve on the ground investigations and working with specialists to help prioritise and design interventions. A key part of the role will be ensuring the most appropriate technique is used in the right location. Solutions may include both green engineering and nature-based solutions as well as more traditional harder engineering.

In the second year you will oversee the delivery of a suite of interventions having obtained all necessary permissions. This will involve working closely with delivery partners and specialist contractors to deliver the works. Experience working with contractors and under CDM regulations would be a distinct advantage.

Partnership working is a fundamental part of working at YDRT; the Senior Project Officer/Project Manager will collaborate closely with a range of organisations including the Environment Agency (EA), Mining Remediation Authority, Natural England, Historic England and Nidderdale National Landscapes.

The candidate will be comfortable talking to a range of people which may include farmers and other landowners, specialist groups, volunteers, governmental organisations and other environmental practitioners and will be able to explain complex technical data to non-practitioners.

The Senior Project Officer will manage all aspects of their projects, ensuring they are delivered on time and to budget.

The Senior Project Officer will also promote the project through the Trust’s website, social media, and newspaper articles, working closely with YDRT’s Communications & Marketing Officer.

The role will involve hybrid working, mainly from home, when not on site, as well as hot-desking at the Trust’s office in Pateley Bridge.

The post holder will be flexible, with the occasional evening and weekend working. The post-holder will work well both alone and as part of a team of paid staff and volunteers.

While the initial contract for this role is for 24 months, there is potential for the position to be extended beyond this period. This extension would provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to utilise their skills to develop and implement solutions to tackle diffuse metal pollution across other sites both in Nidderdale and other catchments within YDRT’s area.

Salary: £33,104 - £37,404 (depending on experience) 
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Probationary period: Six months. During the probationary period, the contract may be terminated with one week’s notice.
Annual leave: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Pension: Contributory pension. The Trust contributes 9% salary.
Location: The Trust has an office in Pateley Bridge. The successful candidate will have a hot desk available in the office but is not expected to work from the office every day.

More Details:

Key Responsibilities & Competency Details can be found on our website.

Applications must be received no later than 9am on Tuesday 6th May

Successful applicants will be invited to interview in person, more information will be provided if shortlisted.