Project Officer (Water Stewardship)

The Rivers Trust is a leading environmental charity and the umbrella body of The Rivers Trust movement, comprising over 60 independent local charities. Our vision is for wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. We are at a critical point in our history as we expand to deliver projects to protect and replenish this critical part of the natural environment, and our research and expertise is now needed more urgently than ever as water supply and quality move up the public agenda.

The Role

• Reports to: Water Stewardship Manager
• Contract: Part-time (22.5 hours/3 days per week), fixed term (2 years, with possibility of extension subject to funding)
• Salary: €38,554 - €41,766 (3 days pro rata; actual salary €23,132 - €25,060), plus benefits including 9% employer pension contribution
• Location: Home-based (must be based in the Republic of Ireland)
• Travel Requirement: Regular travel in eastern Ireland (e.g. Louth, Meath, Dublin, Wicklow) and occasional travel further afield for meetings and conferences, mainly in Ireland and the UK

Role Summary

Reporting to the Water Stewardship Manager in Ireland and working as part of the wider Water Stewardship team at The Rivers Trust, the Project Officer will support the delivery and growth of water stewardship work across the Republic of Ireland. This is an opportunity to build experience in water conservation and stewardship through the development of nature-based solutions, while applying project delivery skills to expand corporate social responsibility partnerships and strengthen the capacity of local river trusts to deliver water stewardship projects.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of all Water Stewardship projects through coordination of meetings, presentation writing, preparation of proposals, contracts and agreements, data analysis and reporting and budget management.
• Manage the prospect pipeline on behalf of the team; update prospect notes, draft contact emails and prompt team members to contact prospects as appropriate.
• Support the Water Stewardship Manager in maintaining effective communications with key stakeholders, including state bodies (e.g. NPWS, LAWPRO, IFI), local authorities, and other relevant organisations.
• Support the Water Stewardship Manager in the development of a pipeline of corporate funded projects by conducting research into new prospects and partnership opportunities with a range of stakeholders.
• Support the engagement of landowners and land managers on potential project opportunities by scoping sites and assessing suitability for interventions through site visits and desktop-based research.
• Support and build the capacity within the rivers trust movement on the island of Ireland to identify and develop nature-based projects and to develop corporate partnerships that support the delivery of these.
• Contribute to the development of tools and supporting processes for successful corporate partnerships across the movement.
• Support monitoring, reporting and evaluation activity as required, including regular reports for internal and external use, to ensure that project outcomes are captured and communicated in line with project requirements.
• Support project communications and liaise with project partners, including collecting case studies and sharing of national and local achievements and outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Personal Qualities

Essential

• Relevant higher-level qualification (i.e Ireland - Level 5 (NFQ): Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate, or equivalent vocational/technical qualification; Northern Ireland: Foundation Degree, Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), Higher National Diploma (HND) or vocational/technical/professional qualifications) AND 1 year of work experience
  OR
• At least 3 years’ relevant work experience.
• Practical experience and knowledge of project coordination including budget management.
• Experience in supporting partnerships and working with a range of stakeholders, ideally including corporate partners, private landowners, and state agencies.
• Experience in reporting on deliverables including evidencing milestone and outcome delivery, risks, final and mid-project technical reports.
• Excellent communication skills - particularly when communicating to a range of different audiences.
• Self-starter, with proven ability to collaborate on cross-functional teams while working remotely.
• Detail and deadline-oriented, able to manage multiple priorities.
• Be committed to working as part of a team.
• Must be proficient in using computers (Microsoft 365 e.g. Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, Share Point etc; We also communicate by Slack but familiarity with this isn't a requirement)
• The ability to work on occasional evenings, weekends, and overnight stays when necessary (e.g. to attend events and conferences or visit key stakeholders on-site).
• Access to own car, insured for business use, with a full driver’s license.

Desirable

You do not have to meet all or any of the desirable criteria to apply for this role, but if you do have experience, skills or knowledge in any of the following areas, please highlight these in your CV and/or your cover letter for consideration as part of the shortlisting process.

• Experience in measuring, recording, and reporting on environmental parameters and outcomes.
• Experience providing guidance, support, or informal training that helps build the skills and capacity of others.
• Experience contributing to the successful delivery of environmental or Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects on the ground.
• Experience of GIS to record and interrogate geospatial data.
• Experience using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
• Knowledge of the regulatory landscape in Ireland in relation to environment and land management.
• Knowledge of catchment management and/or nature-based solutions in the context of water management.
• Knowledge of freshwater ecosystems.
• Knowledge of the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions for the environment, society, and economy.

Benefits

• 9% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave (rising with service) plus statutory public holidays
• Flexible working hours and hybrid working
• Access to training and professional development
• Supportive and inclusive working culture
• Travel expenses for approved work travel

Closing date: Friday 17th April 2026 at 12pm

We encourage you to apply early; we may close the vacancy once we have enough suitable candidates.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to improve the diversity of our Trust. As part of our commitment to positive action under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015, we strongly encourage applications from people from ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

We are committed to making our recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know — we will be happy to support you.