Catchment Officer

Location: Keswick Convention Centre, Skiddaw Street, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4BY
Hours: 35 hours per week (1 FTE) (flexible working hours)
Salary: Grade 4A, £33,161 plus 9% pension
Contract Length: Permanent

West Cumbria Rivers Trust is an environmental charity dedicated to improving the watercourses and surrounding catchments in West Cumbria for people and wildlife. Our patch covers several principal river catchments spanning a substantial part of the Lake District National Park, West Cumbria and the Solway. We have an an impressive track-record of successful delivery of projects.

West Cumbria Rivers Trust is looking for a Catchment Officer to help drive a collaborative, catchment-based approach to improving rivers, water quality, biodiversity and climate resilience across West Cumbria. If you’re passionate about rivers, landscapes and communities and want to turn data, partnerships and practical action into real environmental change – we’d love to hear from you.

As Catchment Officer, you will play a central role in coordinating the West Cumbria Catchment Partnership, developing and managing catchment data and GIS systems, engaging with local communities and stakeholders, and supporting projects that improve water quality, biodiversity and climate resilience.

This is a varied and rewarding role combining technical environmental expertise with partnership working, communication and project management. You’ll work with a wide range of people — from farmers and community groups to government agencies and conservation organisations — helping turn data and ideas into practical action on the ground.

As Catchment Officer, you will:

• Coordinate and support Catchment Partnerships
  Help organise and facilitate West Cumbria Catchment Partnership meetings, workshops and subgroup sessions, while building stronger links with communities, businesses, universities and environmental organisations.
• Manage catchment data and GIS systems
  Maintain and develop catchment action plans in ArcGIS Online, produce GIS-based maps, collate environmental data from partners, and help create accessible tools and resources that turn data into action.
• Engage and inspire stakeholders
  Work closely with local communities, land managers, funders and partner organisations to develop local action groups, deliver events and site visits, and champion the catchment-based approach across West Cumbria.
• Support project delivery and funding
  Manage project budgets and reporting, contribute to funding bids, and help deliver projects that improve water quality, biodiversity, flood resilience and catchment health.
• Contribute to monitoring and practical delivery
  Support with environmental monitoring and assessments and occasionally support on-the-ground river and habitat improvement work

We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic about rivers, landscapes and collaborative working, is organised, and who can confidently work with both technical data and local communities.

You’ll enjoy this role if you:

• Communicate well and build positive relationships easily.
• Are confident speaking with farmers, community groups, agencies and partner organisations alike.
• Can balance strategic thinking with practical delivery.
• Are self-motivated, adaptable and organised.
• Enjoy working as part of a collaborative team while taking ownership of your own projects.
• Want to make a tangible difference for rivers, wildlife and local communities

The successful candidate will have a degree, or equivalent experience, in an ecological or environmental discipline and at least 2 years’ experience in a relevant field. You will have a strong understanding of nature conservation, catchment management and hydro-geomorphological progresses and excellent data management and GIS skills. Experience of partnership working is essential as are excellent organisational, I.T. and report writing skills. Training and support will be provided.

You will be part of a friendly and supportive team, reporting to the Assistant Director - Catchment Partnerships and supported by the wider WCRT team as well as working closely with a wide range of external partners.

The Trust offers a range of benefits including a generous pension scheme, life assurance scheme, flexible working opportunities and a holiday buy-back scheme and a never-ending supply of tea and biscuits.

If you’re excited by the idea of combining partnership working, GIS, stakeholder engagement, community collaboration and practical environmental action in one of the UK’s most inspiring landscapes, we’d love to hear from you. For further details and an application form, please visit the West Cumbria Rivers Trust jobs page.

The closing date for applications is 9am on 30th June 2026. Interviews will be held at our offices in Keswick on Friday 10th July 2026.

If you would like to discuss the post further, please contact the office on 017687 75429 or email [email protected].