Environmental Team Leader

Hours: 42.5 hours per week (full time)

Role Overview

To take day-to-day ownership of the safe, efficient, high-quality and commercially aware operation of the regional team. The postholder will plan and supervise practical environmental works, line-manage and develop staff, coordinate funded and commercial workloads, protect delivery standards, and act as the principal operational contact for routine clients and partners.

The role is both managerial and field-facing. The postholder must be capable of leading from the front on technically demanding sites while building the systems, delegation and team capability needed for a mature regional operation.

The role will work across both arms of the Company delivering works for both Riverlution and River Stewardship Company.

The role will report to the Managing Director, Riverlution.

About River Stewardship Company and Riverlution

River Stewardship Company (RSC) is an established social enterprise delivering specialist environmental contracting and waterway management for clients including public bodies, utilities, local authorities, landowners and partner organisations. Its work includes invasive non-native species control, arboriculture and vegetation management, habitat creation and restoration, river maintenance, natural flood management, access improvements, litter and debris removal, and associated specialist works.

Riverlution CIC delivers environmental improvement with community benefit: mobilising business support, volunteers, education, training and employment pathways through its Stewardship Partnerships. The two organisations work together to combine professional contract delivery with measurable environmental and social value.

This role leads a developing Humber-Ouse-Derwent regional delivery unit operating across both organisations' programmes. It offers the scale and operational support of the wider RSC group alongside Riverlution's award-winning partnership and community model.

Key Accountabilities

Regional operations and work planning

• Own the rolling regional work programme, weekly deployment plan and day-to-day allocation of people, vehicles, tools, materials and subcontractors across Riverlution-funded and RSC commercial activity.
• Translate contracts, management plans, funder commitments and client instructions into practical work packages, site plans and achievable daily outputs.
• Maintain forward visibility of workload and capacity, identify clashes or gaps early, and escalate decisions that affect programme, cost, quality or contractual compliance.
• Undertake or coordinate site visits, access permissions, permits, utility information, landowner liaison and pre-start arrangements.
• Provide appropriate hands-on delivery and technical supervision, particularly for complex, higher-risk or developmental work.

Leadership, line management and workforce development

• Provide clear day-to-day leadership and formal line management for the regional team, including objectives, one-to-ones, performance management, attendance, conduct and wellbeing.
• Build an effective deputy structure by delegating site leadership appropriately to senior operatives or assistant team leaders while retaining operational accountability.
• Coach staff, apprentices and trainees; identify skills gaps; support competency assessment, licences, gateway qualifications and progression routes.
• Set and model high standards of professionalism, inclusion, behaviour, uniform, PPE, care of equipment and respect for clients, communities and sites.
• Create a team culture in which risks, mistakes, dissenting views and improvement ideas can be raised early and acted upon.

Health, safety, environmental and quality control

• Be accountable for safe site delivery within RSC/Riverlution policies, systems and delegated authority, working closely with central H&S support.
• Prepare, review, brief and implement suitable RAMS, COSHH controls, permits, emergency arrangements, toolbox talks and dynamic risk assessments.
• Ensure employees, volunteers and subcontractors receive appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision, including work near or in water and around invasive species.
• Stop work where controls are inadequate; report and investigate incidents, near misses, defects and non-conformances; and ensure corrective actions are closed.
• Inspect work quality and environmental compliance, maintain biosecurity and waste controls, and ensure delivery meets specifications, method statements and ecological constraints.

Commercial delivery, budgets and productivity

• Deliver work within agreed budgets, programmes and productivity expectations, with accurate allocation of labour, plant, materials, mileage, waste and subcontract costs.
• Monitor utilisation, job progress, outputs and emerging cost pressures; provide concise forecasts and exception reports to central management.
• Approve or validate timesheets, job records, purchase requirements and completion evidence within delegated limits, supporting timely invoicing and funder reporting.
• Protect the distinction between restricted/funded activity and commercial work while seeking efficient use of shared capacity, equipment and specialist skills.
• Identify follow-on needs and delivery opportunities encountered through site and client contact, record them in the agreed system, and pass qualified intelligence promptly to the RSC Business Development Manager.

Client, partner, community and volunteer delivery

• Work with the Partnership Officeras a point ofcontact for clients, funders, landowners, catchment partners, community organisations and participating businesses.
• Coordinate practical volunteering and community activity so that it is safe, inclusive, purposeful and integrated with the wider work programme.
• Support the Community/Angling/Education Officer and other specialists to align engagement, coaching and teaching activity with catchment outcomes and team capacity.
• Represent RSC and Riverlution professionally at site meetings, operational forums and appropriate local stakeholder meetings.
• Maintain accurate evidence of environmental outputs, volunteer contribution, training activity, social value and client feedback.

Assets, systems and reporting

• Ensure vehicles, tools, plant, PPE, stores and specialist equipment are inspected, maintained, secured and recorded appropriately.
• Maintain complete and timely records in the organisations' operational systems, including schedules, work records, photographs, permits, inspections, incidents and customer feedback.
• Provide a concise weekly outlook and monthly performance input covering delivery, people, H&S, quality, utilisation, budget, pipeline intelligence and risks.
• Contribute quarterly Partnership reporting and continuous improvement reviews, sharing lessons that can strengthen other regional teams.