Fisheries Programme Manager

Report To: Head of Fisheries & Ecology
Grade: 5
Hours: 37.5
Location: Westcountry Rivers Trust’s office is in Stoke Climsland and, whilst we have adopted hybrid working, there is an expectation to work from the office on a regular basis and to travel to sites across the delivery area.

Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting a Fisheries Programme Manager.

The starting salary for this role is £42,400 per annum.

Benefits while working for Westcountry Rivers Trust

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 25 days’ Annual Leave + Bank Holidays, with a reward for long service up to a maximum of 30 days
• Additional leave at Christmas
• WRT contributes 9% of salary to a personal pension scheme (following a three-month postponement period), plus Life Assurance cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Specsavers Eyecare Vouchers
• Supportive Policies
• Hybrid & Flexible Working

Apply by midnight on Sunday 15th November 2026 by CV and Covering Letter.

Interviews will be held in person at our office in Stoke Climsland, week commencing 23rd November 2026.

For queries about this role or the application process, please contact our recruitment team.

About the Westcountry Rivers Trust

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore Westcountry rivers. Protecting rivers can save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism and even benefit human health.

Today the charity works with landowners, communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for people, wildlife and the local economy. With the climate and ecological crises driving investment in catchment resilience, this work has never been more important.

The Trust is a grassroots organisation, started in the early 90s by a group of people who were passionate about, and concerned for, the waterways around them.

Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science and an ‘ecosystems approach’, considering the function of the whole catchment, not just its rivers.

This approach, and a hands-on, tireless commitment to river restoration, helped inspire the wider rivers trust movement. The Trust now has around 75 employees, an annual turnover of c£3m and multi-year projects supported by a wide range of funders.

There are three main delivery teams and a support services team, with employees working on sites, from home and from the office.

About the Role

This new senior post will strengthen the technical and operational leadership of WRT's Rivers and Fisheries Team at a pivotal time. You will lead a portfolio of fisheries projects focused on fish passage, barrier removal, monitoring and conservation, and support the Head of Fisheries & Ecology in developing the team's work, including sharing line management of key team members.

It is an opportunity for an experienced fisheries professional to apply their expertise at scale, lead complex projects through the full delivery cycle and make a measurable difference for fish and rivers across the Southwest.

We offer genuinely significant conservation work, a skilled and committed team, and real scope to shape a growing programme. You will manage projects or work packages within larger schemes that need specialist fisheries input.

The role is based in the Southwest, with travel further afield to work in other regions or represent the organisation at events. You will maintain regular CPD in fisheries management, fish biology, fish passage, river restoration and morphology, and manage your own workload and that of a team, often in a dynamic delivery environment. A technical background in fisheries and freshwater conservation is essential.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Provide senior technical expertise across the fisheries programme, with demonstrable depth in fish passage, barrier removal and associated freshwater ecology.
• Act as senior technical support, quality-assuring assessments, survey designs, consent and planning applications and project outputs.
• Support the development of team members through mentoring, peer review and field-based guidance.
• Keep up to date with legislation, best practice and emerging science, and represent WRT at technical meetings and partnership boards.

Project Management

• Lead a designated portfolio of projects, including fish passage and barrier removal, managing delivery, budgets, stakeholder relationships and funder reporting.
• Oversee projects through the full lifecycle, from assessment and optioneering to design, consenting, planning and delivery, with support from senior colleagues, ensuring CDM and H&S obligations are met.
• Support the Head of Fisheries & Ecology in programme-level planning, reporting and oversight.
• Contribute technical input to funding applications and tenders, particularly for fish passage and barrier removal.

Line Management and Team Development

• Share line management with the Head of Fisheries & Ecology, initially managing one to two Grade 4 staff and their teams.
• Provide supervision, performance management and development support, fostering a positive, high-performing team culture.
• Help direct reports build their project and line management skills, supporting succession within the team.
• Contribute to recruitment, probationary reviews and appraisals as required.

Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build effective relationships with key partners including the Environment Agency, Natural England, local authorities, angling associations and riparian landowners.
• Contribute to governance, reporting and collaborative decision-making within large multi-partner programmes.
• Represent WRT professionally in all external engagement, including with communities and volunteers.

Organisational Contribution

• Work collaboratively across WRT and support the Trust's wider charitable mission.
• Uphold WRT's values, reputation and H&S standards in all aspects of the role.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the seniority and nature of the post.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• A background in fisheries science/management, conservation and fish passage.
• Previous experience of leading or supervising a team.
• Experience of project management and delivery.
• Experience of working outdoors in aquatic environments and remote locations.
• Experience in NEC contracts and CDM Regs. (D)
• Good understanding of Health and Safety standards and codes of practice.
• Experience of using various software from the MS Office suite, ArcGIS (D), CAD (D).
• A strong understanding of legislation, fisheries law and statutory requirements.
• Understanding of fish migration, barrier assessment and prioritisation, and barrier optioneering. (D)
• Experience in leading, designing and conducting fisheries and ecological monitoring and surveying.

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to plan and manage workloads, including delegating and supervising tasks.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, including sharing technical information with stakeholders.
• Contract management, procurement and tendering.
• Knowledge of and use of CDM regulations, NEC4 contract training and use.
• Management of monitoring and survey programmes.
• Experience of fish passage projects.
• Experimental and field study design.
• Experience of mentoring and training others.

Qualifications

• Minimum of Level 6 qualification (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant subject AND/OR
• Level 3 diploma in a relevant subject combined with a minimum of 10 years' experience.
• Fisheries related qualification(s).
• Electrofishing trained, Electrofishing Team Leader trained.
• Professional membership of a relevant organisation, with ongoing CPD.

The above are Essential criteria unless indicated as Desirable (D).