Project Manager

Project Manager

Term: Fixed term 20 months
Pension: NEST pension scheme (6% Employer Contribution)
Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week). This role can be offered part time for the right candidate.
Holidays: 25 days plus statutory holidays
Place of work: This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working, and from our office in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Regular travel throughout the East Suffolk and Combined Essex catchment areas required.

The Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust (ESRT) is an independent environmental charity dedicated to improving and protecting rivers and estuaries across Essex and Suffolk. Working with communities, landowners, farmers, statutory bodies and businesses, we bring people, data and expertise together to restore nature, protect water, and build resilience for future generations.

About the role: As a Project Manager you will lead projects that will help to protect and restore rivers across Essex and Suffolk. The role focuses on delivering nature-based solutions that provide multiple benefits, including improved habitats, enhanced biodiversity, and stronger links with wider environmental initiatives.

Working with landowners and partners, the postholder will develop and deliver projects such as river restoration, wetland enhancement, and wildlife corridor improvements. You will oversee all stages of project development, from feasibility and design through to permissions and on-the-ground delivery, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

The role also involves community engagement, securing funding, and maintaining a pipeline of future projects. Strong partnership working is essential, particularly with the Environment Agency and local stakeholders, to maximise environmental and community benefits. The postholder will work closely with the wider team to manage budgets, report outcomes and promote completed projects.

About You: We’re looking for a motivated and organised project manager with a genuine interest in rivers, nature conservation and environmental restoration. You will have experience of managing projects from development through to delivery, building strong relationships with landowners and partners, and balancing practical delivery with environmental outcomes.

You’ll be a confident communicator, able to manage budgets and competing priorities, identify funding opportunities and work collaboratively to deliver projects that make a lasting difference for rivers, wildlife and local communities.

You will likely bring:

• Excellent communication, problem-solving and project planning skills.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to identify opportunities, manage risks and adapt to changing project needs
• Experience coordinating project budgets, timelines and reporting requirements.
• An understanding of relevant environmental legislation, permissions and regulatory processes.

Full details of the role and responsibilities can be found in the applicant pack on our website.

If you have the skills and potential to grow into the role, we’d love to hear from you, even if you don’t meet every requirement.

Closing date: 11pm, Sunday 22nd November 2026

Telephone interviews: From w/c 23rd November 2026

In-person interviews: date tbc (Stowmarket)

If you have any questions about the Project Manager role, please contact [email protected]

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, we therefore encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.