Junior Education and Engagement Officer

Westcountry Rivers Trust are looking for a highly motivated, organised and enthusiastic Junior Education and Engagement Officer with a focus on assisting with the development and delivery of the WRT Education programme. 

This is a permanent contract, following a successful 6-month probation period.

The role is 37.5 hours per week.

There has never been a more important time to work for the rivers of the Westcountry as the impacts of the climate emergency and the ecological crisis forces society to invest in building catchment resilience.

This role will assist the development and delivery of our education programme, as well contributing to community engagement activities through other trust wide projects, including the Rapid Response Catchments project.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and competent candidate who is passionate about the environment and building opportunities for children and wider communities to engage with river conservation. 

Proactive engagement with schools and communities across the southwest will form the bedrock of much of this work, including activities such as school sessions, community engagement events, co-creation workshops and community meetings. Working with the Senior Education and Engagement Officer, you will contribute to the development of a suite of interactive and inspiring education packages, including tailored resources, for both children and adults alike. These will be designed to promote understanding of local environments, the risks they are faced with in a changing climate and, most importantly, how we can work together to plan and deliver actions that will protect them in the future. 

Training, support and a career pathway will be provided to the right candidate to enable development into this role.

Knowledge and Experience 

Essential

• A good knowledge of, or background in, the environmental or conservation sectors.
• A degree, or comparable qualification or experience in Environmental Science/Ecology/Geography or Education, or a related discipline.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both face-to-face and in online meetings.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills for a wide range of audiences.
• Good organisational and admin skills, with good attention to detail in order to maintain a filing system, keep appropriate records of work undertaken and outcomes, and file expenses in line with funders requirements.
• Good IT skills including Microsoft Office 365.
• Ability to manage workload and time effectively.
• Good knowledge of requirements for data protection and confidentiality.
• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Be willing and able to travel across the area of operations as required by the role. 

   
Desirable 

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience of working with communities or in an informal education setting.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding.
• Knowledge and experience of environmental issues, preferably river conservation.
• Knowledge of the rivers and catchments across the southwest and river catchment function.
• Experience of co-design, co-production and/or co-creation activities.