Catchment Partnerships Programme Manager

Job Description

Job Title: Catchment Partnership Programme Manager
Salary: £42,546 – £48,846 (Manager Band B, Manager Band C,)
Contract length: Permanent, Full time.
Location: Hybrid, flexible, based at Thames21 office in Guildhall and/ or Bromley by Bow
Responsible to: Head of Improving Rivers
Responsible for: Catchment Partnership Officers and Roding Rises Project Manager

About Thames21

Thames21 is an environmental charity that works across London and the Thames Basin to deliver high-impact, nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crisis by restoring rivers, while also connecting communities to their local green-blue spaces and inspiring long-term stewardship of them.

Diversity at Thames21

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Thames21 is key to our success and as such we employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds, this we feel is key in ensuring that everybody has an equal opportunity and is not treated differently or discriminated against because of their characteristics. We value the voices of our individual employees, and we strive to work in a collaborative, innovative balanced way. The postholder must actively support this.

Purpose of the job

Thames21 is seeking an energetic, experienced and committed person to lead our team of Catchment Partnership hosts. This role will involve overseeing the development of our portfolio of 10 hosted and co-hosted Catchment Partnerships across a diverse landscape of urban and rural river catchments spanning London and the wider Thames Basin.

Each partnership is unique, and we pride ourselves in developing each according to the local partners’ vision and as is appropriate for the character of the area and river. Our primary aim is to deliver the Catchment Based Approach and tangible on-the-ground improvements that achieve clean, healthy rivers which deliver social benefits for our communities.

The successful candidate will have operational experience at catchment level as well as management experience. The candidate will take a strategic overview of all catchment partnerships and guide our team of Catchment Partnership hosts and officers, enabling the enhanced delivery of the four priority themes: –

• Stakeholder and community engagement as part of active, delivery focused partnerships.
• Project identification and development to support delivery of catchment plans, sub-catchment plans and Thames21’s 5-year plan.
• Successful fundraising for delivery of river catchment improvement projects.
• Knowledge sharing, to bring people together in a way of working that is inclusive, collaborative, cross boundary and catchment wide.

Finally, the role will take a lead in ensuring the Thames21 Catchment Officer/host role is resiliently funded by working closely with partner organisations to increase investment in catchment partnerships to deliver healthy rivers and catchments.

Key responsibilities

• Work with Thames21’s Catchment Partnership Officers/hosts to develop their Catchment Partnership networks and ensure each is delivering against clear catchment and sub catchment action plans.
• Lead on the administration and reporting of Catchment Partnerships programme and line management of the Catchment Partnership team.
• Oversee the management of the Catchment Partnership Team budget, working proactively to identify and fill any funding shortfalls.
• In partnership with the Head of Improving Rivers and Catchment Partnerships Officers, develop each catchment partnerships value to partner organisations with a view to them investing in the catchment partnership host role.
• Support Thames21’s strategic work with external stakeholders through working alongside the Chief Executive Officer to administer the River Partnerships in London (RiPL) group.
• Work closely with Environment Agency catchment coordinators to develop multi-year strategic approaches to delivering national Water Environment Improvement objectives and National Success Measures for Catchment Partnerships.
• Help Catchment Partnership Officers identify, develop and raise funding for river catchment improvement projects, taking a leading role in strategic technical funding bids and working closely with the Heads of Improving Rivers and Fundraising team.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of Thames21 Improving Rivers Team and long-term sustainability of the organisation.
• Arrange, host and coordinate Catchment Partnership Meetings including production of agendas, minutes and actions.
• Oversee the delivery of strategic projects.

This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the post-holder will be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with other Thames21 activities and those in this document. For more information and how to apply, please visit the Thames21 website.