River Restoration Team Operative

Contract: Fixed Term ( 6-9 Months)
Report To: Senior Operations Team Leader
Grade: 3
Hours: Fulltime (37.5 hours)
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 River Restoration Team Operative. This is a 6 – 9 month Fixed Term contract.

The starting salary for this role is £26,500.00 – £28,700.00 per annum (dependent on experience)

Benefits while working for Westcountry Rivers Trust

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 25 days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays, with a reward for long service – an additional 1 day per year for each year worked over 5 years, up to a maximum of 30 days for employees serving 10 years continuous service
• Additional leave covering the Christmas Closure period
• WRT contributes 9% of salary to a personal pension scheme (following a three-month postponement period), plus Life Assurance cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Hybrid & Flexible Working

Apply by midnight on Sunday 19th July 2026.

Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on Friday 31st July 2026

For queries about this role or the application process please contact [email protected]

About the Westcountry Rivers Trust

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore Westcountry rivers. Measures to protect rivers can help to save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism, reduce the need to dredge estuaries and even benefit human health.

Today the charity works with a wide range of stakeholders from landowners to local communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect the rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for the benefit of people, wildlife and the local economy. There has never been a more important time to work on the rivers of the West Country as the impacts of climate emergency and the ecological crisis is forcing society to invest in building catchment resilience.

Spurred by a shared love of rivers, the Westcountry Rivers Trust is very much a grassroots organisation, brought into existence from the bottom up. In the early 90s, a group of individuals, passionate – but concerned – about the waterways around them, began to stitch together their ambitions for restoring Westcountry rivers, laying the foundations for the Trust we know today.

Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science. Their work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them.

It was this new perspective – not to mention the hands-on and tireless approach to river restoration – that grabbed the attention of so many supporters and funders, and which lies behind the flourishing rivers trust movement. Since then, the Trust now has circa 75 employees with an annual turnover of c£3m running multi-annual projects spread across a wide range of funders.

The Trust has three main delivery teams and a support services team. Our employees work on delivery sites, from home, and from the office.

About the Role

The River Restoration Team Operative plays a key role in supporting the delivery of practical environmental projects across the organisation. Working collaboratively with the Operations Team and other departments at WRT, the postholder will contribute to the delivery of a broad range of catchment management activities that support the charity’s mission to protect and enhance freshwater environments.

The role involves supporting and delivering projects such as tree planting initiatives, natural flood management schemes, arboricultural operations, habitat creation and restoration works, environmental monitoring, and community engagement activities. The postholder will ensure equipment and machinery is operated safely, efficiently, and in accordance with project specifications and health and safety requirements.

Reporting to the River Restoration Team Leader, the successful candidate will be encouraged and supported to develop their technical skills and sector knowledge, gaining valuable experience within environmental conservation and practical land management.

Responsibilities

• Safely operating equipment and machinery on site to support with the delivery of WRT project work such as but not limited to; chainsaw-based work, surveys and monitoring, installation of a variety of habitat features, and in-channel barrier removal.
• Support the Operation and other Trust teams with other site-based works commensurate with the level of the post.
• To take responsibility for project administration, including responsibility for regular and ongoing collection, recording and reporting of tasks.
• Assist with the preparation and drafting of essential site and project related paperwork (e.g. RAMS, CPP, permits, and reports).
• To build positive relationships and liaise regularly with colleagues and external partners or organisations in a professional manner.
• Undertake work-based activities independently with support from the team.
• Engaging with the public, volunteers, landowners and other stakeholders, were necessary.
• Ensuring a high level of Health & Safety standards are maintained.
• Checking and maintaining Trust equipment, machinery and tools.
• To attend formal and informal training and develop relevant knowledge and skills (CPD) as appropriate.
• Delivering toolbox talks and other training to team members, where required.
• May be assigned to commercial projects or other catchment projects and may be required to carry out other duties from time to time commensurate with the level of the post.
• Attend team and project meetings as required.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Previous experience of carrying out work with chainsaws, other hand tools and machinery.
• Experience of using various software from the MS Office suite.
• Experience of working outdoors in aquatic environments and remote locations.
• Maintaining arboricultural equipment such as chainsaws, brush cutters and other hand tools.
• Good understanding of industry Health and Safety standards and codes of practice.
• Experience of delivering tree planting, NFM, NBS, and habitat management schemes. (D)
• Qualification and experience of using plant machinery, in particular dumpers and excavators. (D)
• A background in river restoration, fisheries, arboriculture/forestry, ecology or construction. (D)
• Experience with The Construction (Design Management) Regulations (CDM, 2015). (D)

Skills and Competencies

• Self-motivated and ability to undertake tasks as instructed by the Team leader.
• Proactive and resourceful, showing initiative and working as a team to solve problems.
• Effective oral communication with the ability to build positive working relationships.
• Able to use various online mapping software to check for TPO’s, statutory land uses and priority habitats and protected species.
• Basic understanding of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and ecology.
• Demonstrable experience of working with MS Office suite especially Word and Excel.
• Ability to travel to sites throughout the Southwest, which on occasions will be in remote locations.

Qualifications

• BTEC National Diploma, National Apprenticeship Scheme, BSc or similar qualification in countryside management, ecology or environmental science related discipline
• B+E towing
• First Aid at Work +Forestry (D)
• An industry recognised H&S Qualification such as IOSH or similar (D)
• Working to attain professional membership of industry organisation (D)
• Arboricultural qualifications:
  • NPTC 201, 202, 203, (E) 206, 306, 308 (D)
  • NPTC 301, 302, 307, 309 (D)
  • MEWP(D)
• Traffic management and Banksman qualification. (D)
• LISS/CSCS card (D)
• CITB Site Safety Supervisor Training Scheme (SSSTS) (D)
• Plant and Dumper Qualification(s) (D)

The above are Essential criteria unless indicated as Desirable.