Senior Partnership Officer

Senior Partnership Officer – Thames Rivers Trust

Thames Rivers Trust (TRT) is part of The Rivers Trust movement. We focus on the promotion and
delivery of an ecosystem-based approach to improving the River Thames. We are dedicated to
improving the River Thames and its tributaries for the benefit of people, biodiversity and the
environment. We act as the Hub and focal point for the Thames catchment; and work with a wide
range of partners including government agencies, private companies and NGOs to deliver an
integrated approach to the management of the Thames River Basin. We are committed to developing
a collaborative, partnership approach that maximises the benefits of public, private and
third-sector organisations working together with communities to deliver integrated outcomes.

We are recruiting a Senior Partnership Officer to build and strengthen collaborative
relationships and partnerships that enable the Trust and its partners to effectively fulfil
our mission and vision.

A key part of this role will be empowering local River Trusts and Catchment Partnerships with
the necessary skills, support and resources to enable them to deliver their work. The
successful candidate will have excellent planning and co-ordination skills, be a confident
facilitator who is able to identify and nurture stakeholder relationships, focusing on building
capacity within the Thames catchment to undertake sustainable improvements to the river. In
addition, they will seek opportunities to fund projects and lead on the programme and project
management to deliver these.

You will join our small but committed Thames Rivers Trust team. You will additionally be
working with our fellow Rivers Trusts and Catchment Partnerships in the region, as well as key
stakeholders such as water companies, the Environment Agency and others.

Please note that we are interested in receiving and considering applications from
applicants who may not tick every box. You may be just who we are looking for!  

Key duties

The successful candidate will work with our CEO to lead the development and implementation of
our strategy, specifically, you will:

• Work with Catchment Partnerships, Rivers Trusts and our other key partners to develop
  skills and capacity
• Assist the Rivers Trust to empower local River Trusts
• Develop a potential partners and funders landscape
• Generate leads and opening conversations with key contacts and stakeholders
• Represent TRT in meetings and events
• Create proposals and presentations to enable partnership opportunities
• Assist TRT with ongoing initiatives such as collaborative programmes and projects
• Support The Rivers Trust with the development of strategic partnerships at a regional level
• Contribute to capacity and capability growth to access emerging strategic funding
  opportunities.

What are we looking for?

The ideal candidate will:

• Have a strong desire to improve rivers and the environment
• Have an understanding of river ecosystems, how they function and the issues they face
• Have proven experience working successfully in partnership with a range of organisations
  and people to achieve common goals
• Be able to inspire and motivate
• A proven ability to organise and manage responsibilities within strict deadlines, with
  limited supervision
• Be able to demonstrate innovative thinking
• Have experience of collating data, summarising and communicating it well for external
  audiences
• Possess excellent communication and negotiation skills, both verbal and written
• Be adaptable and be able to work independently and as part of a team
• Have strong IT skills (email, Excel, Office, PowerPoint)
• Effectively manage a varied workload
• A full driving license and access to a vehicle insured for business use
• A proven track record of successful fundraising would be an advantage

What We Offer

This is a full-time (37.5 hours p/w) 1-year fixed term contract. Subject to obtaining funding
and performance there is the opportunity for the post to be renewed for further years.

We offer competitive rates of pay £31,867 – £42,488 p.a. dependent on experience. The contract
is subject to a 3-month probationary period. Agreed expenses will be covered. We are willing to
consider a self-employed contractor for this post.

The successful candidate will report to the Chief Executive on a day-to-day basis and will be
required to work remotely but with regular travel within the Thames catchment to attend
meetings and events in person (with some contacts via Zoom).

Application

The deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 27th September 2024.

Please apply with your CV and a covering letter to Thames Rivers Trust, PO Box 4248,
Marlborough, SN8 9FH or email [email protected]