Senior Catchment Officer (Wandle and Darent)

About Us

The South East Rivers Trust (SERT), is the river restoration charity for the South East of England. Our vision is that rivers across the south east are clean, healthy and rich in biodiversity. Our mission is to restore and protect rivers and their catchments against multiple threats and a dramatically changing climate. We do this by:

• delivering evidence-based and nature-based solutions on land and in rivers;
• inspiring and empowering more people to protect rivers for the future.

Working at SERT is rewarding, fulfilling and busy. We work collaboratively and with passion, and this is reflected in our core values of: delivering high quality work, using expertise and scientific understanding, building good and effective relationships, and bringing positive energy to all we do. With rivers and catchments needing serious action to survive, our aims are growth and impact – so you’ll be comfortable with challenges and excited by change. If this sounds like an environment that you would thrive in, we would love to hear from you. www.southeastriverstrust.org

Wandle and Darent SCO/CO

Are you a curious, evidence-driven investigator with a passion for freshwater habitats? Do you want to play a lead role in uncovering the issues facing two of the South East’s most exciting and ecologically significant river catchments? Could you use data, local knowledge and nature-based solutions to drive meaningful action for rivers, wildlife and communities?

About The Role

The South East Rivers Trust (SERT) is an environmental charity bringing rivers and their catchments back to life. Working across 12 catchments in the South East of England, SERT empowers communities, supports citizen science, and works collaboratively with stakeholders to protect and restore our vital freshwater environments. We use data and evidence to guide action, and work with nature to make our rivers healthy again — tackling pollution, restoring habitats, reconnecting rivers and securing sustainable water.

We are seeking a Senior Catchment Officer (or Catchment Officer, depending on experience) to be our lead investigator and project developer for two of our most exciting and active catchments: the River Wandle in South London and the River Darent in Kent — both globally rare chalk streams with high biodiversity, cultural heritage, and significant restoration potential. These catchments are not only home to unique chalk stream ecology but also to thriving Catchment Partnerships and major ongoing programmes of work.

You will take a leading role in identifying and investigating the causes of river degradation — using data, fieldwork, citizen science, stakeholder engagement, and desk-based research to build a detailed picture of your catchments. You'll work to identify, develop and scope solutions — from small-scale interventions to multi-partner restoration schemes — and then lead or support delivery by working closely with colleagues from across SERT.

As host of the Catchment Partnerships, you will facilitate collaboration, align actions, and drive shared visions for the Wandle and Darent — helping partners turn ideas into action. You will also play a key role in high-profile existing projects, such as the Wandering Wandle (funded by the Water Restoration Fund) and the Darent Valley Landscape Recovery project.

This role offers a brilliant opportunity for someone who thrives on piecing together puzzles, building partnerships, developing project pipelines and translating evidence into action. Applicants with experience in chalk stream habitats, fisheries ecology or river restoration would be particularly well suited to the role.

While we would prefer to appoint at Senior Catchment Officer level, we will consider strong candidates at Catchment Officer level who demonstrate the skills and potential to grow into the role.

Working at the South East Rivers Trust is rewarding, fulfilling and fast-paced. We collaborate with energy and professionalism, guided by our values of delivering high-quality work, using expertise and science, building strong relationships, and bringing positivity and integrity to everything we do. If this sounds like the right environment for you — we’d love to hear from you.

If you are interested in this role, but don’t feel you have the experience we are looking for as a Senior Catchment Officer, we would still love to hear from you, but may appoint at a Catchment Officer level with the appropriate pay range.

Salary (dependent on your experience): Senior Catchment Officer £33,876-£43,221 Catchment Officer £30,371-£39,716

If you are interested in applying for this role please visit our website for more information, a full job description and application form.

The deadline for application is 11:59pm on Sunday 1st June 2025. We reserve the right to close the recruitment early.

If you would like to discuss the position, please email [email protected] with your enquiry and we will arrange to call you back.

Please note: All applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We do not sponsor applicants from overseas.