Project Officer

The Cromarty Firth catchment is nationally important for its habitats and species including many of international importance.  It is home to many rare and important iconic species all of which make a significant contribution to Highland culture, heritage and economy.  However, the distribution and abundance of these nature rich hotspots is a shadow of what it once was.  The depredations of centuries of inappropriate land use practices have taken their toll and led to Scotland becoming one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. 

The newly created Cromarty Firth Watershed Environmental Trust (CFWET) is embarking upon a restoration initiative seeking to create a resilient and interconnected system of habitats to restore ecosystem function and species diversity in the Cromarty catchment.  This approach aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change, conserve and enhance the diversity of flora and fauna including the now endangered wild Atlantic salmon and bring broad community benefit.

This post provides an exceptional opportunity to develop and deliver essential work towards this restoration initiative over the extensive Cromarty catchment with the ultimate aim of extending these networks beyond the watershed to link with neighbouring catchments.  Engagement with local communities and businesses will be central to the successful delivery and sustainability of this work.

Across Scotland, river catchment managers are increasingly expanding their remit ‘beyond the rivers’ edge’ to focus on the restoration of the broader catchment areas. This involves designing, co-ordinating and delivering ecological restoration projects in partnership with landowners, local and national stakeholders, sourcing and mobilising diverse funding pools ranging from private investment, public grants, CSR commitments, and natural capital investments.

As part of its new initiative the Cromarty Firth Watershed Environmental Trust are seeking applicants for two new and exciting roles to drive forward its vision.

 To help us with the delivery of the Cromarty Catchment Restoration Initiative, CFWET is seeking to appoint a Project Officer. This newly created role will sit within a small team at CFWET and you will work closely with the CFWET Project Development Manager and the CFWET Education and Outreach Officer. The Project Officer may also be required to support and / or manage volunteers and interns.

Following a phase of environmental audit and data collation, this exciting new role will work with CFWET colleagues, landowners and land managers to develop a restoration plan and implement a series of restoration projects throughout the catchment from the watershed to the Cromarty Firth. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of scoping out large-scale restoration projects, and experience of a broad range of ecological survey and monitoring techniques.  Competence in time management, field skills and compliance with Health and Safety practices will be essential to the successful delivery of this role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Undertaking an environmental audit and gathering baseline data to build a GIS database including habitats and species in the catchment.
• Working with the CFWET Director to draw up a restoration plan for the catchment including identification of target habitats and species and prioritising areas for conservation action.
• Contributing to the development of projects with CFWET colleagues to ensure consistency with the Trust vision.
• Assisting in identifying funding sources and supporting applications.
• Identifying and securing relevant permissions, licenses, consents and agreements for long term management of the outcomes delivered.
• Liaising with landowners and managers, regulatory bodies, government agencies, NGOs including the Cromarty Firth District Salmon Fisheries Board (CFDSFB) staff and local communities.
• Oversee work carried out by contractors and assist with the delivery of CFDSFB projects funded by CFWET.
• As a representative of CFWET the postholder will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a full record of data, documents, communications and Trust activities and providing written and oral presentations as required.
• Liaise with the CFWET Trustees and support the work of CFWET colleagues as required.

Person Specification

To Apply

Please submit a CV and covering letter indicating which post you are interested in, why you are interested and the skills, attributes and experience you would bring to the post to: admin@cfwet.org

Please also include details of two recent referees (job/academic). We will not contact referees unless we have spoken to candidates first. If you have examples of forestry or other restoration projects that you have designed and managed, please include a sample of these.

Closing date for applications: 9.00 am on Monday 14^th April 2025.

Interviews will be held on 24^th and 25^th April 2025, in person or online via Teams or Zoom.