Engagement Officer

Salary

£34,169 – £36,351 1.0 FTE for 35 hours per week.

Contract length

6 months, starting October-November 2026 with possibility of extension

Location

Office work in Guildhall EC2V, operational work in Bow E3, and outreach work in the River Ravensbourne Catchment (e.g., London Boroughs of Lewisham and Bromley) required, plus optional remote desk working.

About Thames21

Thames21 is an environmental charity putting healthy rivers at the heart of community life. Through environmental improvements, community engagement, education and advocacy we bring about effective and lasting change by working hand-in-hand with communities to deliver tangible and measurable improvements to our network of rivers.

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.

About the projects

The role is made up of projects located along the Ravensbourne Catchment, in Lewisham and Bromley, working with local communities to restore and enhance urban rivers and blue spaces; delivering habitat improvements, increasing biodiversity, improving fish passage and river connectivity, reducing erosion and flood risk, and creating healthier, more resilient natural environments for both wildlife and people.

Purpose of the job

We are seeking a skilled engagement officer towork onthe Ravensbourne Catchment. This role offers an opportunity for the post holder to make a difference toa diverse areaof London, with differing challenges and an array of ambitions.

About you

The keyskillfor this role is being able tostart andmaintaina dialogue with people, sharing concerns and finding common ground. Theproject relies on creating strong networks oflocal institutions, such as schoolsand local authorities;grassroots organisationsand groups;community leaders and representatives from the public and private sectors, including councillors and politicians.

The key valuefor this role is curiosity. Being able to ask questions, listen and encourage people to get involved in whatever way they are able, will help you succeed.

You’ll thrivein this role if you are able towork with communities to co-design andplana broad rangeof activitieswith people living in the area.By working together with local people in diverse communities besidewaterways,you willestablisha new and positive ongoing relationship between Londoners andtheir blue spaces.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Identify, understand and represent the perspectives of key community groups and individuals, building strong, trusted relationships and resilient community networks across the Ravensbourne Catchment
• Work collaboratively with project partners, including local authorities, landowners and community organisations, to ensure coordinated and effective project delivery.
• Plan and deliver a public programme of health and safety compliant activities that increase awareness, enjoyment and understanding of the project sites, project objectives and the wider Ravensbourne River Catchment.
• Collaborate withThames21’s Communications Team to promote projects, celebrate achievements and learnings; and produce high-quality content for the website and other channels.
• Work with the Thames21 Engagement & Learning and Catchment Partnership teams to incorporate project learnings into best practice and contribute to future funding applications.
• Represent Thames21 at community events, activities and partnership meetings, championing the organisation’s vision and work.
• Maintain accurate and organised records, ensuring all administrative and statistical data is captured and regularly uploaded to the Thames21 database.
• Implement robust monitoring and evaluation processes, gathering feedback from partners and participants, assessing project effectiveness, and contributing to internal quarterly reports and funder reports.
• Participate in Thames21 Team Meetings and contribute positively to a collaborative, supportive working environment.

Other Duties

This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within Thames21. At various times the post-holder will be directed to carry out other reasonable duties in support of other Thames21 activities that are consistent with those in this Job Description.

Additional Information

• The post holder must be willing to occasionally work in the evening and at weekends
• 25 days paid annual leave are available pro rata plus public holidays.
• Thames21 office is closed between Christmas and New Year.
• Thames21 operate a flexitime system of working.
• Thames21 have an ‘Auto Enrol’ Workplace Pension Scheme with NEST. Auto-enrolment workplace pension with NEST with 8% employer contribution.
• Thames21 benefits from a workplace union with IWGB
• 24/7 access to our employee assistance programme

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