Graduate Officer, Evidence Team

Salary: £25,000, 35 hours per week

Contract length: 12 months fixed term contract

Location: Working in catchments across London, occasionally more widely in UK. Office/Home based.

Responsible to: Evidence Project Manager

ABOUT THAMES21

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Thames21 is key to our success and as such we employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds. We feel this 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.

Purpose of the job

The Graduate Officer in the Evidence team will play a pivotal role in carrying out surveys and the collection and analysis of water samples across various locations in London. This new and exciting role involves working across multiple projects and is an entry level position where you will collaborate with citizen scientists, conducting thorough fieldwork to gather data and samples, using and developing your analytical and reporting skills to contribute to the generation of impact and valuable insights for environmental assessments.

As the Graduate Officer, you will mainly play a supporting role, but you will also have the opportunity to work on and support various Evidence Programme projects, allowing you to further develop your environmental surveying, data analysis, report writing and community engagement skills. Example projects that you could be working on include:

• Monitoring the effectiveness of wetlands and other nature-based water treatment interventions
• Baseline environmental surveys and monitoring for a landscape scale restoration project
• Working alongside citizen scientists in various catchments across London to collect information about waterways pollution sources and possible solutions

These projects work closely with water companies, statutory bodies, corporate companies, and community groups, therefore enabling you to get exposure to working with other key stakeholders within a project. You will also support the Project Manager in utilising the outputs of models and GIS to create story maps to share their work widely and increase data impact. This position offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to environmental research and assessments within London. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic team working at the forefront of evidence-based initiatives aimed at safeguarding and improving water quality in the Thames River catchment.

Main duties and responsibilities

You will work independently but will also at times work together with the Evidence team and with expert (e.g. NGO, authorities, academics) and non-expert (e.g. community groups and volunteers) stakeholders to deliver impactful evidence for water quality and quantity issues for a variety of projects. Tasks may include:

• Water sample and survey collection: Conduct fieldwork to gather water samples, deploy and maintain sensors and conduct ecological surveys (such as riverfly and geomorphological surveys) from various sites across London
• Support data collection by citizen scientists: Provide guidance on sample collection methods to ensure accuracy and consistency in data acquisition
• Data analysis and visualisation: Combine fieldwork results with data collected through citizen science, the outputs of models and other data sources to understand catchments, evidence pollution issues and develop solutions. You will also provide data summaries in the form of graphs and maps
• Report writing: Produce presentation and visualisation of data and results online and in verbal and written reports aimed at a range of expert and non-expert audiences to ensure pathways to impact of the evidence and wide accessibility of data in the public domain
• Equipment maintenance: Perform routine calibration and maintenance checks of probes, loggers, and sampling kits (e.g. Aquatroll sondes, Hanna Checkers) to ensure accurate and reliable data collection

Team collaboration and lone working

Work outside in a riverside environment in a variety of weathers – this will mean working on your own, as well as with team members, volunteers and professionals. Work with Thames21 colleagues to develop and implement Thames21’s vision and support overarching project objectives.

In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed, the post holder is required to perform any other reasonable duties which may be requested from time to time. This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the post-holder will be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with other Thames21 activities.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Develop skills in field work, data analysis and high impact reporting
• Help improve the evidence base around water quality, quantity and existing ecological value to enable effective decision making and restoration, develop solutions, support implementation and quantify the benefits
• Help improve knowledge of water quality in river catchments in London and highlight opportunities to mitigate pollution
• Support the development of pioneering solutions to urban and rural water pollution
• Be part of a successful and dynamic environmental charity
• Explore London’s waterways and make a real difference to their health