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Do you have a passion for water and the environment? Do you enjoy speaking to farmers? Can you help us improve water quality by using your knowledge of farming and the environment?

If this sounds like you, the catchment advisor role at United Utilities offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in protecting and improving ground and surface water catchments for drinking water.

We are looking for approachable, friendly, dynamic individuals with drive, determination, and experience of working on farms or with landowners.

You will be:

• Working with farmers and landowners to deliver advice to make changes that protect and improve the water environment
• Carrying out investigations, field trials, monitoring, soil and water sampling and analysis to identify issues
• Communicating with a variety of stakeholders to encourage take-up of schemes to protect and improve raw water quality
• Arranging events to raise awareness, report on progress and encourage take-up
• Managing small projects involving contractors delivering on-farm work as well as professional services
• Using your GIS skills to record and present information in an engaging way
• Developing new schemes and interventions to address water quality issues appropriate to the location

Job Accountabilities

• Organise and deliver advice both directly and indirectly to farmers and third parties such as councils, golf courses, caravan sites and equine holdings to make land management changes that protect and improve the water environment. This will include assisting in the preparation of farm management plans and applications for agri-environment schemes
• To carry out investigations, field trials, monitoring, sampling and analysis to support, validate, report and present on catchment activities and incidents. Data collection includes water, soil, plant and manure samples
• Arrange and deliver presentations, workshops, table top discussions, lectures and stalls at markets, community meetings (WI, Gardening groups, equine groups), farmers meetings, students etc. The role therefore will include occasional weekend and evening working
• Contribute to a communication programme utilising email, meetings, newsletters, twitter, facebook, written educational material and press articles appropriate to the different sectors engaged on catchment
• Deliver and encourage the uptake of UU catchment offers to improve and protect raw water quality. To develop new schemes and interventions appropriate to the pollutant of concerns
• Project manage small scale capital works (fencing, guttering, tree planting) professional advice, venue hire, sample analysis
• Monitor, update and input risks into the Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSP) and deliver relevant DWSP and Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) actions. Identified risks should be mapped using GIS
• Liaise and work with local initiatives including the CaBa group to minimise duplication of catchment work and maximise grant income
• To arrange and manage a cross sector steering group for each Safeguard Zone project

Knowledge and Skills

• Further education qualification in Agriculture, Land and Water management or Environmental Science
• Excellent communication, organisation and report writing skills
• An ability to prioritise, to be self-motivated and to motivate and inspire others
• Established project management skills
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other programmes including ARCGIS
• A good working knowledge of diffuse water pollution issues and catchment management
• A good understanding of the Drinking Water Safety Plan approach to water quality risk management
• An excellent understanding of UK agricultural and land management issues together with demonstrable experience of working in or with agriculture,
• Stakeholder engagement experience with proven ability to engage with the farming community successfully is essential
• Proven experience in writing and giving external presentations to both large and small audiences.
• Full driving licence
• Agronomy experience would be highly desirable
  
• FACTS and/or BASIS are highly advantageous but not essential

Additional Information

• Own transport and willingness to travel across the south catchment area (Warrington, Wirral, Shropshire, Wales) and wider business area.
• May require occasional weekend and evening work but this is very rare and lots of notice is provided
• There are 2 vacancies on this advert