Career Opportunities

The South East Rivers Trust (SERT) is a busy, charitable organisation, consisting of approximately 40 employees and 10 Trustees, working across the rivers in the South East of England. Our rivers flow through a mixture of urban and rural locations, benefiting people’s wellbeing and pleasure, which we want to protect and enhance. We work to improve our rivers through education and practical conservation; we are looking to actively grow our team to deliver practical work, to improve water quality and to enhance natural beauty for all.

SERT is made up of five teams, running about 60 projects at any one time. We work with multiple stakeholders, from landowners to councils, delivering a wide range of environmental benefits. By joining us, you will have an exciting opportunity to use your skills, experience and passion to make a real impact on our natural world by running your own projects, while working as part of a team. You will be making a real difference to rivers and the wider environment in this corner of the UK. Most roles offer the chance to not only plan and monitor changes in our rivers, but also to be hands on — getting into the water and physically improving the ecosystem. We operate a hybrid working policy with most staff attending the office in Leatherhead once a fortnight, working from home and outdoors in our catchments.

SERT’s 12 catchments, located across the south east of England

Benefits you will enjoy if you work for us:

  • 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. After three years’ service, staff receive an extra day of annual leave each year (maximum of 28 days).
  • Hybrid working
  • Pension contribution of 9% salary, subject to 6% employee contribution
  • Life assurance (3 times your  annual salary when signing up to the SERT pension scheme).
  • Time off in Lieu
  • 4 staff awaydays per year
  • Flexible bank holidays
  • Enhanced leave policies including sickness, maternity and paternity
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Wellbeing team, with trained Mental Health First Aiders

Commitment to career development and training, including but not limited to:

  • Individual career development plans
  • Attendance at external training and conferences relevant to role
  • Internal training relevant to role
  • One personal development day per year
  • Access to resources and training via affiliated memberships

If you don’t see a vacancy that you feel is suitable for you listed below but would like to explore the opportunities at the South East Rivers Trust, please send us your CV and contact details to jobs@southeastriverstrust.org. A member of our team will be in contact with you. Please note, all CVs and applications are kept on file for six months.

Take a look below at the jobs available at the South East Rivers Trust.

  • Chief Operating Officer

    Salary  £52,832-£70,442 (Pro-rated if part-time)

    Hours  This permanent position is offered as a full time 37.5 hours/week or 0.8 FTE part-time role.

    Are you a strong leader with a passion for the environment?

    The South East Rivers Trust is recruiting a new position of Chief Operating Officer. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the operations of an ambitious rivers trust on a rapid growth trajectory.

    The Role

    Are you a strong leader and collaborator looking to take on a challenging and rewarding role that will make a positive and lasting difference to rivers and the aquatic environment in the south east of England?

    You will lead the core operational teams and functions of the Trust and your appointment will implement a new structure for our organisation. For the first time, all central operations will sit in one team (c.17 people), including HR, finance, health and safety, project and programme management as well as our Restoring Rivers and Catchments team which implements high quality practical river and catchment enhancement work on the ground.

    You will be part of the Executive and Leadership Team supporting the good governance of the Trust and working closely with the Board of Trustees. You will implement our recently launched 3 year plan and shape the long-term future of the Trust. If you are a strong leader excited by change and enjoy inspiring those around you, we would love to hear from you.

    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.

     

    Please see the full Chief Operating Officer Job Description for more information. 

    The South East Rivers Trust 3 Year Plan

     

    How to Apply

    Please send the following documents to jobs@southeastriverstrust.org :

    The deadline for application is 11:59pm on Sunday 19 January 2025.  We reserve the right to close the recruitment early.

    The selection process will include an initial call and two stages of interview at least one of which will be in person. We expect to hold initial calls in weeks commencing 20th and 27th January 2025.

    If you would like to discuss the position please email jobs@southeastriverstrust.org  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.

  • Director of Water, Land and Catchments

    Salary  £52,832-£70,442 FTE commensurate with experience (pro-rated if part time).

    Hours  This permanent position is offered as a full-time or 0.8 FTE role.

    Bring your passion for rivers and the environment to bring about real change on the ground

    The South East Rivers Trust is recruiting a new Executive position of Director of Water, Land and Catchments.

    The Role

    This new role brings together our Science & Partnerships and Water & Land Stewardship teams and is responsible for identifying and developing strategic opportunities to transform the aquatic environment. These include emerging environmental markets and effective partnerships with business, the water industry, government and other conservation organisations.

    This is a unique opportunity for an experienced, ambitious leader who is passionate about the environment and ready to drive meaningful change. It will suit someone who can understand the big picture, identify tangible opportunities and build a tactical approach to realising them through clear plans, outstanding leadership and the ability to inspire others.

    As part of the Executive and Leadership Team you will be integral to implementing the 3 Year Plan and shaping the long-term future of SERT. If you enjoy collaboration and are passionate about the future of rivers and the aquatic environment we’d love to hear from you.

    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.

     

    Please see the full Director of Water, Land and Catchments Job Description for more information.

    South East Rivers Trust 3 Year Plan

    How to Apply

    Please send the following documents to jobs@southeastriverstrust.org :

    The deadline for application is 11:59pm on Sunday 19 January 2025.  We reserve the right to close the recruitment early.

    The selection process will include an initial call and two stages of interview at least one of which will be in person. We expect to hold initial calls in weeks commencing 20th and 27th January 2025.

    If you would like to discuss the position please email jobs@southeastriverstrust.org  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.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At SERT, we are committed to offering equal opportunities and positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We use a redacted process to reduce unconscious bias during shortlisting and ensure all applicants are judged solely on merit. Our equal opportunities monitoring forms helps us understand the diversity of applications we receive and are analysed on an annual basis.

SERT offers flexible working options to support everyone as individuals. Please get in touch if you require assistance with the application and/or interview process and our team will do the best to accommodate reasonable adjustments, where possible. For more information, please refer to our EDI Policy

Privacy notice

When submitting your application to us, it is important you are aware of what will happen to your personal data after the position is filled. Please read our Applicant-GDPR-Notice