Senior Programming & Partnerships Officer

Join the Riverlands Bollin Project team as our Senior Programming And Partnerships Officer. You’ll play an exciting role in engaging our local communities in the work we are delivering over the next two years. This role will be focused on delivering work along the river Bollin catchment and working across teams based in Dunham Massey, Quarry Bank, Alderley Edge and Lyme Park as well as with external consultants, partners and stakeholders.

You will help us deliver our wide-ranging engagement programme which, is focused on creating unique opportunities for local communities, visitors and schools to get involved with the conservation action on the ground and ongoing monitoring. Through the engagement programme you will help build skills, knowledge and love for the work we are undertaking amongst the communities we work with.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £26,832pa

Contract: Fixed term contract until February 2026   

Interviews: 29th May

If you have any questions about this role please contact: .uk

The Riverlands Bollin Project’s aims to, through the Species Survival Fund, restore freshwater habitats including:

·      Moorlands

·      Rivers and streams

·      Ponds and wetlands

All this will boost biodiversity and increase resilience in the landscape as a response to the threat of climate change.

We want to bring our audience with us on this exciting journey and you will be supporting this by running activities that could include:

• Citizen science activities and bioblitz sessions
• Outdoor learning sessions and workshops for schools
• Pop up exhibitions
• Guided 'walk and talk' events
• Nature focused poetry, music production and acoustic ecology sessions for young people.

The Riverlands Bollin Project will be spending c.£800,000 over the next 2 years to protect and enhance our sites that sit in and around the Bollin catchment. This is a wonderful opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary environment with a hard-working team who have a passion for nature, conservation and the environment. 

No two days will be the same; some days you will be on a moorland, in a woodland or by a pond. Others you may be in local schools. You will be based at Dunham Massey but expected to work from Quarry Bank, Alderley Edge and Lyme Park to ensure the right balance is struck for both you and the project. 

The role will report to the Volunteering & Community Manager at Dunham Massey and will work closely with the Riverlands Bollin Project Manager as well as a range of specialists and Rangers across the region as well as our external project partners; the Mersey Rivers Trust. The role is being advertised at full-time for the duration of the project (ending February 2026).

More about the programme

It is a 2-year, multi-catchment programme of work aiming to restore a functioning network of biodiverse and climate resilient freshwater habitats. The programme is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency. Freshwater Renaissance is also supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. The programme of work will be delivered across multiple river catchments at five National Trust places: Cumbria, the Bollin catchment, the Bure catchment, Holnicote and North Devon.

#SpeciesSurvivalFund

#TogetherForOurPlanet

• Strong organisational and administrative skills e.g. budget management, keeping and updating records, meeting deadlines etc. 
• Great people and communication skills, establishing positive relationships with both external and internal collaborators 
• The ability to work independently as well as with a team, contributing to a positive, inclusive, and productive place for staff and volunteers 
• To be able to balance competing priorities and demands 
• Experience in delivering visitor programmes and events and/or working with community or commercial partners to deliver events and activities
• Understanding of an audience-led approach and the ability to evaluate the impact and use feedback to further develop an offer or event 
• To be someone creative, ambitious and able to draw creative ideas from their team 

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Tax-free childcare scheme

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.