Catchment Officer (Agri-environmental)
Employer: The Pearl Mussel Project Limited
Location: Kenmare, County Kerry
Job Type: 4 Year fixed term contract, full time
Salary: €35,000 / annum (excl. travel expenses)
Closing date: Tuesday 3rd December 2019
Role / Position: The Pearl Mussel Project is a locally led European Innovation Partnership (EIP) jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which has developed a voluntary results-based agri-environmental scheme for farmers within eight priority catchments. The overall aim of the programme is to promote farm management tailored to maintaining and improving the local environment with a view to securing the long term conservation of freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in Ireland.
We are currently recruiting a catchment officer with an agri-environmental background for our southern (south Kerry and west Cork) area, based in the Kerry office (Kenmare). The successful applicant will work as a key member of the project team and will report to the Project Manager. The role will require the successful candidate to travel between the four catchments in south Kerry and west Cork, and to spend a high proportion of time out of the office.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Main point of contact between farmers and the project team;
- Continual liaison with the farming community in four of the project catchments;
- Provide agri-environmental advice and support to participant farmers during scheme;
- Liaise with and provide support to farm advisors working on the Programme as required;
- Contribute to the development of guidance documents and training material;
- Assist with delivery of training to farmers and farm advisors;
- Planning and conducting monitoring surveys and fieldwork;
- Organise and partake in outreach events such as school visits;
- Liaise and work closely with the western catchment officer and wider project team; and
- Prepare and contribute to reports when required.
Qualifications and experience required
The ideal candidate would have the following knowledge, experience, and attributes:
- A degree in agriculture, ecology, or related discipline;
- Minimum two years relevant work experience in the agricultural / environmental sectors;
- Knowledge and awareness of agri-environmental schemes such as REPS, GLAS, Hen Harrier Programme, Burren Programme, etc;
- Strong knowledge of farmland habitats (peatland & grassland) and their indicator species;
- Experience in the preparation and monitoring of farm plans;
- An ability to identify issues at a farm level that pose a threat to freshwater pearl mussel, and identify solutions which give due consideration to the environment and farm operations;
- Excellent communication skills;
- Self-motivated and have a proven ability to work under their own initiative;
- Have a positive, enthusiastic, pragmatic, solution driven, and flexible approach to work;
- A willingness to actively participate as part of a wider multidisciplinary team;
- An ability to manage their own workload, ensuring that work is carried out on schedule;
- A full clean driver’s licence;
- Good computer skills particularly in the use of Microsoft Office software;
- Knowledge and experience of results-based schemes would be an advantage; and
- Experience of using ESRI ArcGIS or other data management software would be an advantage.
How to apply:
Send cover letter, CV, and two referees by Tuesday 3rd December to:
Dr Patrick Crushell
Project Manager
The Pearl Mussel Project Ltd
Bell Height
Kenmare
County Kerry
Tel: 064 6642524
E-mail: patrick@pmproject.ie
Web: PearlMusselProject.ie
Suitable applicants will be short listed for interview during December with a view to the successful applicant commencing work in December 2019 or January 2020.
