Agricultural Assistant

Severn Trent
Hello, we’re Severn Trent and we think water is wonderful. Oh, we’re pretty keen on people too.

Over the last five years we have developed a programme of catchment management schemes across 55 catchments. These schemes aim to halt and reverse the rising trend of cryptosporidium, nitrate and pesticide levels in raw water and promote biodiversity on farms. We have also developed a bespoke programme supporting livestock farmers in the Upper Teme and Avon & Leam Catchments, to reduce faecal diseases in livestock and the risks it poses to water quality.

If you want to do more because you care, we’d love to talk to you. There really is something for everyone here.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Our Catchment Management and Biodiversity team have an opportunity for you to join as an Agricultural Assistant to enhance biodiversity and help farmers reduce the levels of nutrients and pesticides entering the water environment close to our water supply sources.

The role will initially support the North West of our area primarily (from Church Stretton to Newcastle Under Lyme), but you could be asked to travel to any area within the Severn Trent Region. Over time the role may progress to supporting a broader region in the North West. A candidate living in the Shrewsbury region would be well placed.

These regions are subject to change as the role grows and the team develops and you could be asked to support delivery across the STW region if necessary.

Severn Trent Water offers a variety of agricultural grant schemes and offerings under our Farming 4 Water offering, including our core Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS), STEPS Biodiversity, Swap Your Nozzles, Farm2Tap, Test Protect & Improve and our Specialist on Farm Advice service. These schemes focus on regenerative and conservation agriculture practices and principles and so the successful candidate will be passionate about promoting these.

We’re a friendly team who are passionate about what we do. You will be one of approximately 25 agricultural specialists who are operating across our region. You will be fully integrated into the team and will participate in normal team activities such as weekly, monthly and quarterly team meetings, training and any upskilling events, audits, and other meetings. Day to day you’ll report into a line manager who will support you and help to keep you on track.

In your new role, you’ll support the Agricultural Advisers in the development of and delivery of catchment specific advice campaigns resulting in behavioural change amongst farmers and land managers, leading to a reduction in diffuse water pollution from agriculture and improved biodiversity. You’ll be responsible for supporting the Advisers in implementing these campaigns, engaging with, and influencing local farmers, partners and stakeholders and securing agreement and ownership at catchment scale on key pollution issues and solutions. As you progress there will be the opportunity to take on delivery of schemes yourself and potentially take on catchments of your own in the future.

Your initial role and targets will focus significantly around supporting existing Agricultural Advisers in meeting their EA farmer engagement targets by engaging with farmers in conjunction with those advisers and then recording those engagements on the engagement database. This is a key commitment of ours to the Environment Agency and so will be the main initial priority for the role.

There will be plenty of opportunity to be out in the countryside engaging with farmers, but there will also be an important office element to the role too, supporting the Agricultural Advisers and Agricultural Team Lead in delivery of the team’s catchment schemes and farmer engagement targets.

Some of your other key accountabilities will include:

• Supporting the existing Agricultural Advisers with their STEPS Biodiversity applications and evidence collection requirements.
• Promoting our Biodiversity Schemes within the wider Severn Trent Region yourselves including processing applications for any farmers that take up our schemes and ensuring the required evidence is in place.
• Supporting the company’s ambition to engage with up to 9000 farmers by the end of March 2025, by actively engaging with farmers outside of existing priority catchments and recording those engagements on the engagement database, or engaging with farmers in any future priority catchments assigned to you.
• Supporting the delivery of demonstrations, workshops, advice delivery and communication activities within the STW region both for farmers you engage with and those of the existing Agricultural Advisers, including attending local stakeholder meetings such as CABA groups.
• Maintaining relationships with those farmers year on year, building the reputation of Severn Trent Water in the farming community
• Where necessary, supporting existing Agricultural Advisers with the delivery of their current STEPS and other Farming 4 Water schemes including applications, evidence collection and auditing.
• Where necessary, supporting the delivery of our Test, Protect and Improve Scheme within the STW Region.
• Where necessary and available, taking on catchment management work of your own and being responsible for the delivery targets in specific catchments through the promotion, delivery, evidence collection and auditing of our various schemes
• Where applicable, carry out catchment water quality monitoring on a monthly basis, increasing to fortnightly during high-risk periods.
• Conducting basic online research to help influence our future catchment schemes
• Supporting with the delivery of our working contracts such as SOFA, through work with existing Agricultural Advisers
• Support the delivery of various Champion Workstreams within the team such as Technology, Health and Safety, Media etc
• Provide administrative support to the Team Lead and Agricultural Assistants, for example preparing agendas for Team Meetings, preparing slide packs, collating information when requested and preparing other documentation and spreadsheets.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE ROLE

We’re looking for someone who is confident in speaking to farmers and understanding the challenges they face. You need to be adaptable to changing deadlines and requirements and flexible to work to new and dynamic scheme changes.

You’ll need to possess an ability to build and maintain strong relationships with the farming community, so communication skills are key.

You’ll need to have a good analytical mind and be able to interpret data to identify problems and root causes and then support others with the delivery. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to write presentations, deliver results thoroughly and interpret data, identify problems and their root causes.

The role will require travel around catchments, so you will be comfortable driving, but will also be well organised and structured as the role requires you to plan your own time, prioritise work carefully and deliver to timescales as required.

Officially you will be home-based but are expected to travel to your catchment and team meetings as required.

You will be confident in using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Powerpoint. A STW Laptop and Phone is provided.

You must have a full clean driving licence and have your own vehicle (driving expenses will be paid).

To be successful, it’s expected that you’ll have experience in agriculture and/or land management, stakeholder engagement and building strong working relationships with the farming community.

A qualification in an agricultural field or in an environmental field, to BSc level or equivalent status, is preferred.

You will not be expected or permitted to provide FACTS advice in this role.

The role provides an opportunity to enter into a dynamic, fast paced environmental team making a real difference to Severn Trent Water and the farming community. The role is self-driven and provides an excellent development opportunity and introduction into catchment management work, together with potential future progression opportunities.

The right skills and experience are important. But if you have the right character, positivity, and a caring attitude we want to talk to you too.

We welcome people from all walks of life and celebrate individuality as we know diverse minds, experiences and backgrounds help us to learn and better serve our communities. We want people who show up and get involved. Those who are ready to be part of something bigger and who want to make a difference because they care. Is that you?

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

Working here isn’t just a job. You can build a career at Severn Trent, and we’ll reward you for it too. We have a range of benefits that recognise great work, and award-winning training to help you reach your potential. And we’ll also help you play your part in looking after the environment and the communities where we live.

With that in mind, here are just some of our favourite’s perks that you’ll get being part of the Seven Trent family:

• Salary of £23,088
• 28 days holiday + bank holidays (and the ability to buy/ sell up to 5 days per year)
• Annual bonus scheme (up to £2,250 based on company performance and subject to eligibility)
• Leading pension scheme – we will double your contribution (up to 15% when you contribute 7.5%)
• Sharesave – the chance to buy Severn Trent Plc shares at a discounted rate
• 10% monthly discount with Busy Bees Nurseries and one-week free childcare . click apply for full job details