Fractional Project Lead - Ranunculus (Water Crowfoot)

Project Lead - Ranunculus (Water Crowfoot)

Location: Flexible working, based within / across the Wye & Usk catchment (Remote, United Kingdom)

Type: 1-Year contract (2 days per week - flexible working hours - extendable to 3 years)

Rate: £200 per day (contract rate)

Reporting: Dedicated steering group including trustees/leaders from FORW and Save the Usk

Overview

This role holds overall responsibility for delivering a new three-year programme focused on collecting evidence to contribute to the recovery of water crowfoot (Ranunculus) across the Welsh Wye and Usk. The programme includes public engagement with a strong citizen science component and coordination with scientific partners, regulators and other stakeholders. The role will include preparing an overall project report and evaluation report with recommendations for future monitoring and management options.

Responsibilities

Fieldwork coordination and data gathering

● Collate and supplement existing records of the water crowfoot plant assemblage.

● Undertake surveys at key sites, including ground-based and drone-assisted remote sensing.

● Establish and document a baseline of images and botanical records for public access and future comparison.

● Agree specification for and commission drone and specialist survey work in liaison with NRW and WVNL.

Citizen science engagement

Coordinate with citizen science and engagement team to:

● Launch and run Big Ranunculus Watch in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

● Design and deliver training for volunteers to monitor long-term sites in more detail.

● Help build public awareness of water crowfoot and its ecological significance in the Wye and Usk.

Partnership and research liaison

In tandem with the FORW Programme Manager and Communication Lead:

● Work closely with partners including NRW, scientific researchers and NGOs.

● Liaise with regulatory authorities and ensure legal permissions for all project activities are in place.

● Ensure alignment with related catchment initiatives and national citizen science programmes.

Reporting and project delivery

● Track and manage project progress and budget.

● Establish and monitor key performance metrics.

● Prepare interim outputs, a final evaluation report, and a strategic project report with recommendations for long-term monitoring and conservation of water crowfoot.

Skills and Experience

● Educated to degree level in freshwater ecology, botany, or a related field.

● Proven experience delivering ecological field-based research projects.

● Strong organisational and project management skills, including budgeting.

● Experience with GIS and mapping tools (e.g. QGIS, ArcGIS and accessible tools like Google Maps and Google Earth) to support site selection, baseline mapping, and presentation of survey data.

● Familiarity with data visualisation tools (ideally Tableau) to support accessible, public-facing presentation of findings.

● Experience working with multiple stakeholders including funders, regulators and researchers.

● Experience commissioning technical specialists or consultants (e.g. drone operators, lab analysis).

● Comfortable managing a project budget and workplan independently.

● Confident in designing, managing and reporting on multi-strand projects.

● Ability to analyse, synthesise and communicate scientific data effectively.

Desirable

● Welsh language skills and knowledge of rural Welsh landscapes.

● Residence in or near the Wye/Usk catchment area.

Personal Attributes

● Passionate about river ecology and environmental restoration.

● Highly organised, self-motivated, and able to work independently.

● Comfortable engaging with a wide range of people from scientists to volunteers.

● Flexible and adaptive in response to emerging opportunities or challenges.

● Proactive and confident in shaping and driving forward the project without close supervision.

Work Arrangement

This is a flexible contract role. The successful candidate will be expected to provide their own equipment (laptop, phone and vehicle) and to work flexibly, including occasional evenings or weekends, to respond to fieldwork schedules, public engagement events and seasonal activity across the catchment.