Graduate Devon Resilience Innovation Project Support Officer

Job Summary

Devon County Council’s Flood & Coastal Risk Management Team is recruiting a new graduate to work on an environmental project relating to flood resilience in the local community. This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in environmental impact to learn about and gain experience in flood resilience, natural flood management, property flood resilience, and flood warning systems working across the beautiful county of Devon. This role is part of the Graduate Business Partnership (GBP) Scheme and offers full-time hours (36.5 hours per week) over a 22-month contract. You will be employed by the University of Exeter and seconded to Devon County Council, which means you’ll have access to the competitive benefits on offer from both organisations. A driving licence is essential for this role as you will need to undertake occasional site visits across Devon. You have the option to work remotely with 1-2 days per week at either County Hall or Great Moor House in Exeter. Travel expenses for business purposes will be covered, and you will have access to a pool car if you do not have your own transport.

About You

You should be a graduate with a relevant degree e.g. in geography, ecology, environmental science, hydrology, science, engineering, or communications. You should have enthusiasm, energy, and a passion for bringing people together to improve flood resilience and people’s lives, as well as a strong interest in flood risk management, flood resilience, climate adaptation, and/or carbon reduction. You should have enthusiasm for working with others, networking, and proactively developing strong working relationships with others. Additionally, you should have a strong interest in all forms of communication (social media, websites, events, etc.), and be flexible and proactive – able to deal with changing priorities and identify better ways of working. You should be organized and self-motivated (the role will require organizing meetings, events, webinars, and workshops and will involve working from home where appropriate), can plan and prioritize, have good interpersonal skills, and strong written/report writing skills and confident verbal communication skills. You should have the ability to convey technical information clearly to a range of people including members of the public and community groups (Training and support will be provided), have attention to detail when writing, editing, and proofreading, the ability to use GIS and MS Office, have a commitment towards equality and diversity, and a willingness and ability to work in a team environment and independently. You should also have some communication experience (as a volunteer or paid) – for example: using social media or other comms channels (video etc.), writing newsletters, and articles, creating or updating content for a website, and have previous experience adapting when working with a diverse range of people. A broad understanding of river and coastal science, flood risks and flood resilience and climate adaptation, knowledge or experience of using technical software associated with website updates, social media, and video editing, and relevant project or research work- paid or voluntary are all desirable.

The Benefits to You

You will have access to a wide range of benefits, rewards and recognition from the University, including a generous pension, a holiday allowance of 39 days per year, Totum Card (student discount), and Salary Exchange Schemes (such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, and discounted membership to the university's sports facilities). The University offers extensive support to staff, including a structured Professional Development Review and Wellbeing Service plus 1:1 support from the Internships Team. You will be offered a ‘How to Make the Most of Your Internship’ guide, bespoke mentoring, and career consultancy opportunities.

Application Details

Application Closing Date: 10 July 2025

Interviews: 21-24 July 2025

The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer which is 'Positive About Disabled People': if you have a disability, you should mention this in your application. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.