Water Quality Farming Advisor

Job title: Dawn Meats Water Quality Farming Advisor

Closing Date: 26th of June 2025 

Reporting to: Sustainability Director and Agricultural Manager

Location: Optional (Waterford/Charleville/Rathdowney/Kilbeggan/Kildare) with Travel required across Munster and Leinster region

Position: 12-month contract with the option to extend

Background: Teagasc, Dairy Industry Ireland and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) secured €60 million in funding for a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Project to drive on-farm improvements in water quality, also benefiting climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection. The “EIP Farming for Water programme”. https://farmingforwater.ie/.

Role Description: As part of the Dawn Meats’ Sustainability and Agricultural Team, work with our farmer suppliers to provide one-to-one advice on how to improve water quality and biodiversity, complete farm water risk assessments, build plans to improve impact, and assist farms with the EIP funding application process. To support you in this role, suitable training will be provided.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work alongside the Dawn Meats’ Agriculture team and Procurement team to engage with suppliers across Ireland to optimise the number of participating beef farmers in the EIP Farming for Water Initiative.
• To develop and deliver the agreed business plan of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme as part of Water Catchment Project teams across Ireland.
• To use a range of effective advisory methodologies including one to one support, public events and media as part of a team to achieve improvements in farmers environmental sustainability.
• To engage with farmers located in priority catchments to identify risks arising from their farming operations to water quality.
• Develop a farm plan to support farmers to minimize contaminant losses to waters.
• Assist farmers to farm in compliance with existing regulatory standards.
• Identify the need for additional infrastructure or to identify changes in farming systems to achieve compliance with the existing infrastructure.
• Identify improvements in farmyard, roadway and land management practice to support reduction on point source losses.
• Identify additional non-regulatory measures that can result in reductions in diffuse losses of contaminants to waters.
• Support farmers in implementing improved nutrient management practices to help reduce diffuse nutrient losses to waters.
• Provide support to farmers participating in the Water EIP through submission of applications and implementation of measures.
• To support and facilitate groups of farmers in the impacted catchments.
• To liaise with other groups which are established with the objective of enhancing water quality and community engagement.
• To support / organize / deliver local and national dissemination events such as Farm Open Days, farm walks, meetings and media outputs.
• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Behavioural Competencies

• A 3rd level degree in Environmental Science, Agriculture, or a related field.
• In-depth understanding of environmental sustainability practices, particularly in relation to water quality and biodiversity.
• Excellent communicator and experience collaborating with stakeholders.
• Excellent analysis, problem solving skills and decision support abilities.
• Work and project organization which shows pro-activity and drive.
• Quality Customer Service Focus.
• Teamwork & Leadership abilities.
• Proven ability to provide effective one-to-one advisory support, as well as organize and deliver public events and media engagements.
• Strong organizational skills

INDLP