Flexa
RSPB • Insh Marshes

Assistant Warden - Fixed term

Employment type:  Contract
Salary:  £25,723 – £27,614 per annum

3–4 days/week at home

Fully flexible hours

Dog friendly

Job Description

Introduction


This is a fantastic opportunity to work at Britain's biggest and most naturally functioning floodplain wetland. Insh Marshes reserve is flanked by the stunning Cairngorm and Monadhliath mountain ranges. The reserve is home to a fantastic array of habitats, including fen, mire, swamp, wet grasslands and woodlands. The floodplain is highly designated; the features range from breeding and wintering birds, such as lapwing, redshank, snipe, curlew, spotted crake, osprey, wigeon, hen harrier and whooper swan, to nationally significant populations of invertebrates and plants.

Breeding curlew is a key species on the Insh Marshes. Long-term monitoring efforts have shown that the reserve supports a stable population of curlews in high densities. However, little is known about curlew behaviour, chick survival rates and predator interactions in the quasi-natural functioning floodplain.

The Assistant Warden will work with both the reserve operations team to support the day-to-day reserve operation and the Curlew LIFE Project Team to monitor curlew breeding success to help establish Insh Marshes as a site of curlew conservation excellence.

We are looking for an energetic, self-motivated, and well-organised individual to join the Insh Marshes Team.

What's the role about?

The role will help deliver the reserve management and key aspects of the RSPB's Curlew LIFE project. The Assistant Warden will work closely with the Curlew LIFE Project Officer and the reserve management team, work will include the following:


- Supporting the Curlew LIFE Team to deliver the project objectives, which will involve waders surveys using the Smith O’Brien methodology, nest and chick monitoring, managing trail camera data, organising and delivering events and liaising with our predator control contractor.

- Delivering habitat management work specific to the EU LIFE curlew project targets and the reserve conservation management plan.

- Maintaining reserve infrastructure, which will entail practical estate management skills, such as fencing

- Supervising and Managing the reserve volunteer team

The successful candidate will need to take the initiative and be able to work independently; they will need to be organised and a good team player who can be flexible to accommodate a diverse work programme. In addition, they will need to maintain high standards of Health and Safety in their role and in the volunteer team.

The applicant should be able to cope with the physical demands of the role being outside in all weather conditions, comfortable navigating across rugged terrain and working unsociable hours during the monitoring season.

Key areas of work will include:
• Habitat management to ensure conservation targets are being met.
• Maintenance of machinery to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently.
• Maintenance of buildings and infrastructure for visitors to ensure a positive visitor experience.
• Monitoring (i.e. O'Brien and Smith, predator, nest and chick monitoring) of key species and data inputting to enable performance to be managed and targets for improvements to be set.
• Leading and developing a high performing team of volunteers.
• Maintaining high standards of health and safety to minimise risk to the RSPB and to ensure
understanding and compliance of health and safety while undertaking duties.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience
• Maintenance and use of machinery, tools and equipment.
• Habitat management.
• Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Working unsupervised for extended periods
• Communicate verbally with a wide range of audiences.
• Manage oneself and others to prioritise and work to an agreed plan.
• Practical land management experience and delivering estate management works.
• Operating and maintaining machinery, equipment and infrastructure.

Desirable qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience
• Lantra or equivalent qualifications in ATV, tractor driving, brushcutter, pesticides
(PA1 and PA2).
• Biological recording.
• Implementing and updating health and safety records and assessments.
• Organising and running events.
• Working with GIS Software

This role will involve lone working and working in remote locations.

This role will require occasional weekend, early morning and evening working so will need someone who is able to be flexible.

UK Driving licence

This is a Fixed-Term 18 month role for 37.5 hours per week..

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on 24 April 2023. For further information please contact Thijs.Claes@rspb.org.uk.

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As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

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We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.

Company benefits

Open to part-time employees
Open to compressed hours
Sabbaticals
Enhanced maternity leave
Enhanced paternity leave
Adoption leave
Shared parental leave
24 days annual leave + bank holidays
Enhanced sick pay

The FlexScore® is the result of a rigorous 2-step verification of a company’s flexibility

First we assess the flexibility options RSPB provides and then we anonymously survey a statistically significant proportion of their employees to make sure RSPB is as flexible as they say they are. Our assessment is based on the six key elements of flexibility: location, hours, autonomy, benefits, role modelling and work-life balance.

We ask the hard questions so you don’t have to.

Working at RSPB

Company employees

2400

Gender diversity (male:female)

41:59

Office locations

Across all 4 UK Countries

Hiring Countries

Liberia
United Kingdom
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Industry awards 2023
Most flexible companies

Most flexible companies

Flexa100 2023
2nd – Charity & Tech For Good

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