Assistant Warden - North West Norfolk Reserves (Fixed-Term)

Job Description

Would you like to be part of something special? An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated person to join the team in North West Norfolk on contract from December 2022 to June 2023 (to cover an internal secondment), caring for four nature reserves including the famous wildlife watching destinations of RSPB Titchwell Marsh and RSPB Snettisham.

Our North West Norfolk reserves combined attract more than 100,000 visitors each year and are home to some incredible breeding species including avocet, marsh harrier, bittern, bearded tit, common tern, redshank and ringed plover – not to mention the vast assemblages of non-breeding birds such as knot and pink-footed geese that delight thousands of visitors each year.
Our reserves are also home to a wealth of other wildlife including dune tiger beetles, sea-aster mining bees, water voles and the scarce red-hemp nettle.

We’re incredibly proud of the reserves we manage and are looking for someone who will help us continue to keep these reserves special for wildlife and for people.

This role will be varied, you’ll carry out a huge range of tasks, so you’ll need to be energetic, adaptable and have a desire to achieve. You will lead in the delivery of estate maintenance and organising and supervising work parties. You’ll assist in the delivery of habitat management, species surveying, and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

It is important that you are a strong team player with the ability to generate ideas and see them through to successful high-quality completion. You’ll have a love for natural history, and you’ll enjoy working outside.

You’ll be easy going, organised, responsible, resilient, adaptable and you’ll care about good presentation as well as being practically capable. You’ll have plenty of energy and a willingness to learn and develop as part of your role. If, so far, this sounds like you, then read on!

Key areas of work:

• Habitat management as defined by the reserve's management plans and agri-environment agreements to ensure conservation targets are being met.
• Maintenance of tools and machinery to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently.
• Repair and maintenance of buildings and estate infrastructure to ensure an excellent visitor experience.
• Monitoring of key species and habitats to enable performance to be managed and targets to be set.
• Managing, mapping and storing data ensuring this can be accessed by the wider team and organisation.
• Maintaining high standards of health and safety to minimise risk to the RSPB and ensuring understanding and compliance of health and safety while undertaking duties.
• Developing, leading, and managing work parties, including recruitment of new volunteers.
• Collaborate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including the wider reserve team members, Reserve Ecologists, Project Managers, contractors, neighbours and visitors.
• Assist with ensuring legal compliance of conservation and land management operations.
• Planning and implementing small projects.
• Running and helping to develop events to generate income.
• General administration and report writing, ensuring admin and reports are up to date and systematically organised.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Experience of practical land management and delivering estate management tasks.
• Experience in the safe operation and maintenance of machinery, tools and equipment.
• Experience of managing and leading volunteers.
• Ecological knowledge of reedbed, freshwater lagoons and coastal habitats.
• Experience of biological monitoring.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proven time management and organisational skills.
• Working unsupervised for extended periods, as part of a team or leading a team.
• Experience implementing risk assessments and updating health and safety records.
• Excellent teamworking and interpersonal skills.
• Problem solving skills, creating well thought through practical solutions.
• LANTRA, or equivalent qualification, in the safe use of brushcutter.
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office packages including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Full, manual driving licence that is valid in the UK.

Desirable knowledge skills and experience:

• Knowledge of woodland/scrub management.
• Knowledge of the requirements of agri-environment and cross-compliance regulations.
• Experience of leading guided walks and other events.
• LANTRA, or equivalent qualification, in the safe use of chainsaws.
• Experience of predator monitoring.

This is a Fixed-Term, Full-Time contract until June 2023. 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 from 14th December 2022. For further information please contact nicola.platts@rspb.org.uk

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.

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.