Flexa
RSPB • Orkney Native Wildlife Project – Kirkwall Office

Communications Officer - Orkney Native Wildlife Project – Kirkwall Office

Employment type:  Contract
Salary:  £23,939 – £26,558 per annum

3–4 days/week at home

Fully flexible hours

Dog friendly

Job Description

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project (ONWP) has an exciting opportunity to develop and deliver communications for the project. As the first stoat eradication project in Europe and the world's largest non-native species eradication attempted to date, this is a unique opportunity based in the Orkney islands.

The Project started in 2018 and is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot, and Orkney Islands Council, made possible by generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, EU LIFE, partners, and donations. Its purpose is to work with local communities and landowners to implement an eradication operation in order to safeguard the unique and internationally important native wildlife of Orkney by addressing the threat from an invasive non-native predator: the stoat. Stoats threaten the Orkney vole, and many birds including hen harriers, short-eared owls, red-throated divers, waders, and seabirds. The project also implements measures to prevent the spread within and re-introduction of stoats to Orkney.

This role is vital within the project, helping to keep people informed of project progress, showcase Orkney’s wildlife, and support engagement with the project. We are looking for someone who will actively seek out our internal good news stories as well as work well with both local journalists and national press departments while being flexible and adaptable to an ever-changing project landscape.

What’s the role about

As Communications Officer, you will develop and deliver creative and effective communications in line with the project’s communications strategy.

We are looking for a person who has a passion for Orkney’s native wildlife and a desire to work closely with colleagues in the team to source, share, and sell-in stories using appropriate channels. We need someone who is highly organised, full of ideas, and has exceptional copywriting skills and good attention to detail. The role requires a friendly and collaborative approach, that combines an ability to adapt to changing priorities, while sometimes working under your own initiative to achieve results.

You will be responsible for the project’s social media and creating engaging content to reach as many people as possible within and out of Orkney. You will design content for our website, working alongside other departments to ensure it is kept up-to-date, interesting and informative. You will support other team members to help ensure all project communications follow project plans and protocols.

You will be proactive in creating working relationships with partner organisations as well as members of the media.

You will be an effective and creative communicator with media and social media experience including creating digital content, writing press releases, and liaising with journalists. You will have the confidence and ability to inspire trust and support for the project and an ability to win over hearts and minds. You will have experience of working with local communities in a collaborative and sensitive way.

Key activities will include:

  • Following an agreed communications strategy that contributes to underpinning the ONWP objectives.
  • Building and maintaining relationships with partners, locals and the press to ensure effective target delivery.
  • Creation and maintenance of internal FAQ documents as well as external blogs and newspaper columns.
  • Working closely with all departments of ONWP as well as the wider RSPB Scotland team, ensuring common goals are being met and expertise shared.
  • Monitoring media in agreed work areas to identify potential reputational risks to the ONWP and the partners.
  • Providing specialist advice to project team to support the development and implementation of our key messages.

What we need from you

  • Education at higher level or equivalent, or the ability to demonstrate work-related experience and ability to evidence a high level of literacy.
  • Experience of working independently, planning, creating and evaluating multi-channel communications plans in support of projects, campaigns and initiatives
  • Knowledge of media relations and a proven track record of delivering PR campaigns using a range of tactics to achieve print, broadcast, and online coverage, as well as reactive communications/issue management.
  • Experience of sourcing stories, writing for media and producing supporting releases, photographic, audio visual and digital assets.
  • Experience of administering professional social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram, including content creation, scheduling, monitoring, and performance reporting.
  • Experience of dealing with potentially controversial issues and reputational risk including producing reactive statements and FAQs
  • This role requires travel therefore the successful applicant will be required to travel to remote locations without the use of public transport. Please note this role involves occasional early/late finishes and weekend work by prior arrangement, for which time off in lieu is applicable.

Additional Information

This is a 1-year Fixed-Term, Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week. We reserve the right to extend/make permanent without the need for further advertising.

For all application/role enquiries please contact - Tom Hadley - Tom.Hadley@RSPB.ORG.UK

Please note that you will be required to complete an application form where you will have the opportunity to tell us how you meet the criteria set above.

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

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

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

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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.

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Working at RSPB

Company employees

2400

Gender diversity (male:female)

41:59

Office locations

Across all 4 UK Countries

Hiring Countries

Liberia
United Kingdom

Awards & Achievements

Most flexible companies

Most flexible companies

Flexa100 2024
Charity & Tech For Good

Charity & Tech For Good

Industry awards 2023
Most flexible companies

Most flexible companies

Flexa100 2023
2nd – Charity & Tech For Good

2nd – Charity & Tech For Good

Industry awards 2022