Community Engagement Officer - Haweswater (Fixed-Term)

Job Description

The RSPB has a mission to put people at the heart of our work, and to build a movement for nature, engaging with a large and diverse audience and helping them take action to save nature. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Community Engagement Officer to join our team and help connect with local people to develop an ambitious landscape-scale project with our partners in the Lake District Eastern Fells. The officer will encourage local people and visitors from a diverse range of backgrounds to help develop the project.

The postholder will build links with local organisations and individuals from less well-represented groups who live and work in the area to co-create a 20-year access and engagement plan. The plan will provide opportunities for people from different backgrounds to connect to nature and each other and thereby improve their physical and mental health.

This is a pilot project and will be underpinned by a monitoring and evaluation framework developed by a social scientist. The postholder will work with the social scientist to develop the framework, collect baseline data and use their local knowledge and experience to shape the social outcomes achievable during project implementation.

The Community Engagement Officer will have experience of successfully engaging local communities in a meaningful way and be able to adapt to different audiences in an inclusive and approachable manner.

The Community Engagement Officer will be joining the RSPB at an exciting time as it implements its six strategic shifts to deliver our strategy to 2030 and engaging more people is at the heart of this. There is a strong community of practitioners in the RSPB building and sharing knowledge to enable this shift and the postholder will be an integral part of this network.

What’s the role about?

The Community Engagement Officer will lead on the following activities:
• To identify key community stakeholders and form partnerships to further the aims of the project.
• Co-create an Access and Community Engagement Plan for the 20-year implementation phase with stakeholders and target audiences supported by consultants
• Run engagement and consultation events and activities with local communities
• Help design a monitoring and evaluation framework and use this to collect baseline data
• Explore the feasibility of sustainable transport to/from Haweswater
• Work closely with the project team delivering the Endangered Landscapes Programme in Cumbria to maximise and enhance engagement opportunities
• Work closely and effectively with the RSPB team at Haweswater

The role is 5 days/week on a fixed term contract for 18 months with a flexible working pattern and location. The role will report to the Senior Project Manager and be part of the project team including Senior Site Manager, Ecologist, Research Assistant, part-time Social Scientist, part-time Senior Rural Surveyor and part-time Senior Administrator. The role will also work closely with the Visitor Experience Manager based at Naddle Farm to ensure that the project complements current operations and future plans for visitor experience.

The role could be office-based at Naddle Farm, Haweswater or a hybrid working model of office and home-working but the postholder would need to live within a reasonable travelling distance of the project area.
This role could involve some weekend and evening working for which time off in lieu will be offered.

What we need from you?

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience:

• A strong verbal and written communicator, with an ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and adapt to diverse audiences
• Demonstrable experience of collaborating and co-creating with local communities and especially engaging less well-represented groups in a project
• Understanding and experience of monitoring, evaluating and reporting outcomes
• Knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion and a commitment to drive increased ethnic diversity and meaningful inclusion in the project aligned with RSPB’s EDI programme.
• Ability to deliver community-focused events
• Ability to work under own initiative and ability to enthuse and motivate themselves and others
• Creatively seeks solutions to problems and new ways of engaging with people
• Strong planning, organisational and project management skills
• Ability to access remote locations without the use of public transport.

We are committed to making our organisation diverse and inclusive, and as such are keen to encourage applications from people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities.

This is a Fixed-Term Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week, for 18 months. 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 week commencing 6th February 2023. For further information please contact jane.birch@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.

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