Conservation Adviser

Job Description

RSPB Northern Ireland’s Countryside & Land Management Services is expanding our large-scale habitat management work. As a Conservation Adviser, you will be working to help nature across Northern Ireland, building relationships with external partners and private landowners to provide them with the tools to save nature on their land. The work will be challenging but very rewarding as you help protect and rebuild our precious wetlands, peatlands, woodlands and grasslands.

If you have experience with ecological surveys and management plan writing and want to make a real difference for the future, then we would love to hear from you!

What's the role about?

You will be working for the UK’s largest conservation charity, working and delivering habitat management at a local level. This is an opportunity to develop your career, with training opportunities provided, with flexible hours. You will play a key role in ensuring the requirements of existing contracts are met, as well as developing the work of the Countryside & Land Management Services across all Northern Ireland.


Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

1. Degree level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience.
2. Excellent knowledge of the ecology, species and habitats of the operational area of this role.
3. Sufficient knowledge of a range of delivery mechanisms for conservation work relevant to the operational area of this role eg. agri-environment schemes.
4. Understanding of the concept of landscape scale conservation.
5. Proven ability to influence others and negotiate desired outcomes.
6. Confident advocating a position to landowners and managers, local politicians, members and volunteers who have different views.
7. Competent user of core MS Office programmes.
8. Experience of working to survey, protect and/or manage important sites, species or habitats.
9. Experience of productive partnership working.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

10. Effective project management skills.
11. Specialist conservation knowledge in relevant areas, such as, wetland and farmland.
12. Competency in use of GIS.

Additional Information

This is a Permanent Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from the 11th of April, 2023. For further information, please get in touch with Maureen.Harvey-Graham@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.

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 on nature's side and more diverse people. People of colour and disabled people are underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sectors. 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 from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship. Appointed candidates must show proof of right to work in the UK.

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