Flexa
RSPB • Lowther Estate, Cumbria

Endangered Landscapes Programme Manager - Cumbria (Fixed-Term)

Employment type:  Contract
Salary:  £38,000 – £42,156 per annum

3–4 days/week at home

Fully flexible hours

Dog friendly

Job Description

About the Endangered Landscapes Programme in Cumbria:

Working on behalf of core project partners - RSPB, United Utilities, Lowther Estates and Natural England, and as part of an ambitious Europe wide suite of ELP funded restoration projects, Cumbria Landscape Partnership seeks to inspire a co-developed vision of a restored 33,000ha English upland landscape. The project seeks to support widescale land-management change and nature recovery through a collaborative working model that seeks to bring differing land management interests together at a time of great change and uncertainty. The project also aims to accelerate the restoration of natural processes on existing core nature sites including Wild Haweswater and Lowther Estate within the project area through an expansion of naturalistic grazing, direct intervention, natural regeneration, species reintroduction, peatland restoration and reestablishment of dynamic river systems.

This project represents an ambitious and innovative approach to supporting long-term, significant habitat restoration at scale across Cumbria.

To support this critical work, we are seeking an inspiring and dynamic leader to head up this programme of exciting and ambitious landscape scale recovery. Working with local partners and stakeholders, this work will enable core nature sites and the wider agricultural landscapes to become better for nature and deliver benefits for local communities. With support from a dedicated project team and project partners, you will lead all stages of the project through your team.

You will help build make the case, locally, for more public and private investment in nature, through developing a locally relevant evidence-base for investment; bolstering ecological, place-based economies where the value of restoring the natural world, and in turn, of sustainably produced goods and services, is retained by and benefits local communities.

To succeed in this exciting role, you will need a successful track record in nature restoration and in working with communities and stakeholders and of using these skills to deliver positive change on the ground. You will need good understanding of environmental and commercial concerns relevant to the land management sectors and to be able to positively engage. You will be a visible leader, having the ability to work with a wide range of partners to reach practical solutions. You will be self-motivated, well organised and an excellent communicator - capable of working on your own and alongside local teams and partners. You will feel passionately about the natural world and the hope of its recovery and, in turn, would be joining a friendly and dynamic community of partners, committed to creating a better future for nature.

Key aspects of the role:

On behalf of the Project Partners, you will lead a multidisciplinary team to implement the Cumbria ELP project. You'll work closely with a wide range of stakeholders and the local community to deliver innovative and collaborative approaches that inspire action for nature restoration at a landscape scale. You will ensure that nature restoration activity is embedded within the wider socio-economic needs and interest of local communities.

  • Programme management activities, including delivery and reporting against key project milestones
  • Overseeing the development of viable business models for nature restoration, combining agricultural, enterprise, environmental market and grant/subsidy income
  • Developing strong and productive relationships with local stakeholders, as well as with relevant funders, government agencies, and staff working nationally
  • Contributing to wider operational and policy discussions on effective delivery of nature recovery at landscape scale
  • Contributing to shared learning and impact within the suite of ELP restoration projects and forward ELP’s wider Programme goals

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience:

  • Conservation and or management knowledge in relevant areas, e.g. woodlands, along with habitat and species conservation/survey requirements
  • Track record of leadership in delivering projects
  • Track record of managing complex projects and dispersed teams
  • A visible inspiring leader and strategic operator with exceptional communication skills to inspire and advocate for the project
  • Experience of working with external stakeholders
  • Demonstrable leadership ability, problem solving skills and ability to find creative solutions
  • Partnership working - an ability to persuade and influence a wide range of people, both internally and externally
  • Produce clear written communications for varied audiences from local community to specialist conservation scientists
  • Logical & methodical, analytical, an eye for detail with time management skills
  • Able to work under pressure and manage changes within projects
  • Competent IT user with understanding and track record of successfully managing budgets/financial systems

Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience:

  • Understanding of the concepts around landscape scale conservation and wider land use in the operational area of this role
  • Understanding and appreciation of the of differing perceptions and values of landscape and landscape change
  • Broad understanding of farm and the economics of land management
  • Understanding of agri-environment schemes and application of nature-based solutions

Additional Information & Working Arrangements

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position w/c 12th December 2022. For further information please contact: David Morris, Area Manager, Cumbria and NE England: David.Morris@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process, you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and 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 at 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

Awards & Achievements

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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