Learning Officer- Orkney Native Wildlife Project – Kirkwall Office (Part-Time)

Job Description

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project aims to safeguard the unique and internationally important native wildlife of Orkney and the benefits it provides for local people and the economy by addressing the threat it faces 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. It is therefore essential to remove stoats from Orkney to prevent significant and long-term negative impacts on Orkney’s native wildlife.

The Orkney Native Wildlife Project is a partnership project between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council, made possible by generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund ,EU LIFE, partners and donations.

Education is an integral part of the project, and a flexible and adaptive educational outreach programme has been developed. We are looking for an enthusiastic person with the skills and experience in delivering an engaging and informative education programme as well as someone who can inspire and lead our youth forum.

What’s the role about

We are looking for a person with a passion for outdoor learning and good knowledge of the Curriculum for Excellence to deliver the “Young Ambassadors” component of the project. You will deliver lessons for primary and secondary classes on non-native species, explaining what the project is doing to tackle the threat from stoats and how to prevent future invasions. You will run field trips to survey native wildlife, give assemblies and support teachers as part of an Integrated Learning Programme. You will lead the design and production of teachers’ and pupils' training packs (online and paper copies) so that teachers can deliver lessons independently. You will host a Teacher Working Group and deliver training sessions for teachers. You will be responsible for facilitating the youth forum to become ambassadors for Orkney's native wildlife.

You will be an effective and creative communicator with experience in delivering engaging sessions for young people. You will have experience in designing curriculum-based activities ideally involving nature or the environment and turning complex subject areas into fun, engaging learning. 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 working with local communities in a collaborative and sensitive way.

Key activities will include:

• Project development & delivery: Assists in undertaking projects, following an agreed programme of lesson delivery.
• Management & development of volunteers: Manage volunteers who we recruit to assist with lesson delivery or support youth forum activities.
• Building effective relationships: Build and maintain relationships with teachers, support staff and school leaders to ensure effective target delivery.
• Production of written materials: creation of teacher and pupil packs as part of the education programme as well as any resources needed for lessons.
• Building effective internal relationships: Builds effective internal relationships across departments, regions and countries. Through discussions and joint-working with appropriate colleagues, to ensure effective project delivery.
• Communication to key audiences: Communicates both directly, and indirectly via the Communications team, to key audiences, in order to ensure our education programme inspires, informs and builds support among key audiences, e.g. through local talks and blog-writing.

What we need from you

• Expected to have a degree in relevant subject or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of key legal and practical requirements for ensuring health and safety of staff, volunteers and students in the field.
• Experience leading youth groups.
• Able to communicate difficult conservation messages about removing stoats from Orkney to children of all ages, as well as teachers.
• You will have an understanding of the Curriculum for Excellence.
• Ability to use own initiative to solve day-to-day problems and work to a defined work plan.
• Ability to work in bad weather, when required.
• A passion for wildlife conservation and an understanding of the impacts of invasive non-native species on biodiversity.
• Experience of managing or supporting staff and/or volunteers.
• Verbal communication skills to develop and maintain good relations with school staff and members of the public.
• Full Drivers license valid for use in the UK.

Additional Information

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 the 9th Feb 2023. For further information please contact info@onwp.org

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 exempt from 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.