Senior Conservation Officer - Southern England

Job Description

We are looking for a knowledgeable, dynamic and passionate team player to lead our experienced conservation team and deliver the RSPB’s landscape scale conservation work across Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

With three priority landscapes and established species projects. There is a strong culture of partnership working; the RSPB is the lead partner for one of the first Landscape Recovery pilots currently in its first of two tears development phase, sits on many important steering groups and boards

This role can be based at Arne or Winterborne Downs and can be partially home based.

What's the role about?

The Senior Conservation Officer will lead and develop an ambitious conservation work programme for the area, ensuring delivery maintains a focus on priority places, habitats and species. You will build and maintain positive relationships with key external partners, stakeholders and communities so that RSPB’s policies and messages are understood and furthered. An excellent communicator, you will advocate the RSPB’s position on a variety of issues such as woodland, forestry and heathland restoration, coastal habitat creation and species introductions and will help develop our work for people and for nature

You'll be a key member of the Area Leadership team and Senior Conservation Officer network in England, lead our work in identifying and assessing engagement with casework activities as they arise, and be Involved in delivering projects including the Wareham Arc and Arne Moors Habitat Creation Scheme

Make no mistake, this is a role with immense professional opportunity and will make a difference to people and nature

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Able to lead effective teams and work as a team player with experience of managing staff or volunteers and setting clear work priorities.
• Experience of negotiating with and influencing the public or private sector, to deliver biodiversity benefits, through both regulatory and voluntary means and developing productive partnerships
• Understanding of the concept of landscape scale conservation and the pressures on land use in the area.
• Ability to rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadlines.
• Sufficient knowledge and experience of the different ways of delivering nature conservation to advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
• Competent user of core MS Office programmes.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Sufficient understanding and experience of species and habitats; landscape scale conservation; land use and management; planning systems; relevant policy, and legislation to advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
• Ability to support and develop staff using a variety of management techniques.
• Knowledge of wildlife and habitats of the area.

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

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position during week commencing 11 December 2023. For further information please contact dante.munns@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, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. 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 the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

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