Senior Conservation Officer - Yorkshire & Humber (Maternity Cover)

Job Description

We are looking for a knowledgeable, dynamic and passionate team player to lead the RSPB’s off-reserve conservation work across the Yorkshire and Humber area for the duration of the current occupant's maternity leave.

With the range of important habitats and species across Yorkshire and the Humber, and the threats and opportunities facing them, this is an exciting and varied role that presents a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference for nature in the area.

To make a success of this opportunity, you will be a capable leader with the ability to work well with a broad range of contacts, both within the RSPB and beyond. You will be able to apply your strong ecological knowledge in a pragmatic and focused way, to lead our small conservation team to deliver the best possible outcomes for our priority habitats and species.

What's the role about?

This maternity cover vacancy is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in leading the direction of conservation across the Yorkshire and Humber area. The role will lead, manage and support the conservation team, helping to deliver our work programme focused on the Humber Estuary Priority Landscape and relevant priority species and habitats most notably lowland wetlands, estuaries and coastal/marine. This may include site safeguard casework, species recovery work, land management advice, conservation projects and engagement in land use and marine policy.

The successful candidate will be responsible for guiding and overseeing the work of the RSPB’s conservation team within Yorkshire and the Humber, to ensure delivery of relevant RSPB strategic outcomes. This will require the ability to understand the range of conservation tools, prioritise these to ensure we are doing the most important things in the right places in the best way possible, getting the best out of the people they work with. Essential qualities will therefore be leadership, the ability to prioritise, time management, communications skills and energy, all focused on delivering the best for nature. We are particularly interested to hear from candidates with experience in working with and engaging communities in nature conservation.

This is a great opportunity for the right candidate to make a major contribution to nature conservation in Yorkshire and the Humber, working with colleagues from across our reserves, conservation team and the wider organisation to really deliver for the area's amazing wildlife.

Key activities will include:

• Leading the Conservation Team work to deliver a work programme focused on priority landscapes, species and habitats
• Supporting the delivery of the RSPB’s landscape scale conservation programme delivery in the Humber Estuary
• Leading and supporting on priority casework within the area
• Involvement in individual projects, including the English Twite Recovery Project, Urban Gull work and our community empowerment initiatives

Essential 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 relevant to Yorkshire and the Humber to advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
• Knowledge of wildlife and habitats of the area.
• Sufficient knowledge and experience of the different ways of delivering nature conservation to advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
• Understanding of the concept of landscape scale conservation and the pressures on land use in the area.
• Ability to lead effective teams and work effectively as a team player.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational)
• Confident advocating a position to landowners and managers, local politicians, members and volunteers who have different views.
• Ability to support and develop staff using a variety of management techniques.
• Ability to rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadlines.
• Competent user of core MS Office programmes.
• 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.

This is a Fixed-Term maternity cover role for 37.5 hours per week. The role can either be based at home or RSPB Old Moor. 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/assessments for this position from 7th July 2023. For further information, including if you need any reasonable adjustments, please contact richard.barnard@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete a short form. If you wish to provide a cover letter with your application, please include this at the end of your CV document upload.

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.

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