Senior Project Manager - Curlews in Crisis (Fixed-Term)

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Project Manager to take on an important and innovative species recovery project operating across all four UK countries.

Do you have the passion, skills, and project management experience to deliver landmark, conservation management to help save an iconic species?

What's the role about?

The RSPB is at the delivery stage of the EU LIFE funded project ‘Curlews in Crisis – emergency action to halt the decline of Curlew in priority landscapes’. Working closely with project partners, landowners and communities, the aim is to stabilise curlew breeding populations within five priority landscapes: Antrim plateau and Lough Erne landscape in Northern Ireland, Ysbyty Ifan and Hiraethog in North Wales, RSPB Geltsdale and Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England and RSPB Insh Marshes in Scotland. At each of the project sites, a range of interventions are being deployed to improve breeding conditions for curlew alongside monitoring to measure their response.

We’re strengthening networks to share best-practice approaches and engaging with communities and decision makers to build public and political support for Curlew. Using what we learn from the project, we’ll ensure the right land management policies are in place long-term to secure the species future.

Over the second half of project delivery, you’ll be responsible for progressing key pieces of work including the UK Species Action Plan for Curlew and parliamentary events held in each of the four countries. You’ll be ensuring that the legacy of the project is secured through after-LIFE plans for each of the project landscapes.

In this role, you’ll find yourself working with motivated site teams, ecologists and other support staff to keep everyone on track, liaising with key stakeholders, promoting the project to a variety of audiences and making sure that the project delivers the best outcome for Curlew. We need you to be someone with organisation, communication and influencing skills to ensure this complex project continues to run like clockwork.

You'll have the passion and enthusiasm to spread good conservation land management practice and play a key part in raising awareness of the conservation need of Curlew.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Proven experience of managing complex projects to a standard project management approach (eg Prince II or RSPB's PMF)
  
• Demonstrable ability to manage changes within projects
• Ability to produce clear written communications
• Great interpersonal skills whether 1-2-1, chairing a meeting or presenting to a large audience
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances
• Demonstrable leadership ability, able to lead without line management authority
• Logical, methodical, analytical and with a good eye for detail
• An ability to persuade and motivate a wide range of people, both internally and externally
• Experience of successfully managing budgets
• Experience of working with external stakeholders such as agencies and contractors

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Project Management Qualification or appropriate training
• Demonstrable experience of working in partnerships to achieve shared outcomes

This is a Fixed-Term, Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week until 14th February 2025. 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 on Monday 24th April 2023. For further information please contact samantha.lee@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.

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.