Senior Project Manager - LIFE 100% Favourable (Fixed-Term)

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Project Manager to take on an important and innovative national species and habitat enhancement project. Do you have the passion, skills and project management experience to deliver landmark, conservation management, helping to improve the conservation status of iconic Scottish wildlife and habitats?

What's the role about?

The RSPB is at the delivery stage of a LIFE-funded programme of work to enable and maintain the favourable conservation status of a number of key European protected habitats and species on RSPB reserves across Scotland. However, some features require additional conservation management to improve their condition for nature.

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 nature. We need you to be someone with organisation, communication and influencing skills to ensure this complex national project continues to run like clockwork.

You'll have the passion and enthusiasm to spread good conservation land management practice beyond reserves into the wider priority landscapes in which they sit, with the opportunity to interact with similar projects across Europe. You will also play a key part in raising awareness of the conservation need of these international natural treasures amongst policy-makers through an end of project conference.

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 role for 37.5 hours per week, for 18 months. 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.

The successful candidate can conduct this role flexibly from within Scotland, with regular visits to Scotland HQ in Edinburgh. Please note that, due to the remote nature of some of the work locations, the successful candidate will need to be able to travel to remote locations without the use of public transport.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 6th March 2023. For further information please contact neil.cowie@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.