Warden

Job Description

Blessed with a variety of freshwater habitats, Frampton Marsh & Freiston Shore nature reserves near Boston, Lincolnshire provide close views of the abundant birdlife of The Wash, one of Europe's most special places for wildlife. Frampton Marsh has more breeding waders (ca. 500 pairs) than any other RSPB nature reserve in England, along with tens of thousands of wintering waterbirds. Freiston Shore has a exciting future ahead of it thanks to a £2.5M development grant which has just been secured.

This is a fabulous opportunity to be part of an ambitious team in a leading role. You will deliver highly functioning dynamic wetland management at Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore to provide homes for nationally significant populations of breeding and wintering waders and wildfowl. This management goes hand in hand with ensuring we offer a first class visitor experience to showcase the work we do and the results we get.

Your workload will include responsibility for delivering the reserves management plan, managing contractors, including our livestock graziers, collaborating with the Visitor and Food & Beverage teams and ensuring Health & Safety, legal and compliance needs are met. You will lead your team by line management of the Assistant Warden, residential volunteers and work party volunteers, and support them in their development to deliver their work programmes.

You will be crucial member of a team of ca.100 volunteers and 19 paid staff, including a Defra funded project team for the 'Lincolnshire Wash Landscape Recovery Project', which is seeking to deliver even more habitat creation and management for you to get your teeth into with our partners on and around the RSPB reserves.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Relevant ecological knowledge.
• Experience of estate management.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety applying to site management (e.g. risk assessments).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Individual and team management skills.
• Record keeping/data management skill.
• Organisational skills including time management and prioritisation.
• Experience of biological monitoring.
• Experience of working with contractors.
• Experience of working with staff or volunteers.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Machinery operations, equipment servicing.
• Working with visitors.
• IT and database (Merlin)

You will need a full, manual driving licence that is valid in the UK.

Additional Information:

This is a permanent role for 37.5 hours per week.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 3 May 2024. For further information please contact toby.collett@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.