Overview

Plantlife are offering an exciting opportunity at a critical time in our global efforts to reverse biodiversity loss.

We are seeking an exceptional individual to undertake a 12-month paid internship, ideally suited to a graduate looking to launch a career in environmental advocacy and/or communications. We can offer you the benefits of working for a medium sized conservation charity with significant influence – a hands-on experience of the global environmental movement and structures, as well as learning how an NGO functions from within. We will help you to develop the skills and experience for your future career, providing mentoring, feedback and learning opportunities to support your professional development. In return, you will help us build networks of partners with whom we can collaborate with to communicate Plantlife’s international messages, helping expand our reach and impact. A key part of the role is to help develop engaging content for all of our publicity platforms, including publications, social media and website, ensuring that our international web presence is current and engaging. You will also assist with research and monitor international developments that our related to our work. If you are an articulate, dynamic and well organised team player who has excellent communication and IT skills and experience of social media engagement, we would love to hear from you.

For more information about Plantlife’s role on the international stage, take a look at our International Manifesto on our website.

KEY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Length of contract: 12 months.
Hours: Full time (35 per week).
Location: Home based.
Salary: this internship will be paid on the UK’s National Living Wage rate which is age dependant and is currently £16,216 for someone over 23, increasing to £17,290 from April 2022.
Holiday: 33 days’ holiday per annum (including bank holidays). Operational closure between Christmas and New Year in addition to the above.
Other Benefits: Contributory pension scheme (subject to eligibility criteria) and Death in Service benefit.

About Plantlife

Established in 1989, Plantlife International is the only UK charity dedicated to conserving wild flowers, plants and fungi in their natural habitats and helping people enjoy and learn about them.

Our mission is simple – to secure a world rich in plants and fungi. Underpinning the health of our environment, wild plants and fungi are the foundation upon which we can help resolve the climate, ecological and societal challenges we face.

We aim to:

• Protect and restore the diversity of wild plants and fungi to enhance our countryside, towns and cities.
• Connect people with nature to improve wellbeing and inspire action to save species and their habitats.
• Work in partnerships so that all people and all sectors of society can contribute to tackling the climate and nature crisis we face.
• Collaborate and influence on the world stage to empower societies across the globe to help protect plants and fungi.

Successful delivery of this strategy will lead to a world full of colour, beauty and life – from inner cities to our wildest places. Plants, and the animals that depend on them, will thrive and be connected in every way possible. Our practical work in furtherance of these aims encompasses a wide and varied programme. We own 23 nature reserves across the UK and carry out conservation and outreach work on our own land and in partnership with others, such as the National Trust, RSPB and the Forestry Commission. We advise landowners and publish best practice guidance. We carry out research and gather data to inform government policy. We engage people of all ages and abilities in plant conservation and education and give everybody opportunities to enjoy wildflowers. We work overseas with bodies such as the IUCN and Kew and, as a lead partner in the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, identify Important Plant Areas across the world and plan their conservation with government and community groups.

We are governed by a board of 9 trustees, chaired by Professor David Hill OBE. Our Patron is His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. Philip Mould is our President and Rachel de Thame Vice President.

We have 60 staff, located in our Salisbury Head Office, at other Plantlife offices or at home. Plantlife Cymru and Plantlife Scotland each have devolved responsibilities. We also have a team of 1500 volunteers who work in the field, at events and in our offices. Of our annual £3.2m expenditure, £2.9m is spent on conservation and communication work.

A large proportion of our income derives from our 11,000 loyal members and supporters.  We also receive funding from the UK governments and their conservation agencies, grant making bodies such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Land Fill tax funds, donations from charitable trusts and foundations as well as income from business partners and fundraising events.

Plantlife is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

For more information, please visit our website: www.plantlife.org.uk.  You will also find information there about our trustees, our policies and projects, as well as our annual reports and accounts.

How to apply:

A full job description and person specification are set out below. If you fit the bill, please write explaining why you would like to be considered for this role and  complete the Plantlife application form (available at https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/jobs ) and return it to jobs@plantlife.org.uk by midnight Sunday 5^th December.

We expect to hold interviews week commencing 14^th December via Teams.

If you have any questions about the role please contact Karen Inwood, International Strategy Lead – karen.inwood@plantlife.org.uk

In order to minimise our administrative costs, applicants should assume they have been unsuccessful if they have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date.  In such instances we are thankful for your interest in Plantlife International.