Overview

Senior Conservation Officer – North Scotland
Reference: SEP20215493
Location: RSPB Scotland – Aberdeen
Salary: £32,400.00 – £46,575.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, 26 days Annual Leave

Are you passionate about Scotland’s wildlife and landscapes? Do you have a clear understanding of the challenges facing peatlands, farmland and wetland wildlife? Are you a team player who wants to have wider impact? If so, this could be the role for you. You will be responsible for driving and overseeing the work of RSPB’s conservation team within our North East Scotland & Shetland team, to ensure delivery of the relevant outcomes of RSPB’s Saving Nature Strategy.

The role will lead, manage and develop the conservation team in the area, helping to deliver a work programme focused on our priority landscapes including some of Scotland’s rarest and most iconic species and habitats. This will be achieved by using detailed knowledge and experience of the appropriate conservation toolkit to ensure we achieve our objectives. This may include site safeguard casework, species recovery work, land management advice, overseeing conservation projects and engagement in land use and marine policy.

This post will have a key role in instigating and managing programmes and projects across the Area and in association with RSPB colleagues. This includes those led by RSPB and our delivery in wider partnerships, particularly within the varied East Scotland High Nature Value Priority Landscape. In the Priority Landscape you will be proactive with land managers to deliver ambitious targets for peatland, farmland birds and the uplands, stretching from the Moray coast to Deeside. The position will have an important external role, building positive relationships with key partners and stakeholders so that RSPB’s policies and messages are understood and furthered within relevant partnerships and fora.

As the conservation leader within the area team, you will contribute expertise to the Area management structures, monitoring and reporting on the work plan and development of new work plans and/or project ideas. You will also be expected to contribute expertise and experience to RSPB’s policy and advocacy work, particularly around the uplands and farmland and contribute to the delivery of our funding and communications objectives, through communicating our conservation messages in a variety of ways.

This is a fantastic opportunity to play your part in being at the forefront of delivering RSPB Scotland’s conservation work within an area of Scotland that is incredibly rich in biodiversity – if that sounds like the job for you, we would love to hear from you.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

  1. Degree level qualification in a relevant subject, or ability to show equivalent work experience.
  2. Sufficient understanding of landscape scale conservation; land use and management; planning systems; relevant policy and legislation relevant to the operational area to advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
  3. Knowledge of the wildlife and habitats of North East Scotland & Shetland.
  4. Sufficient knowledge of a range of delivery mechanisms for conservation work to advise staff on appropriate interventions.
  5. Ability to form effective teams (both internal and partnership) and work effectively as a team player. Experience of developing and leading productive partnerships.
  6. Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public to a variety of audiences.
  7. Confident advocating a position to landowners and managers, local politicians, members and volunteers who have different views. Experience of negotiating with and influencing the public or private sector, to deliver biodiversity benefits, through both regulatory and voluntary means.
  8. Experience of managing staff or volunteers and setting clear work priorities. Ability to support and develop staff using a variety of management techniques.
  9. Experience of working to survey, protect and/or manage important sites, species or habitats. Ability to rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadlines.
  10. Competent user of core MS Office programmes.

This is a Permanent, Full Time role.

Closing date: 23:59, 24 October 2021
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 10th November 2021.

To Apply and for More Information:

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button to be directed to our website where you can complete your application for this position. 

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

No agencies please.