Overview

Would you like to join our team to lead the recovery of the turtle dove in the South of England?

Turtle Dove Conservation Advisor
Reference: DEC20215847
Location: The location of this post is flexible, but you need to travel across Essex
Salary: £27,574.00 – £30,590.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, 24 days Annual Leave
This is a Permanent, Full-Time role

We are seeking a confident and proactive Turtle Dove Conservation Advisor to work across Essex focussed on the recovery of this species.

The turtle dove is the UK’s fastest declining bird. There are many factors attributing to its decline both in the UK and overseas. Recently there have been some significant breakthroughs to cease the unsustainable hunting of turtle doves in Europe. This is a fantastic development, however suitable habitat and food availability is declining in their UK breeding ground. We are working hard to support turtle dove recovery and expansion throughout the landscape, working with farmers and landowners to provide vital feeding and breeding areas.

About the Role:

We are seeking a confident and proactive Turtle Dove Conservation Advisor to work across the landscape with a focus on species recovery. Positive interaction with landowners across Essex is crucial, so you will need to be comfortable with regular long journeys in order to visit potential sites.

You will:

  • Actively seek opportunities to create and enhance turtle dove feeding and nesting areas. Using your advocacy and influence skills, you will work with farmers and landowners/ managers to provide advice on how they can enhance their land for turtle doves.
  • Ensure existing relationships are maintained as well as seeking out new opportunities.
  • Manage a team of volunteers to support your work, monitoring and assessing current and potential sites will be a fundamental part of the role.
  • Work together as part of the Turtle Dove Advisory and Delivery Group, keeping in contact with your counterparts across the country.
  • Maintain good project management, and regularly contribute to the Delivery Group.
  • Work with the local team, being supportive, by providing advice on potential turtle dove opportunities, sharing your ideas and knowledge.
  • Be motivated and able to undertake independent learning, ensuring that you keep up to date with current grant schemes and best ecological practices relating to land management.

Although the focus is on turtle dove, you can use your network to promote and enhance habitat availability which will benefit a wide range of species. In the future, your role may focus on the recovery of other species.

Key activities include:

  • Responsible for fostering close links, providing advice with a focus on turtle doves, to farmers and landowners/ managers.
  • Stay up to date with current grant schemes and funding available to support landowners/ managers.
  • Provide advice and training such as bird identification and habitat management information to landowners/ managers, land use advisers and local communities.
  • Build a network of land management advocates for farmland and land managed well for turtle dove.
  • Provide conservation information and specialist knowledge to the decision-makers and advisory bodies that are developing and/or providing advice to landowners, as well as internal colleagues.
  • Work to influence the development and implementation of land-management guidance and agri-environment schemes, etc, and ensure they are appropriate for nature conservation.
  • Contribute to the development and delivery of the RSPB’s landscape scale conservation programmes (as appropriate) to ensure integrated, effective and efficient delivery of the agreed objectives and contribute to the ecological network approach that seeks to place important site conservation within more sustainably managed land and seascapes.
  • Build positive relationships with key external partners and stakeholders so that RSPB’s policies and messages are understood and furthered within relevant partnerships.
  • Carry out relevant survey and monitoring activities and managing relevant data and reporting systems.
  • Manage and develop volunteers to deliver an ambitious work programme.
  • Manage your own time working across a large geographical area ensuring key outputs are achieved.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

  • Ability to engage with and advise farmers, landowners/managers.
  • Ability to prioritise your own workload and work independently.
  • Knowledge of the land management practices we are seeking to influence and the ability to independently build upon your existing knowledge.
  • Ability to influence others and negotiate desired outcomes.
  • Knowledge of the ecology of farmland birds particularly the turtle dove.
  • Experience of partnership working.
  • Experience of farmland advisory work and Agri-Environment schemes, transferable skills, or alternative farming background.
  • Confidence in advocating a position to those who may have different views.
  • Ability to undertake survey work.
  • It would be preferable to have experience of managing volunteers.
  • Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational).
  • Competence in the use of GIS and core MS Office programmes.
  • A full driving licence and happy to regularly drive long distances.

Closing date: 23:59, 23 January 2022

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 27th January 2022.

To Apply and for More Information:

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

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.

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

No agencies please.