Cumbria Connect Community Wildlife Officer

RSPB; Preston; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job description

Cumbria Connect Community Wildlife Officer
Reference: MAR20254266
Location: Lowther Estate, CA10
Salary: £30,075.00 - £32,108.00 Per Annum
Hours: Full-Time
Contract: Until 31st March 2028

RSPB is lead partner in Cumbria Connect, one of the largest nature recovery programmes in the UK. With £4.1 million funding from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, this initiative began in 2023 and is starting to restore nature across 42,000 hectares of eastern Cumbria from Penrith to Kendal.

Cumbria Connect is bringing wildlife back: we want our landscapes to be alive with the colour and sound of life. We are reintroducing endangered species such as water voles, black grouse, glow worms and wood ant, recovering species like curlew, marsh fritillary butterfly and red squirrel and looking to expand population of missing species such as pine marten and wild beaver. We are also doing work to manage populations of species having a negative impact on nature like deer and mink.

You will be the face of wildlife across our programme area for our key audiences (farmers, residents, visitors and businesses) using your wildlife skills and love for people to make wildlife welcome in the places where people live and involve them in our work. You may have a background in ecology or have come from a social/community sector and combine a personal interest in wildlife with your passion for people. You will develop and deliver a programme of wildlife-centred, community-based activities and initiatives to raise awareness of and support for our work.

Essential:

1. Qualification in a related conservation or social/community subject, or equivalent work experience
2. Knowledge of UK wildlife, wildlife identification and simple biological survey and monitoring techniques suitable for citizen science
3. Experience in community engagement and working with diverse audiences
4. Experience of delivering events, workshops and training events to different audiences
5. Organising/leading volunteers and dealing with people face to face
6. Knowledge of risk management and safeguarding issues related to working with the public
7. Good organisational, administrative, communication and interpersonal skills
8. Report writing, IT skills and design skills (i.e. Canva), familiar with use of social media for communications
9. Current full driving licence valid for use in the UK

Desirable:

1. Knowledge of farming, forestry, and other land management and pressures affecting farmers and rural communities
2. Qualification in wildlife identification
3. Current First Aid at Work certificate
4. Understanding of Social Behavioural Science principles and participatory approaches to community engagement

Closing: Wednesday, 30th April

To complete your application online, please CLICK HERE