Conservation Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in protecting and enhancing exceptional nature reserves as part of the City of London’s Natural Environment Division. You will join the team at Burnham Beeches and Stoke Common in Buckinghamshire, helping manage these nationally and internationally recognised nature reserves which together consist of 300 ha of ancient woodland, wood pasture, valley bog and heathland visited by over 600,000 people each year. You will also influence and advise on management of other sites within ‘The Commons’ including National Nature Reserves in Surrey and Kent.

You will support the teams responsible for our nature reserve management, helping to develop management plans and policies, delivering ecological surveying and conservation projects.

You will monitor the impacts of our management and operations, advising on changes to work programmes or grazing regimes. This role will coordinate the administration of local agri-environment agreements and work closely with other staff to engage with emerging policy and develop opportunities to deliver work programmes and nature recovery across The Commons.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and professional officer who is organised and motivated and able to prioritise their workload to help ensure our open spaces remain outstanding areas for biodiversity while coping with large numbers of visitors. You will need to have the ability and confidence to work independently using your own initiative but also work effectively as part of a wider team.

You will be office and field based, you will need to write reports, collect evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders in the private and public sectors. The ability to communicate well both in writing and verbally is therefore essential for this role.

This role will offer opportunities to look outwards, working closely with our neighbours and colleagues in other organisations looking to deliver nature’s recovery on a landscape scale.

What we need from you

Degree-level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience.

Experience of managing projects and working to survey, protect and /or manage important sites, species or habitats.

Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public and advocating a position to those who may have a different view.

Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills.

The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS

Ability to form effective teams and work effectively as a team player and leader.

Sufficient understanding of landscape scale conservation; land use and management; planning systems; to be able to lead casework response and advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions

Hold a current full UK valid licence to drive fleet vehicles. (cars and vans)

You will work 35 hours per week, your duties will often require you to work outside and also occasional weekends and evenings.

Starting salary will be dependent upon qualifications and experience. For further information about Burnham Beeches and Stoke Common you can visit our website https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/burnham-beeches-and-stoke-common

Please note that CV’s will not be accepted.

To apply online, please click Here

The closing date for the job is noon on Monday 24 April 2023

Interviews TBC

Please contact 020 7332 3978 (24 hr. answerphone) quoting reference number OENV0095 if you experience any problems. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on 020 7332 3732.

The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and as part of the selection process the successful applicant will be required to obtain a Standard DBS Clearance.