Erasmus+ European Voluntary Service Vacancies
Application Details
Dates: 1st February 2016 – 31st January 2017 (fixed dates)
Costs: Voluntary positions, but all costs will be covered and accommodation provided.
Number of positions: 4 conservation, 1 environmental policy/law, 3 communication, 4 education, 1 administration, 3 finance.
BirdLife Malta is looking for new full-time voluntary assistants to join their international team protecting birds and their habitats and inspiring and educating people about birds and nature in the Maltese Islands. Volunteer assistants will be based in our offices and at our nature reserves in Malta.
Are you:
- Aged 18-30 and an EU citizen
- Outgoing, friendly, keen to meet new people, socialise and experience a different culture
- Interested in bird conservation and/or environment protection
- Interested in improving bird, plant and other taxa identification skills
- Interested in inspiring & educating people about birds and the natural world
- Willing to do hands-on conservation work ranging from caring of injured wild birds to fieldwork aimed at protection of wild birds from illegal killing
- Willing to develop administration, work prioritising, numeracy and people skills
- Willing to learn and having an adaptable work attitude commensurate with the needs of a charitable organisational structure including working flexible and occasional long hours
- Physically fit (for essential fieldwork)
- Possess a valid driving licence
Description of duties
There is opportunity for each volunteer to experience a range of tasks, but for ease, the assistants’ duties are split as follows:
Conservation – Research and fieldwork (2 positions)
Purpose of the role: To assist the Conservation Manager and Conservation Officer in the various tasks allocated to the Conservation Department within BirdLife Malta oriented mainly around fieldwork, outreach to the bird ringing/watching community, members of the public, research, etc.
Specific requirements:
- A degree in biology, zoology, ecology or a similar discipline
- Valid driving license
Duties:
- Assist in the preparation of position papers, research papers and reports as necessary
- Assist any data entry as required by the BirdLife Malta ringing scheme and Research Committee.
- Illegal hunting/trapping surveillance
- Assist the Conservation Officer/Conservation Manager in the organisation of surveillance trip to monitor illegal hunting and trapping
- Assist the Conservation Officer in keeping records and filing data on observed illegal hunting/trapping activity (aerial and land surveys)
- Maintain BirdLife Malta’s database of illegal hunting and trapping records on excel and ArcGIS
- Participate and involve volunteers in illegal hunting and trapping surveillance
- Prepare and maintain equipment for use in fieldwork activity
- Maintain video and photographic records on server according to BLM system of investigation reports
- When necessary, to provide any testimony in court
- Liaise as necessary with police and other enforcement authorities
- Prepare data for presentations, reports, press releases and press conferences as required by the Conservation Department and Communications Department to raise awareness on illegal hunting and trapping
Spring Watch (April) and Raptor Camp (September)
- Assist the Conservation Officer in the organization of Spring Watch and Raptor Camp including taking bookings for hotel reservations
- Assist in the running of the camps in various duties required: equipment preparation, data logging, and liaison with volunteers
Conservation - Injured bird care (2 positions)
A range of bird care and events activities at our new bird rehabilitation centre, including nursing and releasing injured birds back to the wild:
- Ensuring injured birds brought to BirdLife receive urgent veterinary attention
- Feeding and caring for injured birds so they can be released in to the wild
- Ensuring excellent hygiene to minimise health risks to birds and humans
- Educating and informing visitors to the centre about caring for injured wild birds
- Organising events related to bird migration and bird conservation
Some work to set up the centre will be required. Valid driving licences are a must.
Environmental Policy (1 position)
Purpose of the role: to provide evidence and identify processes at EU and Malta level to improve Maltese environmental policy and practice with regard to bird conservation and protection
Duties:
- To gain an overview of the situation regarding derogations to the Birds Directive in the Maltese islands including the EU processes and Maltese legislation that allow it to happen
- To gain an understanding of processes and legislation governing bird protection legislation and identify opportunities at improving these processes to guarantee better environmental protection and enforcement
- To liaise with international partners within the EU and familiarize with campaigns and initiatives aimed at the defense and implementation of the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directive
- To understand and utilize international conventions and tools to suggest the implementation of stricter rules and policies governing wild bird regulations.
Education (4 positions)
Purpose of the role: To inspire, involve and educate people about birds and the natural world, with a particular focus on school age children and their families. All positions will support each other’s work but have their distinct area of responsibility.
Schools
- Administrate the Dinja Wahda school programme
- Support the delivery of teacher training within schools
- Support delivery of school events
- Assist with the development of new resources and ideas
- Compile regular (at least termly) e-newsletter to be sent to all school contacts
- Support delivery of new green space in school grounds initiative
- Manage the bookings for school visits to the nature reserves linked to Nature Watch and Green Talks within schools.
Community education
- Development of BLM informal education work including visits to the nature reserves and youth leader training
- Development of resources and activities to improve family visit to the nature
- Work with Events EVS to plan and deliver programme of events, particularly when linked to families on the reserves
- Maintain database of educational resources for events and activities
- Develop and deliver new initiatives for informal education
- Support the delivery of the summer school programme at the Aquarium
Projects & Research
- Deliver work related to existing community education projects including Spot a Sparrow and APUS
- Support administration and deliver of the Erasmus+ project Lifelong Learning through Nature
- Oversee new community education projects that are awaiting confirmation and develop ideas for new areas of work.
- Work with university contact to conduct research into the impact and effectiveness of BirdLife Malta’s education work
Outreach
- Position in partnership with Malta National Aquarium
- Deliver BLM events and activities at the Aquarium
- Develop and deliver summer school programme
- Develop and deliver of activities to be delivered to schools visiting aquarium during the scholastic year
- BirdLife Malta talks within the Aquarium linked to our work to protect sea birds
- Development of new resources to educate Aquarium visitors about BLM work and sea birds
- Regular weekend work at BirdLife Malta nature reserves as a Visitor Assistant showing the public around
Finance (3 positions)
- Assisting the Finance Manager and Membership Officer with finance related office duties.
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Bank Reconciliation
- Assisting in the preparation of Payroll, FS3/FS5 document and annual reconciliation (FS7)
- Assisting in the preparation of Vat return
- Management and closing of accounts
- Financial support to projects (LIFE+, Erasmus+, etc...)
Administration (1 position)
- General HR duties (Recruitment, staff meetings, staff development, volunteers management)
- Administrative support to projects (LIFE+, Erasmus+)
- Office coordination (stationery control, suppliers management, office general supplies)
- Basic office duties including answering the telephone and dealing with incoming mail
- Properties and assets management
- Assisting the CEO with his agenda
- Basic IT support (emails, printers configuration, etc...).
Communications (3 positions)
Communications interns will work in three discrete areas: media communications, public events and design.
Media communications
- Digital Media: Updating the BirdLife Malta website, and other social media including Facebook, YouTube Channel and others
- Archiving: organising and uploading multi-media material (photos and video) and maintaining the media archive
- Media work: Working with project manager(s), conservation, education and fundraising staff to develop and implement targeted project and campaign communications for print and broadcast media
Events
- Promoting membership and involvement in BirdLife Malta and actively recruiting members and volunteers at stalls, fairs, events and in other public places and providing support to Membership officer with the membership administration
- Assisting the relevant staff with the organisation of public events, and the preparation of communications materials
- Assisting with the management of BirdLife Malta’s sales and merchandise
Design
- Design BirdLife Malta’s printed materials including the organization’s magazine, promotional leaflets and educational materials
- Design web-based communications materials
- Produce and edit high quality videos for local and international audience video production: producing and editing high quality videos for local and international audience
To Apply:
Please download and fill in the application form from the link below, making it very clear which department or position you are most interested in. Completed applications should be returned to info@birdlifemalta.org with Subject: Application for EVS Assistants (Department or Position) e.g. Application for EVS Assistant (Communications). We highly recommend that you visit our website on www.birdlifemalta.org for further information before applying. This position is funded by Erasmus+. Only EU citizens living in eligible countries are able to apply.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8IHu3lVUMyAeS12UjFmdWMtbTg/view?usp=sharing
Applications close 4pm (CET) Thursday 3rd December 2015. Telephone/Skype interviews will take place shortly afterwards, with successful applicants informed before Christmas.
