Are you passionate about tackling the nature and climate emergency? Do you want the opportunity to deliver amazing havens for wildlife across the Fens Priority Landscape?  

We have an exciting opportunity for a passionate, well -organised and pragmatic individual to join our team and provide project management support on a series of conservation restoration initiatives, with key RSPB partners, across the Fens priority landscape. 

What’s the role about?  

Our ambitious Hanson – RSPB  Wetland project at Needingworth, creating Ouse Fen reserve, is the largest planned nature conservation restoration scheme following mineral extraction in Europe. When complete, it will include the UK’s largest reedbed, covering 460 hectares (that’s 644 football pitches of land well managed for nature!) Recreating some of the lost wetland habitat that once dominated the entire fenland landscape and creating wildlife successes for species such as bitterns and bearded tits.  

Our pioneering partnership with Morgan Sindall, enabled us to acquire additional farmland at our Lakenheath Fen reserve, enabling large- scale restoration to wetland, extending habitat for threatened species such as bittern, and locking in 1,782 tonnes of CO2 annually (equivalent to 660 UK homes!)  

What we want to see  

As the Senior Project Manager for the area, you would be responsible for the effective delivery of projects and ensuring the RSPB delivers on project objectives, outcomes and outputs.  

Essential Skills and Experience  

• Evidence of strong project management principles and processes that have enabled you to achieve high quality delivery. 
• The ability to build, collaborate and maintain excellent working relationships with our external partners, internal site teams and experts (such as ecologists, rural surveyors, HSE advisors), to deliver the best outcomes for nature.  
• Experience of effective contract and budget management. 
• Prior experience of procuring contractors and consultants to enable successful delivery of projects. 
• Exceptional communication skills, you will be articulate and can make the often complex, simple for others to understand. 
• Characteristics of an excellent negotiator and can demonstrate examples where you have negotiated to a successful outcome.
• Demonstrable exposure to working with funders.  

Desirable Skills and Experience  

• Prior knowledge or experience of working on a mineral restoration project/ partnership or creating/ maintaining wetland habitat. 
• Awareness of conservation investment and associated income sources, such as BNG and UK Carbon
• Evidence of developing and/or delivering partnership projects   

What you can expect from us

• A supportive, high-performing team of individuals around you, who want to make the world a better place than we found it.  
• An array of exciting and high-profile conservation projects to work on
• An opportunity to grow your knowledge and experience of nature-based solutions to the nature and climate emergency.
• Access to excellent learning and development opportunities and employee benefits package  
• Opportunities to travel to other RSPB and external partners nature reserves and get closer to the UKs wildlife – all the while playing your part in safeguarding its future.  

This is a Fixed-Term role for 30 hours per week. The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 15th May 2024. For further information please contact April Wright - Area Manager on april.wright@rspb.org.uk or 07545472295.

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

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

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract. 

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.