We're looking for a self-motivated person with excellent people skills combined with a passion for connecting people with nature. Working at Mousa reserve, you'll be providing a unique and fascinating visitor experience, inspiring our visitors to support nature conservation now and in the future. This role is fundamental in ensuring we have the highest quality of visitor experience for both new and existing audiences, and through encouraging responsible access you will be helping the wonderful wildlife which makes Mousa its home.

Famous for its human and natural history, the uninhabited island of Mousa has multiple designations and has been an RSPB reserve since 2000. Otters are the only land-mammal on Mousa and keeping Mousa free of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) is crucial to the success of breeding birds. Through telling Mousa’s 5000 year human inhabitant story you will encourage people to consider their own relationship with the natural world. By taking visitors on a journey from awareness to knowledge, understanding, concern and action people should leave Mousa knowing some of the things they can do to help both the climate and biodiversity crises.

As well as being on the island, you will engage with visitors before and after their trip, answering their questions and relaying important disturbance and behavioural messages. Using Mousa to promote responsible access and good biosecurity practice will result in improved behaviour around Shetland and beyond. This aspect of the job is key in responding to the recent pressure of bird flu. 

You will be working with the Shetland Team of staff and volunteers to ensure a coherent visitor offer is delivered whilst also working with the SHQ team to ensure the highest quality of RSPB visitor experience.

The ideal candidates will have strong communicating skills, a passion for nature, and be dedicated to giving a high standard of visitor experience - if that's you we'd love to hear from you!

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• A team player who can motivate and inspire people.
• Problem solving skills and ability to work on own initiative.
• Ability to manage and respond to customer needs and feedback.
• Able to build and maintain strong working relationships.
• Computer literate to include professional use of social media to adhere to brand requirements.
• Working knowledge of visitor engagement techniques.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Successful experience of managing or supporting a team of staff and/or volunteers.
• Having contributed to a successful visitor project or visitor attraction.
• Tourism or leisure related qualification, ideally at HND level or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of Equal Opportunities and Diversity.
• Health & Safety in the workplace.

This is a Part-Time role for 30 hours per week until the end of September 2023. 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 w/c 5th June 2023. For further information please contact kevin.kelly@rspb.org.uk 

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.

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 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.