If you have excellent coordination skills, a passion for species recovery and want to play a key role in saving England's fastest declining bird, this is the role for you.

Operation Turtle Dove is looking for a Senior Project Manager, to join our team working on Turtle Dove recovery, lead and co-ordinate our delivery of conservation advice in priority areas and work with internal colleagues, external partners and others of the flyway to drive the development of our future strategy for Turtle Dove recovery.

What's the role about?

The Turtle Dove is England's fastest declining bird and one of the RSPB's highest species recovery priorities in England. Operation Turtle Dove is working to deliver land management advice, conservation science, species monitoring, policy advocacy and international work on the flyway. We need a Senior Project Manager to co-ordinate this work, the person needing to:

Use appropriate project management tools and approaches to ensure the successful delivery of Operation Turtle Dove. This will need you to apply a species recovery approach and focus to a complex cross-team delivered programme of work, and drive the continuing development of our ongoing strategy for Turtle Dove recovery.

Be responsible for managing project delivery in our Turtle Dove Friendly Zones (TDFZs) in southern and eastern England - working with our network of Conservation Advisors, and operational teams, who support farmers to create and manage the habitats that the birds need.

Work with colleagues across internal teams and disciplines, including (but not restricted to) operational teams, conservation science, ecology, policy and advocacy, communications and global species recovery. This will include related projects, such as the Turtle Dove Test & Trial.

Building on existing relationships with external stakeholders and partner organisations, to ensure a shared collaborative approach to Turtle Dove recovery. The will include Birdlife partners to ensure our work is part of the delivery of wider conservation gain on the flyway scale.

Lead a legacy approach to involve volunteers more closely in this work, linked to our Species Recovery Volunteer Network. Manage a Network Development Officer, responsible for developing volunteer groups to support species monitoring, habitat management and advice delivery.

Manage internal and external project communications for Operation Turtle Dove, to ensure support and focus for our work.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Practical experience in the management and successful delivery of projects, using appropriate project management tools.
• Ability to apply a species recovery approach and focus to a cross-team project, involving delivery in both a national and international context.
• Sound natural history knowledge and understanding of the basic ecological needs of priority farmland and woodland wildlife.
• Experience of developing projects and/or programmes of work.
• Strong advocacy and communication skills, with the ability to adapt your style depending on the audience.
• Strong relationship and partnership building skills, being able to work as part of a project team and with external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable leadership abilities, including the ability to lead and steer work across teams with line management authority.
• Experience of cost and budget management.
• Experience of line managing and motivating staff and volunteers, and develop others skills and knowledge.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and able to find creative solutions to changing circumstances.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Sound knowledge of the ecological needs of Turtle Doves and the conservation interventions needed for the species in England and on the flyway.
• Experience of working with farmers and land managers to provide land management advice for farmland wildlife.

The working location is flexible with the option of being home-based, but the successful candidate will need to travel to priority Turtle Dove areas within southern and eastern England when required. Possession of a valid UK driving licence or ability to access remote locations is essential.


This is a Fixed-Term role for 37.5 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 on either 20 or 21 June. For further information please contact nicky.reeves@rspb.org.uk.

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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.

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

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