Introduction

We are looking for someone to join us as our Senior Business Conservation Adviser and spearhead a new conservation partnership between the RSPB and Openreach, one of the UK's biggest telecommunications companies.

The RSPB is the UK’s largest conservation charity, consistently delivering successful conservation, forging powerful partnerships with other organisations, and inspiring others to stand up and give nature the home it deserves.

RSPB’s Business Conservation Advice Unit are at the forefront of partnering with businesses across a range of sectors, such as housing, renewables, minerals, recreation, to create nature positive outcomes, to support a better environment in which we can live and their commitment to becoming nature positive. You will be part of a growing UK team who provide specialist ecological & conservation management advice to business.

What's the role about? 

This role provides the opportunity to work for UK’s largest conservation NGO on a new business partnership with a tangible impact. It will involve analysing, planning, managing and delivering this new national strategic partnership with Openreach to the highest standards.

This is your chance to shape a more sustainable future, guiding your partner in their nature-positive journey and inspiring others to follow suit, and you will lead with vision and inspiration to drive this new collaboration, with an opportunity to make a real difference.

Reporting to the Head of Business Conservation Advice, you will: 

Design, manage and deliver the RSPB-Openreach partnership, involving:

• Support the development of the Openreach Nature Positive strategy and delivery & monitoring plan
• Provide a business nature counsel role
• Develop and collate metrics linked to strategy outcomes
• Support onboarding of sustainability metrics that meet incoming disclosure requirements e.g. Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)/Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) and others
• Provide enhancement advice and guidance on habitat restoration and species conservation
• Upskill operations staff on relevant topics
• Conduct surveys to record positive impact
• Bring in wider RSPB knowledge expertise where relevant
• Facilitate regular policy knowledge exchange
• Identify key stakeholders and develop an engagement and communication plan
• Implement communication activities, such as public engagement campaigns and citizen science projects
• Support advice quality assurance across the wider team of business conservation adviser

Essential skills, knowledge and experience: 

• Degree level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience
• Previous experience of successful partnership working, ideally between conservation and business organisations, and developing positive relationships
• Detailed understanding of nature conservation, sustainability and environmental issues including current wildlife and environmental legislation, policy, standards and established ecological guidance
• Understanding of habitat creation, maintenance, restoration, ecology and ecological mitigation and proven track record of providing ecological management advice for UK species and habitats
• Ability to develop and plan strategies, rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadline
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to speak confidently and in public to a variety of audience
• Competent user of core MS Office programs
• Successful project management demonstrated by delivery of stated objectives, within budget and on time
• Able to prioritise effectively, take responsibility, solve problems, quality assure work to a high standard, be self-sufficient yet able to work in a team and get things done
• A full clean driving licence / willing and able to travel nationally, and overnight away from home as part of the job or be able to access locations without public transport.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience working in the telecommunications sector
• Knowledge of Nature Positive and other business drivers
• Knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain 
• Knowledge of sustainability reporting metrics such as TNFD & SBTN
• Use of Geographic Information Systems

This is a fixed term role for 3 years 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. 

This is a hybrid role, predominantly home-base with approx. 1 day per week working from Openreach’s offices in London

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from WC 13th May & WC 20th May. For further information please contact charlotte.mtaylor@rspb.org.uk.

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 people with a disability 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.

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