Field Officer - Humber Beach Nesting Birds
RSPB
Are you passionate about protecting beach nesting birds and empowering others to take action for nature? We are looking for an enthusiastic, practical person with ecological experience and good communication skills to join our Humber conservation team. The successful candidate will support monitoring and protection of beach nesting bird populations (little tern, ringed plover, and oystercatcher) on the north bank of the Humber in East Yorkshire.
Beach nesting birds are a high conservation priority for the RSPB and this role will help towards securing a future for them. This is a partnership project, and you will work closely with colleagues across organisations such as the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England, and Spurn Bird Observatory.
This position is a fixed-term contract from April to August 2025.
What's the role about?
As the Seasonal Field Assistant, you will support all aspects of on-the-ground survey and monitoring delivery throughout the busy breeding season (April-August) in line with project objectives. You will be based at Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts Spurn National Nature Reserve. Activities will include:
- Monitoring breeding success of beach nesting Ringed Plovers, Little Terns and Oystercatcher.
- Maintenance of seasonal site fencing (including electric fencing), signage, and other infrastructure as required.
- Carrying out predator monitoring duties including deploying and maintaining trail cameras on site.
- Day to day engagement with beach users to inform, educate and raise awareness of beach nesting birds and their threats to empower positive behavioural change.
- Supporting a growing team of dedicated volunteers including assisting with inductions and on-site support as needed.
- Maintaining and building relationships with existing partners and stakeholders.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Higher level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience eg agriculture practices.
- Knowledge of bird and wildlife ecology, habitat requirements and identification to enable credibility in the role.
- Knowledge of a range of delivery mechanisms for conservation work relevant to the operational area of this role e.g. agri-environment schemes.
- Organisational skills e.g. maintenance and analysis of datasets, and managing conflicting priorities.
- Ability to work effectively as a team player both internally and externally.
- Effective communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) - including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public to a variety of audiences.
- Experience of managing volunteers and setting clear work priorities.
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- Degree level qualification in a relevant subject.
- Ability to rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadlines.
- Knowledge of the wildlife and habitats of the operational area of this role.
- Experience of working to survey, protect and/or manage important sites, species or habitats.
- Experience of productive partnership working.
This is a Fixed-Term role for 37.5 hours per week, from April to August 2025. 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 11th March 2025. For further information please contact [email protected]
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.
The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. 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.
About RSPB
The RSPB is a charity for the conservation of birds and nature. We bring people together who love birds and other wildlife, and who want to take action to restore the health and diversity of the natural world. We carry out conservation on a large scale, protect and restore habitats, and save species from extinction. We’re living in a nature and climate emergency, and we won’t stop whilst the threats persist.
We believe our work makes a real difference to the world we live in. It takes a great team to
save nature and we need a wide range of skills to make it happen.
As an RSPB employee, you will be helping to save nature every time you come to work. There’s never been a more important time to protect our wildlife and wild places, so we want to make sure you feel rewarded for everything you help us to achieve.
The RSPB is a charity for the conservation of birds and nature. We bring people together who love birds and other wildlife, and who want to take action to restore the health and diversity of the natural world. We carry out conservation on a large scale, protect and restore habitats, and save species from extinction. We’re living in a nature and climate emergency, and we won’t stop whilst the threats persist. We believe our work makes a real difference to the world we live in. It takes a great team to save nature and we need a wide range of skills to make it happen. As an RSPB employee, you will be helping to save nature every time you come to work. There’s never been a more important time to protect our wildlife and wild places, so we want to make sure you feel rewarded for everything you help us to achieve.
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