Part-Time Youth Engagement Officer, Girlguiding Partnerships

We are seeking a dynamic Youth Engagement Officer to connect young people with the natural world. In this role, you’ll create opportunities for Girlguiding members to build their love of nature, deepen their understanding of their role in protecting it and empower girls to become champions and advocates who use their voice to drive change for nature. If you're passionate about youth engagement and nature, we’d love to hear from you.

What's the role about?

You’ll be joining the RSPB England Education, Families and Youth team and working on our regional partnerships with Girlguiding, particularly in North West England and with RSPB Project Officers to support the development and delivery of our funded project outputs.

Key tasks: 

1. Support the delivery of engaging training or workshops for young people, both in-person and online, helping them connect with nature and take meaningful action.
2. Collaborate with Girlguiding volunteers and RSPB Project Officers to help develop a youth-focused nature and climate action toolkit.
3. Plan and deliver a ‘nature discovery event’ for over 100 girls at a partner green space in Cumbria (4-5 Oct), working closely with Girlguiding to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience.
4. Recruit, coordinate and support a team of volunteers to help deliver the partnership event and contribute to other project goals - ensuring they do their role well and have a great experience.
5. Facilitate in-person ‘Running Outdoor Nature Sessions’ for Girlguiding trainers in North West England, enabling them to train more leaders.
6. Support our partnerships with other Girlguiding regions, to expand opportunities for girls to engage with and advocate for nature across England.
7. Collect data to track progress, measure impact and contribute to a project progress and evaluation reports.
8. Oversee day-to-day procurement and budget tracking, ensuring resources are managed efficiently and aligned with project needs.

An England role, flexible on working pattern and part of a remote team. The role holder will be a homeworker but must be based in the Girlguiding North West England region (Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Manchester, Cumbria, Merseyside, Sefton, Stockport or the Wirral). Travel is required within the North West. You will need to be available to run events/training at weekends and/or evenings.

You will be supported in your role by the RSPB Project Officers and Education, Families and Youth Manager, England with opportunities to meet virtually with staff and volunteers, so you feel part of a team and learn about the work of the RSPB and Girlguiding. An induction and relevant training will be provided as well as support to further develop the skills needed for this role. 

Essential skills, knowledge and experience: 

1. Experience in planning and delivering youth-focused engagement that connect children and young people with nature, supported by a strong understanding of safeguarding principles and health and safety practices essential for working in outdoor and online settings.
2. Demonstrates the ability to work independently, take initiative, and manage time effectively to meet objectives without close supervision.
3. Strong communication skills, able to build positive, collaborative relationships quickly with a wide range of stakeholders, including young people, volunteers, and partner organisations.
4. Understanding of the value of volunteering, with experience in supporting and coordinating volunteers effectively.
5. A solid understanding of the natural world, environmental issues, and practical actions that support nature conservation.
6. Demonstrated experience in delivering projects in line with defined aims and objectives, including tracking progress and managing budgets using tools such as Microsoft Excel and Word,

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

1. Experience in planning and delivering outdoor nature-based events for groups of over 80 children and young people. 
2. Experience in designing and delivering engaging training sessions, workshops, or facilitated discussions for adults and/or young people that encourages meaningful participation and sharing learning.

This is a 12 month fixed-term role for 22.5 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 from Tuesday 15th July. 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.

This role will require completion of a DBS in addition to the standard pre-employment checks.

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 exempt 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.