Area Manager - Cumbria & North East England

Introduction 

The RSPB works to protect habitats, save species, and help to end the nature and climate emergency. We have an exciting opportunity for a self-motivated and passionate individual to join our team as Area Manager for the RSPB’s Cumbria and North-east England Area. This leadership role will have oversight of, and overall responsibility for, the RSPB's operations in this area, including our work on our nature reserves and our conservation work in the wider countryside. In addition, the post holder will develop and maintain relationships with partners and key stakeholders.

What's the role about? 

Reaching across Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Newcastle and Teesside, the RSPB’s work is highly varied - we have seven significant RSPB natures reserves managed by five reserve teams, two RSPB Priority Landscapes in the North Pennines and Dales, and the Lake District, and a partnership project ‘Cumbria Connect’ delivering landscape scale nature recovery.

The Area Manager position is primarily a strategic leadership role, setting direction by translating RSPB strategy into an area work programme including budgetary and resource planning, delivery planning and priority landscape plans. The successful candidate will need to inspire their team to achieve these goals with enthusiasm and energy, supporting and encouraging development in others, leading and motivating a dispersed multi-disciplinary team to build capability across the operation.

Habitats in this area include a range of upland, wetland and coastal environments. Work to manage, enhance and create these habitats is delivered directly on the RSPB’s suite of nature reserves and through partners and stakeholders within the Priority Landscapes. A number of high value projects and partnerships are in delivery across the area, including a new Landscape Recovery project working with landowners centred on our Haweswater reserve. Engagement with people is a key objective. Our reserve at Saltholme, offers significant people engagement, retail and catering facilities, whilst at Haweswater we engage visitors through facilities such as our badger hide and bespoke events.

The role is varied, and you will be joining an experienced and motivated team who are doing great things for nature conservation. Through considered decision making, risk management and effective working with internal and external stakeholders, the Area Manager will effect change at a significant scale.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience: 

The Area Manager role is broad, and we are looking for a candidate with rounded skills, knowledge and experience. Our priority is to find an Area Manager who can work effectively with people, as the leader of their team, with colleagues across the organisation and with the diverse range of partners and stakeholders.

• Experience of operational management, including compliance and risk management
• Proven ability to translate strategy into action, developing programmes, prioritising, and leading change
• Proven leadership and people management skills, able to develop team members for high performance and build a positive culture across dispersed, multi-disciplinary teams
• Visible, inspiring, and effective leadership skills of own operational team, engaging and motivating staff and volunteers at all levels, including scenarios when direct line management is not applicable
• Experience of leading and developing large, multi-disciplinary teams
• Collaboration skills to build relationships and partnerships, navigate politics and manage conflicts
• Business management skills to understand strategy, business functions and decision-making
• Financial acumen to manage budgets, forecasting, understand financial statements and understand and use business metrics and management information
• Proven ability to influence others, communicate effectively, build partnerships, negotiate at a senior level and represent the organisation

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Project management experience to input into the planning and management of complex programmes and projects
• Experience of leadership and management of commercial operations
• Knowledge of relevant matters in Cumbria and the North East, including ecological, political and socio-geographical.
• Understanding/experience of innovative conservation financing e.g. Biodiversity Net Gain and Carbon

This is a Permanent, Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week. 

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 18th July 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.