Area Manager - West Country

Could this be the best job in conservation? We think so.

The RSPB is looking for an exceptional leader to take on a truly special role as Area Manager for the West Country - covering some of the most stunning and biodiverse landscapes in the UK: Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This is more than a management role - this is your opportunity to lead one of the RSPB’s most exciting portfolios, restoring nature across a landscape rich in potential and alive with challenge.

Whether it’s guiding our team on the spectacular Isles of Scilly, shaping the future of the Somerset Levels through the Landscape Recovery Scheme, or building deep-rooted partnerships in Devon, you’ll be driving real, lasting change for nature.

This role is big, bold, and bursting with opportunity.

You’ll have strategic and operational responsibility across the RSPB’s work in the West Country - leading a talented and passionate group of teams delivering conservation on our nature reserves and beyond.

• You’ll oversee five reserve cluster teams across coast, wetland and lowland habitats - each with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
• You’ll line-manage and inspire our off-site conservation team, working with landowners and partners to embed nature recovery at landscape scale.
• You’ll champion the visitor experience across our reserves - ensuring that every person who steps onto our sites connects deeply with nature, feels welcome, and leaves inspired to protect it.
• Working closely with our central fundraising, finance and visitor experience teams, you’ll help shape and support income generation across the area - from maximising visitor income on reserves, to contributing to successful bids for government funding, grants and philanthropic support that power our most ambitious conservation goals.
• You’ll lead on our two RSPB Priority Landscapes - the Somerset Levels and the Celtic Seas, including executive oversight of the Somerset Landscape Recovery Scheme.
• You’ll bring vision and energy to complex programmes and competing demands - keeping nature, always, at the heart of what we do.

This is a job for someone who loves nature, thrives in complexity, and finds joy in bringing people together to create a world richer in wildlife. You’ll work closely with eNGOs, local authorities, statutory agencies, farmers, and communities - building trusted relationships and turning ambition into action on behalf of nature.

About you

You’re a leader who brings people with you - you inspire, support, and energise. You don’t shy away from challenge, but you lead with purpose, clarity and care. You see partnership not as a strategy but a mindset, and your ambition for nature drives everything you do.

We’re especially looking for someone with the following:

• A background in nature conservation, land or reserve management, and/or operational management including risk and compliance.
• Experience of leading dispersed, multi-disciplinary teams (both employees and volunteers), passionate about creating high-performing, ambitious cultures.
• A proven ability to turn bold strategy into real-world impact - designing ambitious programmes, setting clear priorities, and leading transformative change, all while confidently navigating competing demands without losing sight of the bigger picture for nature.
• A love of the natural world, and a belief that restoration, not just protection, is the future of conservation.
• The credibility and confidence to work with senior partners, government and stakeholders.
• Strong business acumen, budget management and decision-making skills.
• Bonus points if you have experience of project management software and tools, have experience in commercial operations, explored new ways to fund conservation (like Biodiversity Net Gain), or know your way around the West Country’s nature, people and politics

You’ll be part of a wider leadership team and work closely with your counterpart across England and the UK. Together, you’ll help steer the RSPB’s operational delivery across England and be a key member of the RSPB’s Southern England Leadership Team.

Why join us?

Because this is a job that matters, to nature, to communities, and to the future of the places we all love. The RSPB is an organisation with serious ambition, delivering change at scale, and doing so with a brilliant team of people. We believe in the power of fun, creativity and collaboration, even when the stakes are high.

We are not here to maintain the status quo. We are here to drive bold change for nature, and we want you with us.

Additional Information:

This is a permanent, full-time role for 37.5 hours per week.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 18 August 2025. For further information please contact Deborah Fraser, Operations Director - Southern England [email protected]

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 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.