Cairngorms Connect Communications and Involvement Manager (Aviemore)
Reference: FEB20212169
Location: Aviemore
Salary: £26,212.00 - £29,321.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Annual Leave, Life Assurance
Duration: 32 months
Length of contract: This is a fixed-term contract from March 2021 – December 2023.
The role is full-time, though we are open to applications for a part-time role, which we would combine with an increased budget for contractors/consultants.

About Cairngorms Connect 

Cairngorms Connect is the UK’s biggest habitat restoration project. It is a partnership of neighbouring land managers, committed to a bold and ambitious 200-year vision to enhance habitats, species and ecological processes across a vast area in the Scottish Highlands. Stretching over 600 square kilometres of contiguous land within the Cairngorms National Park.

This is a landscape of ancient woodlands, intersected by sparkling rivers and lochs, that encircle an Arctic-like mountain massif. It is the most extensive and wildest landscape of its type in Britain; there are vast tracts of blanket bog, tranquil wetlands and secret woodland bogs. It is home to plants, insects, birds and mammals that are found in few parts of the UK – the area is home to more than 5,000 recorded species; 20 per cent are nationally rare or scarce.

The Cairngorms Connect partnership is comprised of 4 land managers who, collectively, manage 600sqkm of contiguous land:

• Wildland Limited
• Forestry and Land Scotland
• NatureScot
• RSPB Scotland

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is a supporting partner. The Endangered Landscapes Programme is a major funder of the Cairngorms Connect project.

 The Communications & Involvement Manager will:

• Lead the promotion of Cairngorms Connect – locally, nationally and internationally.
• Champion Cairngorms Connect’s ambitious and exciting vision.
• Celebrate the extraordinary wildlife and habitats of the project area, and our restoration work to benefit them.
• Build understanding and value around the significant ecosystem services arising from the project.
• Promote opportunities for people to get involved – through employment, apprenticeships, volunteering and citizen science.
• Build a vibrant presence in the media, social media, and online.
• Establish a lively internal communications approach, cementing the broad partnership of the project.

If you are an experienced communications professional, with a passion for the environment, this could be the role for you. 

What we need from you:

Essentials

• Committed to, and experience in, delivering high-quality external and internal communications.
• Demonstrable experience of communications, preferably in the context of a partnership, ideally nature conservation.
• Significant & demonstrable experience, of building profile and establishing brand identity
• Able to demonstrate experience in sustaining an active and engaging online presence.
• Experience of working in a large, diverse organisation in the public, private or third sectors.
• A capable communicator with the ability to inspire a partnership approach.
• Experience of working collaboratively with communities and communities of interest.
• Strong writing and report compilation skills.
• Demonstrable ability to deliver ambitious targets.
• Experienced user of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.

Desirables

• Significant project management experience & skills.
• People management and team development experience.
• Experience of reputational risk management and mitigation – including, a positive approach to managing controversial issues.
• Experience of managing a budget responsibly, with a regular reporting framework.
• Demonstrable problem solving and dispute resolution skills.
• Experienced in compliance under General Data Protection Regulations.

Reports:
Reports to: CC Programme Manager
Direct reports: Community Ranger (based at RSPB’s Insh Marshes nature reserve).

Other key links:

• Visitor Operations Manager, Abernethy
• Site Manager at Insh Marshes
• Environment Officer East, Forestry and Land Scotland
• NatureScot Area Warden
• Director Conservation at Wildland Limited
• CC convenor of the CC Communications and Involvement Group
• Communications leads for the CC partners and for the Cairngorms National Park Authority

Workbase during COVID:
Location - Aviemore (NatureScot offices) – but significant working from home will be needed during Covid restrictions.

Whilst funded by the Endangered Landscapes Programme, the post will be employed by RSPB on behalf of the Cairngorms Connect partnership (Wildland Limited, NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, & RSPB Scotland). The post holder will therefore be subject to the RSPB’s terms and conditions.

The Endangered Landscapes Programme offers an exciting vision of hope for the future in which European landscapes are enriched with biodiversity, establishing resilient, more self-sustaining ecosystems that benefit both nature and people. The programme is funded by Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, and is managed by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Expiry date: 23:55, 11 March 2021
We are actively recruiting for this role and reserve the right to pull this ad at any time.

To Apply and For More Information:

If you would like to apply or find out more about this position, please click the 'More information about this vacancy' button. You will be directed to our website where you can complete your application.

No agencies please.