This 12-month maternity cover is a fantastic opportunity for a programme manager to help us achieve our vision to restore the UK’s uplands and reform gamebird releases and shooting practices. If you are passionate about making a positive difference for wildlife and people, read on to find out more about the role. 

We are facing a climate and ecological emergency and losing our wildlife at a frightening rate across the UK. The uplands are often the last refuge for important wildlife populations, however even here many of our species and habitats are under threat due to unsustainable, and often illegal, land management practices across large areas managed for “driven” grouse shooting. In the UK, over 60 million non-native gamebirds are released each year, with gamebird shooting largely unregulated in contrast to other uses of natural resources, such as water or forestry. The RSPB wants to see an end to these unsustainable practices, and for damaged areas to be restored in a way that benefits society and wildlife. 

We need a dynamic Programme Manager to work with a cross-organisational team to deliver this exciting programme of work and help shape a better future for our upland landscapes and their internationally important habitats and species, as well as ensuring that gamebird releases operate within high environmental standards. 

This role is a 12-month maternity cover and the postholder will work with colleagues to oversee the delivery of the outcomes of the RSPB Council’s Upland Vision and Review of Gamebird Shooting and Associated Land Management. These measures include reform of grouse shooting across England and Scotland, and the development of measures to reduce the impact of the very large number of non-native gamebirds (pheasants and red-legged partridges) released across the UK each year.

The postholder will be line-managed by the Head of Species and Land Management, Scotland in UK Countries; however, they will be part of the Global Conservation Project Management Team. The postholder will implement the work programme of the Uplands and Gamebird Review Programme Board, comprising multi-disciplinary staff from UKHQ and UK Countries, and overseen by the UK Land Portfolio Board. Periodic reporting to Management Board and Council on progress is required. 

Key activities will include: 

1. Providing programme management support for the work of the RSPB’s Uplands and Gamebird Review Programme Board and sub-groups (upland vision/grouse/lowland gamebirds/communications) tasked with overseeing the implementation of the RSPB Council’s vision for the sustainable management of the UK’s uplands. 
2. Ensuring stakeholders are kept fully involved and informed about relevant programme developments to ensure an informed and consistent approach across the RSPB and to ensure appropriate support and buy-in for the programme’s objectives. 
3. Identifying, recording, managing and communicating risks and issues, putting in place appropriate contingency actions, to reduce the likelihood of events that might prevent programme outcomes being delivered on time. 
4. Organising programme meetings and papers/agendas/minutes, follow up actions and prepare regular programme highlights and financial reports on behalf of the Programme Board and sub-groups. 
5. Estimating and managing the programme’s duration, determining when activities and events need to happen, ensuring the programme delivery remains on track.
6. Managing the programme’s Sharepoint site, ensuring key documents and papers are saved and filed appropriately. 

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience of managing projects and/or programmes, ensuring that schedule is defined, risks are identified and reduced, and key deliverables are met.
• Experience of working to a standard project/programme management approach (eg RSPB Project Management Framework, Prince II).
• Experience of delivering a number of projects simultaneously.
• Experience of successfully managing budgets.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Great interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with people and to motivate and support others. This will require the ability to meet with people 1-2-1, to chair meetings, and present to large audiences.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Ability to solve issues quickly, efficiently and creatively.
• Logical, methodical, analytical and with a good eye for detail.
• Impressive time management and organisational skills.
• Experience of managing Sharepoint sites.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of UK conservation issues, especially pertaining to the uplands and gamebird shooting.
• An understanding of the role of public facing communications/campaigns in supporting conservation delivery.

While advertised as 12 month full-time position at 37.5 hours per week, there is scope for this role to be conducted part-time if required. Additionally, this could be a great secondment opportunity for any internal candidates

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 25th 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.

If you wish to provide a cover letter with your application, please include this at the end.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.