Summary

Do you want to help the largest conservation charity to meet its ambitions for nature, climate and people? Can you join us in restoring a healthy, beautiful natural environment, and contribute to our goal to create and restore 25,000 hectares of Priority Habitat by 2025? We’re looking for two experienced ecologists with strong project management and collaboration skills to drive forward our activity on: 

Peatlands 3 year fixed term contract - supporting technical restoration through to advocating for their importance and engaging people to love and care for them.

Biodiversity Net Gain 2 year fixed term contract – preparing for the implementation of BNG legislation, developing, delivering and managing BNG legislation, policy and practice, both internally and externally. 

Salary: £30,000 

You will need to thrive on working with others to deliver results at scale, whilst having an eye for detail and being evidence led.

What it's like to work here

With climate, nature and the environment high on the UK’s agenda, the National Trust has a key role to play in making a difference on our own land and beyond. These exciting new roles will do just that. Sitting within our national Nature & Science team you will support the design and delivery of our strategic activity across Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Working with colleagues across operational teams, internal and external consultancy and partner organisations you will help project manage the developing National Trust peat programme or facilitate the implementation of BNG policy (in England only). You will also get involved in other projects and activities that support nature’s recovery and evidence the difference we are making.

What you'll be doing

Ecologist (Peat) 

• Using your project/programme management skills to support the establishment and delivery of a Trust wide peat programme including facilitating programme management meetings and leading on internal communications. 
• Working with colleagues and partners to create an internal network and a programme of learning, sharing and training in peat restoration and management. 
• Using your technical and practical knowledge to contribute to developing standards and approaches to peat data collection and management that will allow us to plan restoration trajectories and monitor and evidence impact at different scales. 
• Working with operational colleagues and partners to tackle some of the barriers and challenges we face in peatland restoration and translating nature conservation and land use policy into practice. 
• Bringing live peatland projects together into a programme and identifying resources and funding needed for delivery. 

Ecologist (Biodiversity Net Gain) 

As part of a team you will be: 

• Providing evidence-based advice on habitat creation and management for nature conservation, particularly in relation to development. 
• Developing and implementing process that ensures compliance of our own developments in England, maximising the opportunity to engage with other developers to deliver their obligations (supporting our strategic ambition for nature), and integrating the developing wider offsetting agenda including carbon and nutrients. 
• Ensuring that the relevant professional communities are aware, engaged and trained appropriately to deliver BNG confidently going forward.
• Liaising and sharing with external bodies such as eNGOs, Local Planning Authorities and government bodies to ensure we are setting best practice. Testing the implications of working externally in partnership with developers and identifying criteria for forming strategic relationships. 
• Promoting a nationwide strategic approach to BNG. You will nurture a culture of working collaboratively to achieve benefits locally and regionally, that further our national strategic ambition for nature. 
• Using your knowledge of relevant legislation and policy including BNG, Town & Country Planning Acts, and land management grant schemes to win opportunities in support of our ambition for nature and climate.

Who we're looking for

We’d love to hear from you if you have: 

Please provide a CV and cover letter to let us know why you would like to apply for this position, how your skills and experience fit with the requirements for the role and please also let us know in your application if you have a preference for the Peatlands or Biodiversity Net Gain role.

• A strong background in ecology or practical nature conservation including technical expertise in peatland management and restoration, or providing evidence-based advice on nature conservation in relation to development. 
• Experience of project and programme planning, management and delivery, at scale and with multiple partners/stakeholders. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and thrive on working collaboratively. Demonstrable consulting skills of listening, building trust and delivering as promised 
• Strong organisational and excellent communication skills; good IT skills for project management, GIS and databases and excellent analytical skills with the ability to wrangle data to produce summaries and reports.
• Self-led and proactive, able to identify opportunities and develop them independently. 

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you – and it doesn’t matter if you’re jam first, cream first, or even if you don’t like scones at all. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits for working at the National Trust include:

• Flexible working whenever possible
• Free parking at most locations
• Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.