Introduction

This is an outstanding opportunity to help ensure a better future for the UK's freshwater and coastal habitats and the species that depend upon them. You will lead the development and advocacy of RSPB policy on water policy issues and influence important debates and decisions across the UK.

We are looking for an effective advocate with expertise and experience of influencing policy development and implementation related to our water environment. You will be passionate about securing the legislative and policy change - across the public and private sectors - that helps drive nature’s recovery. In addition to providing thought leadership and advocacy, you will have a good understanding of the role of communications and campaigning in driving systemic change, devolution as it applies to this area, and you will be brimming with innovative ideas on how we can utilise more ‘outside-track’ techniques to secure the policy changes required.

What's the role about?

The UK's freshwater environment and coasts are hugely important for nature. How we manage them, and the land around them, in the coming decades will play a central role in determining whether we can halt declines in nature and combat and adapt to climate change. Impacted by pollution, over abstraction and increasingly extreme weather, our freshwater environment is under more pressure than ever, and our coastal habitats face being squeezed by rising sea levels. This role will allow the successful candidate to work across all these issues and more – providing strategic leadership and maximising the opportunities that our work on freshwater and coastal habitats provides to more effectively tackle the drivers behind poor ecological status.

The Senior Policy Officer will have direct line management responsibility for one policy officer, working within the Land, Seas and Climate Policy team in the RSPB’s UK Policy and Advocacy Department. The role has a UK-wide remit and will work with policy staff across the four UK countries, working to lead the development of our overarching policy positions, helping to develop and coordinate our advocacy strategies and ensure their effective implementation, targeting decision makers in government, arms-length bodies and across the private sector. As part of this you will help facilitate even better join up between our work on the ground – drawing on the incredible experience and knowledge of the RSPB’s operational staff on reserves – and our policy development and advocacy.

The role will be responsible for undertaking advocacy on freshwater and coastal policy matters determined at Westminster and Whitehall and providing information, advice and support to other staff internally on these issues, particularly colleagues based in policy teams across the UK.

The successful candidate will need strong leadership skills and the ability to work with a wide range of policy staff across the UK and with colleagues in our Conservation Science, Communications and Campaigns and Operations teams to ensure we have impact.

Key aspects of the role include:

• Developing credible policy positions based on sound science and evidence;
• Developing influencing strategies that will achieve results;
• Undertaking advocacy and communicating persuasively to target decision makers;
• Coalition campaigning and communications;
• Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders; and
• Helping to plan and coordinate work across different teams and disciplines to ensure we influence policy decisions in each of the four UK countries.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• You will be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of water policy in the UK or wider, with relevant academic or professional qualifications
• You will be an experienced policy advocate, with knowledge of freshwater and coastal policy and practice in the UK or wider.
• You will be able to lead and coordinate work with others to develop policy positions, associated influencing strategies and lead their implementation effectively
• You will have an excellent understanding of the role of public facing communications/campaigns/engagement in supporting policy advocacy.
• You will be able to analyse complex issues in a fast-paced environment.
• You will have well-developed negotiating and influencing skills and be able to engage with a wide range of individuals and organisations, including at very senior levels.
• You will understand how public institution decision-making occurs and have good political instincts.
• You will have written and verbal communication skills to a very high standard; professional and persuasive.
• You will be confident and capable of being a public face for RSPB policy and advocacy to the media and through the use of social media.
• You will bring with you an extensive network of contacts and relationships in government, agencies, business and NGOs, relevant to water policy and related sectors.

Further role details 

This is a Permanent, Full Time role, however we are open to applications from candidates who would look to conduct this role on a part-time, pro-rata basis. The successful candidate can be based flexibly, however regular travel to London and Bedfordshire will be required.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 6th June 2022. For further information please contact thomas.lancaster@rspb.org.uk.

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.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.