Are you passionate about working with people and want to save nature? Are you an inspiring communicator with the ability to motivate others, especially young people, to take action for nature?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and people-focused Thames Community Officer to inspire people about the wonderful wildlife of the Thames Estuary.

About the role

You will develop a community engagement programme that will raise awareness and understanding of the Estuary and its wildlife. You’ll be both creative and innovative when it comes to organising engagement events that support our work in restoring and protecting this valuable landscape.

About The Greater Thames Estuary projects

The Greater Thames Estuary is fantastic for wildlife but it’s under threat!

The RSPB are embarking on helping to create A Greener Thames, with a program of landscape-scale restoration and enhancement projects across the Greater Thames Estuary working alongside partners including Kent Wildlife Trust, Essex Wildlife Trust, Kent Wildfowling & Conservation Association, and Elmley Nature Reserve, and funding from Green Recovery Challenge Fund to improve the Greater Thames for wildlife and for people.

Key tasks include:

• Develop a scheme to work with and through young people to deliver actions for nature by completing surveys.
• Develop partnerships with Universities around the Greater Thames to ensure more students become connected to the region and want to get more involved in helping conserve it. Develop workshops and other partnership work with Universities.
• Recruit a Youth Advisory Panel which will be vital to shaping the work and focus of the community engagement in the Greater Thames.
• Set up and run a new volunteer youth group to take action for nature through practical tasks. Young people will be learning new skills and gaining practical conservation and life experiences.
• Working with youth and community groups to encourage them to be more involved with nature.
• Promote volunteer opportunities and community involvement through talks, social media and engagement events to develop volunteer teams to achieve the aims of the project.
• Plan, organise and deliver an ambitious programme of community events at sites across the Greater Thames.
• Contribute to community advocacy and the project legacy planning, enabling the local community to remain engaged and enthused about the project, its outcomes and empowered to continue local conservation activities.

In your application please make sure you show us how you fit the following skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential skills, knowledge & experience:

• Energy, enthusiasm, and the ability to inspire people to take action for nature.
• An excellent verbal and written communicator with demonstrable people skills and the ability to engage with a wide range of people face to face.
• Events and project management.
• Customer care.
• Volunteer /staff recruitment and support.
• Ability to work under own initiative.
• Ability to enthuse and motivate themselves and others.

Desirable skills, knowledge & experience:

• Experience of community engagement and working with the public.
• Experience of working with young people.
• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Basic knowledge of UK wildlife, habitats and key species (sufficient to be able to lead public engagement activities in a credible way and to train and motivate volunteers).
• Experience of project management.

Please note that you will be required to complete an online application form only.

Before applying to this role we would encourage you to read through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert.

The interview date is planned to be 26 November.

This is a 15-month contract, starting in January 2022.

Should you have any queries about the position, please contact Louise Moss -  louise.moss@rspb.org.uk