Senior Conservation Officer

We are currently seeking a Senior Conservation Officer to join us on a two-year fixed-term contract, working 37 hours per week.

To coordinate the development and delivery of the River Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment Restoration project; a landscape scale nature recovery initiative to restore and conserve the River Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment. This role is supported by Yorkshire Water through the Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment Partnership to focus on building resilient habitats, improving water quality and conserving rare and endangered species including the freshwater pearl mussel.

The Benefits
- Salary of £29,439 - £32,909 per annum (dependent on experience)
- 25 days’ annual leave plus eight bank holidays (Annual leave increases by one day per year to 30 days’ leave after five years’ service)
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Pool car system
- Flexitime working and blended working options

This is a brilliant opportunity for a dedicated conservationist with experience of developing river restoration or nature conservation schemes to join our organisation as we protect the River Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment.

You will have the chance to contribute to a landscape scale conservation effort to protect rare and endangered species, including the freshwater pearl mussel, contributing to the diversity and longevity of our precious waterways.

Alongside conserving delicate ecosystems, you will be able to enhance your professional reputation by taking a leading role in delivering this project.

So, if you’re passionate about conserving our priceless ecosystems and have been looking for a project to invest your expertise in, this is the perfect position for you.

The Role

As a Senior Conservation Officer, you will co-ordinate and facilitate the development and delivery of our River Esk and Coastal Streams Catchment Restoration Project.

You’ll identify the water, wider catchment and ecological aspects of the project and negotiate practical conservation solutions with local land managers to restore the catchment and help conserve the endangered freshwater pearl mussel.
Raising awareness, you’ll engage community groups with the challenges our rivers face to create a sense of local ownership and support citizen science programmes such as aquatic species monitoring.

**Additionally, you will**:

- Deliver best practice advice to land managers and river users
- Oversee in-channel, riparian and wider catchment restoration works
- Oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the project
- Secure additional funding
- Manage project delivery on time and within budget

About You

To be considered as a Senior conservation Officer, you will need:

- Experience of developing practical river restoration and/or nature conservation programmes
- Experience of working in rural areas with local stakeholders to deliver conservation projects
- Experience in budget management
- Experience of undertaking and managing procurement processes and contractors
- Experience of partnership or multi-agency working
- Good knowledge of river processes, resource protection, and conservation management
- An understanding of the economic, community and cultural issues rural areas face
- The ability to negotiate practical conservation solutions with local landowners
- Excellent ICT skills, including report writing and a working knowledge of GIS

Ideally, you will have experience of working on freshwater pearl mussel, and/or other aquatic species conservation projects.
Experience of successfully managing and securing funding for projects from different sources would be highly advantageous, as would experience of obtaining permission and consents for conservation projects.

Other organisations might call this role Senior Ecologist, Environmental Sustainability Programme Officer, Biodiversity Officer, Biodiversity Conservation Officer, Senior Catchment Restoration Officer, or Freshwater Biologist.
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