Conservation Advisor – Dartmoor Moorland

Are you a great communicator with a passion for nature and a good grasp of upland management?
If so, this role is an exciting opportunity to work with the farming community, partner
organisations and volunteers in Dartmoor National Park.

The RSPB is a partner in the National Lottery Heritage Fund project ‘Dartmoor’s Dynamic
Landscapes’ aimed at restoring nature, protecting our heritage and supporting Dartmoor’s
communities. The project will focus on the habitats of three river catchments including bogs of
the high moor, grasslands, upland heath and wooded valleys.

An essential outcome of the Dartmoor’s Dynamic Landscapes project is understanding existing
methods and developing new ways to collect ecological information. This will be trialled for
birds and their habitats, reviewing and sharing learning to establish best practices. Results
will be available for land managers needing this information for future ELM and green finance
initiatives. 

What’s the role about?

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic conservation adviser to develop and test a
species monitoring programme, to capture and share information on priority birds and the
habitats they depend on. Our focus will be on moorland habitats, most of which is common land.

You will be liaising with local farmers, landowners and partner organisations over the
establishment of survey routes and developing a network of volunteer surveyors. Our aim is to
set up a way of collecting and sharing species data that is repeatable into the future,
accessible and supports action for nature recovery. Providing detailed and Dartmoor
site-specific advice on the needs of these species is a key part of the role.

This post is for one year as part of the development phase, but there is potential for
extension into the delivery phase.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• In-depth knowledge of the birds and habitats of moorland
• Excellent bird identification skills relevant to moorlands and experience of breeding bird
  survey using standard methodologies e.g. BBS or CBC
• A good understanding of moorland management practices, including commons
• Proven experience of working with farmers and land managers to achieve conservation
  outcomes
• Experience of working in a team and/or with volunteers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Competent user of core MS programmes including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Sharepoint and
  Teams
• This role will involve lone working and fieldwork in remote moorland locations and will
  require occasional weekend and evening working
• This role will involve driving on RSPB business

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Working experience of agri-environment schemes and their application
• Knowledge of the moorlands and farmland of Dartmoor
• Experience of productive partnership working
• Competency in use of GIS

Additional information

This is a part-time (22.5 hours) 1-year contract – 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 mid/late June. For
further information please contact – [email protected]

As part of this application process, you will be asked to upload a CV and complete an
application form, where you will have the opportunity to explain how you meet the criteria set
above.

This role will require the completion of a DBS/PVG/Access NI in addition to the
standard pre-employment checks.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels
supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world
richer in nature, we need more people on nature’s side and more diverse people. People of
colour and disabled people are underrepresented across the environment, climate,
sustainability, and conservation sectors. If you identify as a person of colour and disabled,
we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any
additional support you may need to complete your application.

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

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship / This role is
not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship – the successful applicant will need to have a
pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.