Communities and Wildlife Officer

Hours: 17.5 Hours Per Week.  Working pattern to be arranged between Monday to Sunday including occasional evening working.

Sussex Wildlife Trust is a conservation charity for everyone who cares about nature in Sussex. We focus on protecting the wonderfully rich natural life that is found across our towns, countryside and coast.  By working alongside local people we create opportunities for us all to connect with nature and for nature to thrive in even the most unlikely places.  Together we can make sure that future generations living in Sussex will be able to enjoy the sense of wonder and well-being that nature offers.

 Rye Harbour Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre, opened May 2021, is Sussex Wildlife Trust’s first visitor centre and has been generously supported by The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, the local community and a range of funders. The 1,110 acre reserve is one of the most biodiverse places in Britain and also hosts a range of historic buildings. The Discovery Centre offers a new and exciting visitor experience for supporters, regulars and new visitors. In addition to offering an excellent catering and retail experience, there is a classroom and exhibition area designed to engage, educate and inspire individuals and visiting groups to learn about the nature reserve, its wildlife and special habitats, and to take action to help conserve them. 

The Role

This role will support the delivery of the Discover Rye Harbour National Lottery Heritage Fund project, designing and delivering engaging activities to a wide variety of community and youth groups, and assist with delivery of a programme of hands-on and fun Key Stage 1-4 sessions for local schools, alongside the project team and volunteers.

The Person

Sussex Wildlife Trust is looking for a highly motivated individual who is creative, resourceful and experienced in designing and delivering experiences to a wide range of community groups, schools and individuals.

As a Communities and Wildlife Officer you will be a confident communicator; your passion for our local habitats and coastal environment, and their conservation, will enable you to connect to a range of audiences.

You will be competent delivering sessions face-to-face or digitally, and you’ll be proactive in your approach to engaging with harder to reach groups. You will have a wealth of experience in safely delivering community engagement sessions in outdoor environments, as well as evaluating their impact. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are vital in this role, as is the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

The successful candidate will have good natural history knowledge of UK wildlife and habitats, particularly coastal and marine.  Practical, hands on experience of using digital technology to engage would be beneficial.

Occasionally, you will be required to work evenings and weekends.

This is a temporary role, for 3 years, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

APPLY HERE