Conservation Manager (Maternity Cover)

CONSERVATION MANAGER (MATERNITY COVER)

Location: Flexible remote with regular presence at our office in Horsham, West Sussex for team meetings

Salary up to £37,000 gross dependent upon experience

Grade A Band C

Fixed Term 14 months; Full-time 35 hours per week

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About the Charity

Born Free works tirelessly to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs. As a leading wildlife charity, we oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong – in the wild.

We promote Compassionate Conservation to enhance the survival of wildlife, especially threatened species in the wild, and to protect natural habitats while respecting the needs and safeguarding the welfare of individual animals. We seek to have a positive impact on animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play within the natural world.

Set up initially as Zoo Check in 1984 by Bill Travers, Dame Virginia McKenna and their son Will Travers, Born Free has worked tirelessly for nearly 40 years to prevent captive animal suffering and phase-out zoos. Will continues to lead the organisation as Executive President, and Dame Virginia remains active on the Board of Trustees, working closely with the team to share our vision and programmes on public forums. 

The Opportunity

There has never been a more exciting time to join Born Free’s team, as we invest more in our programmatic work than ever before. We are recruiting for a passionate Conservation Manager to provide maternity cover, being a key member of our small team, supporting all the Foundation’s overseas conservation work in Africa and Asia, particularly ensuring thorough and high-quality data management and technical excellence, and supporting strategic development.

This fantastic opportunity would best suit a reliable and enthusiastic individual who has 5 years international field experience, managing field projects and an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of conservation issues in the tropics and more generally. It will be necessary to have a good understanding of the current and emerging threats to wildlife worldwide and to be familiar with ecological and social science tools to address conservation problems. The Manager will ideally have a relevant postgraduate degree, proficiency with data management and GIS, and skills proven in written and verbal communication.

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The Role

•            The Born Free Conservation Manager (Maternity Cover) will be a dynamic and highly motivated team player, with good time management and people skills, and with the confidence and sensitivity to liaise with many different individuals and groups as a key part of this role.

Key tasks will include:

•            Supporting the Head of Conservation and the Conservation Team to deliver Born Free’s conservation strategy and promote Born Free’s mission, objectives, and Compassionate Conservation philosophy;

•            Supporting the Head of Conservation in developing and managing a portfolio of flagship programme and third-party projects, providing scientific and technical expertise in their design, development, progression and execution, ensuring accountability, impact and cost-effectiveness;

•            Providing day-to-day support to the Conservation team on all matters relevant to project management and administration;

•            Managing the databases of the Conservation Team, including offering assistance with data collection, management, storage, processing and analysis; and support the global team to disseminate findings in scientific journals;

•            Leading on the preparation of scientific grant applications for our flagship programmes;

•            Line managing our Conservation Officer to maintain excellent and diligent liaison with third-party partners, generate and deliver a strategic, diverse and regular communications plan, conduct the data analysis for programme evaluation and publications, and carry out library and online research and produce reports;

•            To communicate Born Free’s often interlinked animal welfare and wildlife conservation priorities, positions and policies to collaborators, partners, as well as internally to Born Free’s ‘communications’ teams and to the general public;

•            Preparation of articles, blogs, news stories, etc., for BFF magazines, website and socials, etc., on BFF Conservation work and related conservation issues/topics;

•            Assisting the Communications and Fundraising teams with enquiries, campaigns, presentations to external partners and responding to other requests for internal communication and organisational coherence.

•            Visiting our Conservation programmes in Africa and Asia to provide project management and technical support as required.

The successful candidate should ideally demonstrate the following attributes: 

•            Qualifications: Postgraduate degree in conservation biology, zoology or a relevant subject

•            Knowledge: An in-depth understanding of conservation issues for highly threatened species and habitats in Africa and Asia and the solutions used to address them

•            Experience: 5 years international field experience, managing field projects

•            Skills/abilities: Excellent and timely project management, analytical and organisational skills including good financial accountability; Excellent technical report writing skills; Quantitative analytical skills; familiarity with R package preferable; Experience analysing biological/social science data and producing scientific research reports; Proficiency with databases and spreadsheets; Proficiency in GIS software is preferred; Demonstrated fund-raising including grant-writing experience is preferred; Excellent communications skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to speak confidently and cogently to a variety of audiences

•            Competencies/Behaviours:

•            Ability to work effectively as a team player both internally and in external relationships and to rapidly analyse significant quantities of information, prioritise and balance a diverse workload often and responding to tight deadlines

•            Reliable, consistent and with the ability to support, motivate and inspire confidence with colleagues and a range of external stakeholders

•            Excellent organisational and administrative skills, and strong attention to detail

•            A strong empathy and engagement with the work of the Foundation, and the desire to drive it forward, bringing energy and determination to its mission

•            Decisive and straightforward; a team player; high levels of drive and energy; a sense of humour; impeccable, innovative and creative story-telling capability, and a healthy level of curiosity for external and current affairs

•            Ability to work intuitively with a “can do”, entrepreneurial approach, in a small, fast-paced, dynamic team.

The Conservation Manager will report to the Head of Conservation who reports directly to the Executive President and will work closely with the whole Conservation team, both in the UK and internationally, and other programmatic, communications and fundraising teams as required. This role has one direct report, the UK-based Conservation Officer.   

Our excellent benefits package includes opportunities for continuous professional learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, working from home with regular team meetings and the availability of office space in Horsham, West Sussex to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, wellbeing support, and a competitive pension.

Born Free is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We welcome requests for flexible working.

Applications with a covering letter and CV should be sent to bornfreehr@aspiringhr.com by Sunday 20th August 2023 at midnight. Important: Please include CM/23 in the subject of your email. 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time.  Born Free politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

If you do not receive an invitation for an interview by the 11th September, then you have unfortunately not been shortlisted. The first round of interviews is scheduled to take place from 29th August 2023. Interviews will take place on Teams.

Thank you for your interest.