Dates: 1^st February 2020 – 31^st January 2021
Costs: Voluntary positions, but all living costs will be covered and accommodation provided

Number of positions (10):

• 3 Conservation
• 2 Nature Reserves
• 3 Communications
• 1 Education
• 1 Finance

BirdLife Malta is looking for new full-time volunteers to join their international team protecting birds and their habitats and inspiring and educating people about birds and nature in the Maltese Islands. Volunteers will be based in our offices and at our nature reserves in Malta. Those who have previously participated in a long-term Erasmus+ European Voluntary Service (EVS) scheme or long-term Erasmus+ Volunteering scheme are not eligible to apply for these positions.

Are you:

• Aged 18-30
• A citizen of one of these partner and programme countries: Italy, Spain, UK, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey
• Outgoing, friendly, keen to meet new people, socialise, and experience a different culture
• Interested in bird conservation and/or environmental protection
• Interested in improving bird, flora and other taxa identification skills
• Interested in inspiring and educating people about birds and the natural world
• Willing to develop administration, time management, numeracy, and interpersonal skills
• Willing to learn and having an adaptable approach in line with the needs of a charitable organisation’s structure including working flexible and occasional long hours, which could include weekends and public holidays

The European Solidarity Corps programme will provide you:

• Accommodation in a shared room close to our offices in Ta’ Xbiex/in the northern part of the island close to our nature reserves, or with host families
• Coverage of all living costs such as electricity, water, gas, and internet
• Reimbursement of the flight and other transport costs (bus, train, metro, visa) to/from Malta, up to a certain limit
• €300 monthly allowance
• Private CIGNA insurance

Description of duties:

There is the opportunity for each volunteer to gain a wide range of experience and skills across the organisation. Duties for each position are as follows:                                                                                                            

CONSERVATION (3 positions)

In 2020, the Conservation department is looking for candidates to assist the department in fulfilling a number of duties related to our core conservation work. Depending on the candidate’s experience, interest and qualifications, conservation assistants will fulfill a combination of the following roles:

Wildlife crime fieldwork

• Assistance is needed in our fieldwork in relation to ongoing wildlife crime related to hunting, trapping and illegal possession of protected birds. Activities will include ad-hoc monitoring as well as dedicated periods of engagement in wildlife crime investigations such as during our annual Spring Watch and Raptor Camp
• Candidates would ideally have a good grasp of bird taxonomy, have volunteered in wildlife crime detection activities, know how to handle basic optical equipment and are willing to learn and innovate

Data handling

• Assistance is needed in data management, providing suitable metrics and statistics to assist the department’s works. Duties will include the filing and maintenance of photographic and video records, creation and maintenance of databases, productions of maps, graphs and other relevant outputs from bird research and monitoring work
• Candidates would ideally have a good knowledge and experience in the use of ArcGIS software, and can work with various platforms and databases from bird records to sightings to mapping and graphic presentations

Bird rescue and care

BirdLife Malta runs a 24/7 voluntary injured bird recovery scheme, answering calls made by the public who encounter shot or injured birds in their property or in the countryside. Accordingly assistance is required in picking up and ensuring injured birds brought to BirdLife Malta receive urgent veterinary attention, and are rehabilitated with the aim of releasing them back into the wild. Duties will include:

• Answering calls by the public, picking up and ensuring injured birds brought to BirdLife Malta receive urgent veterinary attention and first aid
• Feed and care for injured birds requiring short or long-term rehabilitation through various stages in their recovery so they can be released into the wild
• Ensure excellent hygiene to minimise health risks to birds and humans
• Provide feedback to people calling BirdLife Malta regarding injured bird cases
• Keep records and case files of all cases of injured birds, reporting to Conservation Manager, Conservation Officer and veterinary surgeons on all cases of wild birds under our care
• Establish and innovate feeding protocols, care and maintenance of injured birds ensuring they can be released at their outmost physical form

NATURE RESERVES (2 positions)

Nature Reserves Visitor Assistant (2 positions)

To assist in the opening of the reserves to the general public, working and ensuring visitors enjoy a pleasant experience. The chosen applicants will work at our nature reserves (Ghadira, Simar, Foresta 2000 and Salina) reporting to the Site Warden and Reserves Manager. Training on the history of the sites and the flora and fauna of the reserves will be provided. Duties will include:

• Assisting in opening BirdLife Malta’s nature reserves to the public in the afternoon/evening, including on weekends if necessary
• Setting up the display within the reception centre at the reserves
• Preparing the nature shop at the reserves
• Setting up binoculars before the reserve opening hours
• Greeting visitors at the reserves and giving a basic explanation about the nature reserve, its history, flora and fauna
• Managing a small shop and promoting sales whilst encouraging membership to BirdLife Malta
• Compiling visitor statistics and gathering feedback from visitors
• Participating in regular events held at the nature reserve with the aim of educating visitors towards more environmental appreciation
• Taking visitors around the reserve, which could entail walking on uneven terrain even during summer

Should the reserves be closed to the public for certain periods, especially the summer months, the applicants are expected to report at the nature reserves in order to assist the managing warden in the implementation of the work plan for the site. Such work has a physical aspect relating to the upgrade and maintenance of the habitat, as well as an element of research with ongoing studies on the flora and fauna of the sites.

COMMUNICATIONS (3 positions)

The communications volunteers will assist in raising the profile of the organisation and its work through a variety of activities. The volunteers will mainly work in three areas: (i) media communications, (ii) public events and (iii) digital media and design. Applicants are expected to be well versed in these three areas, and should have an interest in nature and the environment. They will report directly to the Communications Manager and will have the following duties:

Communications Assistant (1 position)

• Online Media: coordinating content and updating the BirdLife Malta website with news and blog content using WordPress
• Social Media: planning, implementing and uploading content for other social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Channel and others
• Internal Communications: collating, writing and sending (using Mailchimp) monthly internal and external e-newsletter
• Magazine: coordinating and writing content for the BirdLife Malta quarterly magazine
• Press and Media: helping in drafting and distribution of press releases to the media, and supporting the Communications Manager in generating coverage across traditional and new media to raise the profile of BirdLife Malta and its work
• Monitoring and Archiving: (i) monitoring press coverage and managing the media coverage archive (online, print and video) together with compiling statistics/reports of issued press releases and press coverage return, (ii) monitoring and writing monthly reports and statistics for social media and web activity, and (iii) compiling monthly e-newsletter Mailchimp report
• Other media work: working with project manager(s), conservation, education and fundraising staff to develop and implement targeted project and campaign communications for online, print and broadcast media

Events Assistant (1 position)

• Organising and coordinating a calendar of events, handling booking procedures and keeping an accurate record of all events and evaluating their success
• Assisting the relevant staff with the organisation of other public events and the preparation of communications materials to promote these events
• Promoting events on BirdLife Malta’s website and social media, newsletter and magazine, creating e-marketing campaigns
• Promoting memberships and engagement in BirdLife Malta at stalls, fairs, events and in other public places
• Compiling statistics for events which include numbers of participants, costs and other financial data
• Recruiting volunteers to assist with events
• Researching outreach opportunities
• Assisting with the management of BirdLife Malta’s sales and merchandise
• Providing support to the administration department with the memberships

Design & Digital Media Assistant (1 position)

• Design BirdLife Malta’s printed materials including promotional leaflets, banners, logos and educational materials
• Design BirdLife Malta’s printed magazine using InDesign
• Design and produce graphics and visuals for website, social media and advertising
• Edit photographs using Photoshop to be used in internal and external communication
• Produce and edit high quality video content for local and international audiences using Adobe Premiere
• Play a key role in BirdLife Malta’s migration camps (Spring Watch and Raptor Camp) by downloading and organising photos and footage from the conservation team and creating videos to distribute to the media
• Attend public and press events as a photographer/videographer
• Manage video uploads and channels
• Archiving, organising, and uploading multimedia content to the digital media library

EDUCATION (1 position)

The aim of this role is to inspire, involve and educate people about birds and the natural world, with a particular focus on school age children and their families. We are looking for enthusiastic, natural communicators with a passion for the environment and working with people!

Education Assistant (1)

• Developing fun and engaging educational resources for family events, school activities and outreach events
• Liaising with schools, architects and education professionals to assist in the implementation and design of new garden projects for wildlife and outdoor learning
• Planning and delivering educational events throughout the year such as an Easter  Egg Hunt, sponsored walks and activities all about migration of birds
• Managing the booking system for field visits to our nature reserves acting as a key liaison with schools

FINANCE (1 position)

 Finance Assistant (1 position)

• Assisting the Finance Manager and Membership Officer with office duties
• Perform basic office duties including answering the telephone, dealing with incoming mail
• Prepare Purchase Orders (Accounts Payable)
• Prepare invoices for donors and members when required (Accounts Receivable)
• Bank Reconciliation
• Assisting in the preparation of Payroll, FS3/FS5 document and annual reconciliation (FS7)
• Assisting in the preparation of VAT return
• Assisting in the preparation of Management and Cash Flow reports
• Assisting in the Financial reporting of EU project
• Help in preparing yearly financial reports
• Manage Asset and Stock

TO APPLY

Please download and fill in the application form, making it clear which department or position you are most interested in. Completed applications should be returned to info@birdlifemalta.org with subject: Application for European Solidarity Corps (Position) e.g. Application for European Solidarity Corps (Communications Assistant) together with an updated CV. Please note that CVs without the application form filled in will not be considered.

We highly recommend that you visit our website on www.birdlifemalta.org for further information before applying.

Applications close on Monday 6th January 2020 at noon. Telephone/Skype interviews will take place shortly afterwards.

Please note that incomplete and/or late applications will not be taken into consideration.