*Whilst the role is office based and will require regular attendance at the office, there is also considerable flexibility to work from home. This is a changing situation alongside the covid position.
About People’s Trust for Endangered Species
Whether bats or beetles, hedgehogs or hyenas, we stand up for animals and their habitats. The delicately balanced ecosystem that we all depend on is under threat. Alarmingly, in the UK almost two-thirds of species have declined in the last 50 years. Globally, around a quarter of mammals face extinction in the next three decades. This rate of loss can be stopped and that’s why People’s Trust for Endangered Species exists. For over 40 years we’ve improved the outlook of endangered species in Britain and throughout the world.
Passion drives our work but it’s grounded in science. Our approach is to invest in research and test the best ways to protect endangered species in their natural habitats. Then we put what works into action, creating vibrant wildlife havens.
Our work is varied and extensive, ranging from direct support for conservation professionals to involving the public and volunteers in practical action to help specific species and their habitats. Current priority species are hedgehogs, dormice, water voles and invertebrates and our priority habitats are orchards, woodlands, hedgerows, wood pasture and parkland. As well as carrying out our own work, which focuses particularly on British mammals, we support conservation work throughout the world. Recent projects funded range from protecting areas for snow leopards in Mongolia to protecting slow loris habitat in Indonesia.
We have 20 staff, five trustees and thousands of volunteers helping us.
Job purpose
To coordinate PTES water vole work, in particular the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme.
Job description
National Water Vole Monitoring Programme
- Recruiting and liaising with volunteer monitors
- Regularly communicating with volunteers, inspiring activity, gathering data and providing feedback
- Maintaining and disseminating written support materials for volunteers
- Managing the online database, including registering sites, reallocating sites which haven’t been surveyed, entering survey data and editing data that has been submitted
- Regularly reviewing the content of the monitoring programme and general water vole web pages
- Developing an online training course for volunteers, involving preparation of course content, delivery of content and gathering of appropriate assets including video footage and images
- Investigating options for field-based training
- Trialling the use of latrine rafts as a means of helping volunteers identify the presence of water voles more easily, involving disseminating rafts to volunteers, collecting feedback and, if successful, coordinating transport of latrine rafts more widely to volunteers as required
- Liaising with the PR consultant and social media team to promote the monitoring programme annually (press release, media interviews, social media campaign)
- Responding to enquiries about the monitoring programme via email or phone and from media
Other water vole related tasks
- Promoting the Helping water voles on your land guide to relevant audiences
- Representing PTES on the UK Water Vole Steering Group and Natural England pilot water vole conservation strategy project, and at other external meetings connected with the species
- Managing the relationship with the Westminster Species Champion for water voles The Rt Honourable Hilary Benn MP
- Responding to general water vole enquiries via email or phone and from media
Other general tasks
- Occasionally attending external events to promote PTES monitoring work
- Helping on occasion to draft articles or provide information for articles for the Trust’s various publications and appeals
- Alerting our PR consultant to significant results or news emanating from water voles work
- Dealing with enquiries from the public on occasion and directing them appropriately
- Helping with other tasks as advised by the Chief Executive
Relationships
Internal
- Reporting to the Chief Executive
- Working with all staff running wildlife surveys, the website, digital marketing and IT
External
- Volunteers involved in the monitoring programme
- PR consultant
- External statistician
- Website developer
- Researchers
Person specification
Essential knowledge and experience
- University degree or equivalent in conservation-related field
- Knowledge of water vole ecology and conservation issues and confidence to share knowledge through training others
- Experience of using online databases.
- Interest in and passion for ecology and the conservation of British wildlife
Essential skills
- Excellent organisational skills with ability to work on own initiative and without close supervision, and to juggle tasks
- Consistent accuracy and attention to detail
- Excellent numeracy and analysis skills
- Self-motivation, a general ‘can do’ cooperative manner, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a close-knit team with a passion for conservation
- Strong face-to-face interpersonal skills and ability to communicate confidently
- Strong computer literacy and an aptitude for quickly acquiring new IT skills
- Ability to write clearly and appropriately for internal and external audiences
Desirable selection criteria
- Experience of productive interaction with the media
- Experience of working with website designers on structuring websites for specific audiences.
- Experience of using Access databases
Other requirements
- Commitment to the goals and values of PTES and an interest in British species, their conservation and recording
- Full UK driving licence might be useful
- Some out of hours working, travel and attendance at appropriate events
Interviews : Wednesday 15 December 2021
