Jobs

JOB PURPOSE

We are looking for someone with some experience of hosting engagement events, learning activities and community outreach with a natural history and conservation focus. The right candidate will also be assisting with practical countryside tasks, property management and visitor liaison. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to gain skills, knowledge, and experience to help you further you career in conservation.

You will work on your own and with other staff and volunteers, on a variety of tasks to help us achieve a greater volume of education and outreach activities and community engagement expected of a National Nature Reserve.

You will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the St Abb’s ranger service through income generated at pay-for events, memberships and donations inspired by our work, growing our capacity through volunteers and cost-effective use of resources.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

 Be an enthusiastic and effective part of the ranger service, contributing to the smooth operation and enhancement of St Abb’s Head NNR.
 Reach out and connect with relevant local community stakeholders to build / strengthen relationships and attend relevant networking events.
 Structure, plan, schedule and deliver a programme of events and activities in the Nature Centre plus on and off the NNR.
 Seek to minimize our environmental impact through sustainable working practices and sensitive use of power, equipment, transport, and other resources.
 Assist with Seabird and Seal events throughout the season, showing visitors colonies through telescopes and binoculars, sharing stories of their ecology and life cycles.
 Welcome customers out on the reserve in a friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable manner, answering queries and providing information about the property, facilities, and the local area.
 Contribute to the development and delivery of products that bring alive our stories, including on-site displays, self-guided trails, signage, guided walks, talks or other hands-on activities.
 Support a strong health & safety culture, complying with the property’s ‘Safe System of Work’, risk management and emergency procedures, to safeguard yourself, colleagues, and the public.

 
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Essential
 No formal educational qualification required.
 A full, clean driving license for driving in the UK.
 Experience of developing and delivering events and learning activities – including supervision of volunteers and/or responsibility for specific activities.
 Knowledge of natural history and conservation, including coastal flora & fauna of Scotland.
 Confident communication and influencing skills with colleagues, volunteers, and the public.
 Previous event co-ordination experience.
 Strong personal belief in the value of excellent customer care with the ability to translate this into actions.
 Excellent organisational, administrative and time-management skills with the ability to prioritise and re-prioritise workload to meet changing demands.
 Reviewing and overseeing Health & Safety documents (e.g. risk assessments).
 Flexible and adaptive to change and working in a variety of situations.
 Competent user of Microsoft Office products.

This role is one for which the duties, responsibilities or accountabilities of the role do require you to become a member of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, administered by Disclosure Scotland, as this role involves regulated work with children.

Desirable
 A formal qualification in Natural History and/or Conservation.
 A genuine understanding of and belief in, the work of the National Trust for Scotland.
 Access to own transport.
 Experience of community engagement and using social media in a workplace context.
 Experience in supervising volunteers.
 Experience of engaging the public in nature tourism or working in a busy countryside setting

DIMENSIONS AND SCOPE OF JOB

Scale
 The St Abb’s Head property is one of the most heavily designated natural and cultural heritage sites in the UK, including a National Nature Reserve, two Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two Special Areas of Conservation, a Special Protection Area, two Geological Conservation Review sites, and three Scheduled Monuments. The property is internationally important for breeding seabirds and species rich grasslands and breeding grey seals as well as being home to a wide range of other wildlife. This along with the stunning coastal landscape means it is a regionally important tourist attraction which attracts over 50,000 visitors annually.

People Management
 Supporting the Head Ranger (Borders) and working with other Rangers and Visitor Service Assistants,
 Engage with the public, championing a “leave no trace” culture and providing practical advice based on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
 Supervise x10 volunteer roles to help grow our team’s capacity and assist with the leadership of group volunteering activities as required.
 Build positive relationships with our neighbours and local community, including other land managers, schools, community groups and recreational users.

Finance Management
 Not a budget holder but expected to liaise with the Line Manager prior to incurring any expenses and be mindful of cost-effective use of Trust funds and resources.
 Seek and support ways to generate sustainable sources of income, including encouraging donations, enrolling new members, booking events, payment of parking charges, visits to other properties and awareness of our fundraising campaigns.

Tools / equipment / systems
 Use of educational equipment
 Occasional use of optical equipment.
 Use of office computer for email enquiries/responses, create posters, social media posts and data input.
 Use of office telephone for visitor and stakeholder communication.

Example key performance indicators and targets

 Recruit members for the National Trust for Scotland – targets will be set at the start of the season.
 Positive engagement with visitors measured by feedback from visitor surveys.
 Visitors leave feeling they have received a warm and informative welcome and inspired about the work carried out on this important site.
 We understand the wildlife in our care in the most comprehensive way possible. New innovative ideas and input into recording are welcomed.
 Wildlife is given the protection it needs to thrive and people are informed about key conservation issues locally and in a wider context.
 Engage with as many people as possible while working. This is recorded to help us understand and better our outreach.

The Purpose, Context, Key Responsibilities, and Person Specification reflect the requirements of the job at the time of issue. The Trust reserves the right to amend these with appropriate consultation and/or request the post-holder to undertake any activities that it believes to be reasonable within the broad scope of the job or his/her general abilities.

Application Deadline: Friday 24/02/2023