Do you want to help shape the future of environmental land management support for farmers and wildlife, whilst helping to save turtle dove - the fastest declining bird species in England?

We are looking for an exceptional senior project manager to lead an ongoing Defra-funded Turtle Dove Reverse Auction Test & Trial. This project is investigating the use of reverse auction mechanisms to deliver bespoke land management necessary to recover threatened and declining farmland wildlife. A key upcoming phase of the project is research and learning to assess the capability of reverse auctions in forming a component of future environmental land management systems.

What’s the role about?

You will lead the projects work with farmers to deliver contracted conservation measures for turtle dove on farmland in East Anglia, whilst reviewing and embedding learning from the reverse auctions to assess their potential future role in environmental land management. This will involve:

• Using appropriate Project Management tools and approaches to ensure successful delivery of the Turtle Dove Test & Trial
• Managing a farm advisor supporting farmers with creating and managing habitats in line with their successful auction bids
• Leading the learning and review phase of the project, to understand the potential role of the reverse auction mechanism in future environmental land management
• Developing a social science approach to analysing the experience of farmers involved with the project, attitudes to the reverse auction approach and likelihood of future participation
• Reviewing the capability of the reverse auction mechanism to deliver turtle dove habitat requirements at an appropriate spatial scale and of suitable quality
• Working with partners including Defra, Oxford University and consultants EnTrade to deliver project outputs and outcomes
• Working as part of Operation Turtle Dove, with internal colleagues and external partners.

This role is a fixed-term contract until the end of December 2022.

What do we need from you?

You will be an experienced project manager with a passion for nature conservation and experience in collating and communicating learning. You will provide leadership in the vital learning phase of an ongoing project, driving it forward and bearing responsibility for its success. You will need excellent people management skills to be able to motivate and guide your team, and have a solid understanding of farming communities and how best to engage them. You will be responsible for devising the best approach for extracting project learning from the farmers and land managers who have engaged in the project, producing progress reports and final recommendations for the project team and Defra, and we will need you to ensure the project has a legacy, for the RSPB and for turtle doves.

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience:

1. Demonstrable experience of the management and successful delivery of complex projects
2. Experience of cost and budget management with an understanding of financial systems
3. Proven time management and organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and balance a diverse workload often to tight deadlines
4. Understanding of agri-environment schemes and their economics
5. Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to produce clear written communications
6. Experience of working with internal and external stakeholders, and in partnerships, to achieve shared outcomes.
7. Knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative methods of social science research to collect unbiased data from individuals or small groups
8. Ability to use a methodical and robust approach to collect, manage and analyse information and summarise learning
9. Ability to support and develop staff using a variety of management techniques
10. Demonstrable leadership ability, including an ability to lead without line management authority
11. Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to find creative solutions to changing circumstances
12. Competent user of core MS Office programmes
13. Working knowledge of standard project management approaches (e.g., RSPB Project Management Framework, Prince II)

Whilst there is the potential for flexibility on the location of the candidate, you will be required to travel to sites (away from public transport routes) within Norfolk and Suffolk on a regular basis.

This role can also be offered on a secondment basis.

For all application/role enquiries please contact - mike.shurmer@rspb.org.uk


Please note that you will be required to complete an online application form only for this role.

We encourage you to read through the candidate guidance notes attached to the top of this advert before applying.