Programme Officer – National Education Nature Park (South East)

Job Title: Programme Officer (South East) National Education Nature Park
Location: Home-based (within South East), Hybrid with regular travel across
South East, Potential to work from RHS Wisley
Salary: £28,840
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term Contract until August 2027
Start Date: December 2024

The RHS is a national charity with a mission to inspire everyone to grow, as it is vital to our
wellbeing, the environment and the happiness of us all. We are undergoing an exciting period of
development, which includes bringing our work with community volunteers, schools and groups to
the heart of what we do.

The National Education Nature
Park launched in October 2023 – a new Department for Education funded programme
empowering young people (from Early Years through to Further Education) to take action on the
environment as part of new measures designed to put climate change at the heart of education.

Sitting within the RHS Learning division, as the RHS South East Programme Officer for the
National Education Nature Park, you will work to enable education settings and young people in
the region to participate in Nature park programme. This will include:

• Reporting to the Senior Programme Officer (South East), you will work as part of a team to
  engage networks and school leads in the National Education Nature Park programme. You will
  identify local sources of support, and through events and workshops, inspire and upskill key
  stakeholders to sustain schools and settings in their National Education Nature Park journey.
• Developing a deep understanding of the local context and support available for education
  settings within the region on environmental education, nature restoration, climate change,
  climate adaptation and green space access.
• You will be working with educators and young people from early years, primary, secondary
  and further education settings. Through informal learning opportunities and across a wide range
  of curriculum areas.
• Working with the multidisciplinary programme partnership to provide on the ground insights
  and testing of programme elements
• Raise awareness of the RHS National Education Nature Park grant programme

We are looking for a collaborative, passionate and creative individual with a passion for
plants, biodiversity and the environment; someone who is keen to share scientific knowledge,
and someone who will champion the role of young people in finding innovative solutions to
mitigate the ecological and climate crisis.

We may review applications as soon as we receive then so if you see a vacancy that you
are interested in, please apply straight away as the vacancy will be closed as soon as we hire
the right candidate. If you require any additional support with making your application, please
contact [email protected] please
ensure to include the job title or job reference number REQ (found at the top of the advert)
when emailing.

Working for RHS

To work for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is to join a thriving charity, whose mission
is to be there for everyone on their lifelong adventure with gardening. Everything we do is
built on the transformational power of gardening – and the benefits it brings to people, places
and our planet.

And we couldn’t do this without our people. We’re proud of the knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas
that each one of our team members brings. From working across our social media channels, to
volunteering in the RHS Gardens, from serving customers in our garden centres to running
national marketing campaigns, we believe that every member of the RHS team should have the
opportunity to make a difference. Our careers portal here provides a comprehensive overview of what we
offer, the teams that work at the RHS and our great benefits.

Safeguarding and Inclusion

The RHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and
adults at risk and expects all personnel to share in this commitment. We are an inclusive
employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

About National Education Nature Park

National Education Nature Park is a partnership project led by the Natural History Museum,
working with the Royal Horticultural Society, the Royal Society, Royal Geographical Society,
Learning through Landscapes, Manchester Metropolitan University and additional supporting
partners.

The National Education Nature Park will engage children, young people and their educators with
nature, supporting young people in England to play a driving role in mapping and monitoring
biodiversity on their grounds using citizen science and, critically, taking action to enhance
it.

From creating pollinator friendly habitats where biodiversity can thrive, to digging ponds, or
creating planting schemes that support climate resilience, the project will showcase what can
be achieved on the Education estate. 

The Nature Park will also provide opportunities for young people to take part in community
science, identifying local impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss and developing key
skills to solve these problems. 

Within the project RHS lead on regional support, the National Education Nature Park grant
programme and Programme Development.

Find out more by visiting the National Education Nature Park website here.