Are you an ecologist or conservation professional who is passionate about nature recovery, and engaging people in it? Do you want to help manage Lincolnshire’s largest inland site for nature; a groundbreaking project designed to deliver landscape-scale nature recovery, yielding benefits for biodiversity, water, climate and people?
If you’re passionate about nature and eager to make a real impact on our journey to a Wilder Doddington then we’d love to hear from you.
| Post: | Wilder Connections – Conservation Advisor |
| Contract: | Full time – Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to 31 December 2027. Part time would be considered. There is scope to develop the role beyond this date. |
| Location: | Doddington Estate, Doddington, Lincoln, LN6 4RU |
| Starting Salary: | £35,000 to £40,000 per annum FTE equivalent |
| Application deadline: | 9am, Monday 7 October 2024 |
Wilder Connections
The Doddington Hall Conservation Charity has launched the Wilder Connections project to ensure that the unique opportunities presented by Wilder Doddington are seized and developed, so that:
- Wilder Doddington’s ecological impact is maximised
- We realise the social impact of the nature recovery for the local community:
- Empowering diverse people through nature connectedness
- Delivering opportunities for local people to take action on climate and nature – at home, at Doddington and beyond – People-powered nature recovery
- We inspire other landowners and managers, policy-makers, opinion-formers, funders and third sector organisations to take similar approaches that realise the full value of nature: ecological, social and economic
The project is being funded by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund with additional support from Doddington Farms LLP and Anglian Water.
The main activity objectives for the project are outlined on our website.
Project Team
The Wilder Connections project team includes six people working on community engagement, education and learning, volunteering and a range of activities for children and adults. The project team works closely with the existing Wilder Doddington team which manages the rewilding project across the estate’s 1900 acres – a key resource of the Wilder Connections project.
Role Description
The Conservation Advisor (“CA”) role is initially for a fixed term contract ending 31 December 2027 (the lottery funding period), but our intention is that the role should continue beyond this into the long-term working across the various Doddington projects. The CA will report to the Wilder Connections and Wilder Doddington project managers as the role spans the activities of both. The CA will be involved in a wide range of work supporting and developing the growth of the two projects.
The six principal roles of the CA are:
- Creating/restoring habitats and recovering/reintroducing species – The creation, restoration and management of habitats within the Wilder Doddington project is an end in itself, but will also provide the platform from which Wilder Connections operates. The CA will advise, co-ordinate and support the delivery of the nature conservation work including supporting the Wetter Better Project as well as the broader management of the Wilder estate including the use of grazing cattle, pigs, ponies and deer that are driving the habitat work. The CA should understand Countryside Stewardship and Environment Land Management schemes and have an understanding of grazing impacts on the management of land in such schemes. In addition, the CA will be responsible for the planned species recovery and reintroduction projects, including feasibility and design, costing, and work planning. The CA will identify and develop opportunities for people to become involved in a wide range of aspects of this area of work.
- Reconnecting people to nature – developing and delivering a wide range of relevant activities to support the project’s community and educational engagement activities including volunteering. The CA will initiate ideas, design activities, develop programmes and support delivery of these with other members of the project team. The activities must be designed to enhance, complement or at least not undermine the Wilder Doddington nature recovery process. Upskilling project team members and volunteers will also form an important part of this role.
- Research, survey & monitoring – Doddington has been collaborating successfully with the University of Lincoln in the design and delivery of both BSc and MSc student projects and pure and applied research. A range of base line surveys were undertaken in 2020-22 by independent specialists. Working with the project teams, the CA will develop and co-ordinate the delivery of a programme of research and academic learning. In addition, the CA will devise an ongoing programme of habitat and species monitoring that will enable progress towards achieving indicators of success to be determined. The CA will identify and develop opportunities for a range of people to become involved in this area of work.
- Future income opportunities – Working with the project team, research and develop opportunities to generate income from environmental goods and services such as propagation of wildflower seed, providing long term resilience.
- Data Sharing – Working with the Wilder Doddington project manager, develop opportunities to share knowledge and data across a diverse audience including general public, academia and policy makers as part of outreach, blogs and other social media.
- Management Plan – Work with the Wilder Doddington project manager to develop and update the management plans for Wilder Doddington to ensure that Wilder Connections maximises benefits from Wilder Doddington whilst ensuring that the rewilding process is supported.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Expand our wide network of project partners from education, government bodies, nature trusts and similar organisations.
- Build on the pilot work undertaken during the development phase of the project to create a rich and inspirational engagement programme for the groups visiting Doddington.
- Support the Wilder Connections delivery team by identifying and creating nature based activities and experiences that will support engagement.
- Lead and/or support visiting groups including commercial visits, corporate volunteering, school and higher education engagement.
- Ensuring that engagement and learning activities will be able to fulfil The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s best practice guidance on equality and diversity.
- Produce quarterly project reports, for internal and funding purposes.
- Represent and be an ambassador for the Doddington Hall Conservation Charity and Wilder Doddington; work to support its mission, vision and values.
- Be flexible and willing to carry out other duties as may arise (commensurate with your role) to support the overall success of the Wilder Connections project.
- Be willing to work flexibly outside normal working hours to deliver courses in evenings and at weekends, conduct early morning surveys etc.
Person Specification – Conservation Advisor
E= Essential criteria, D= Desirable criteria
Experience
- An excellent working knowledge and understanding of the principles of ecology and conservation and their practical delivery in the UK. In particular, natural processes, wilding, nature recovery, conservation grazing etc (E)
- A minimum of four years’ experience and proven successful track record of involvement in the management of habitats and species (E)
- An understanding and aptitude for the commercial opportunities supporting nature recovery
- Understanding of countryside stewardship and environment land management schemes (E)
- Experienced in the successful design and delivery of activities that connect people to nature (D)
- Research, surveying and monitoring techniques for nature (E)
- Providing training to others (D)
- Delivering a range of engagement activities (D)
- Working with volunteers / people living with disadvantage and / or disability (D)
Skills and Abilities
- An excellent communicator – verbal, written and digital (E)
- Computer literate – including a good working knowledge of MS office suite, GIS etc. (E)
- Ability to comfortably communicate with a diverse range of people (E)
- Professional, friendly, and confident manner (E)
- Strong organisation and prioritisation skills (E)
- The ability to deal with situations sensitively (E)
- Full valid Driving Licence and have own motor vehicle transport (E)
- Experience of undertaking risk assessments (D)
- Experience of conservation grazing (D)
- Committed to the recovery of nature in the UK (E)
- Excellent species identification skills and knowledge of recording techniques (E)
- Ability to take interesting and inspiring photographs (D)
- Experience of providing content for a range of social media platforms
Education/Training/Qualifications
- Educated to degree level (D)
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (D)
- Data protection (D)
Circumstances
- Ability to work some evenings / weekends / bank holidays (E)
- Ability to travel over rough / uneven terrain and walk long distances to accompany field trips etc (E)
- Ability to lift / carry heavy objects e.g. tree stumps / logs / equipment / tools etc (D)
Application Form
Please click here to access the online application form.
Or if you prefer, you can download an application from on our website here.
Deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 7 October 2024.
Please contact david@doddingtonhall.com if you have any queries / require additional information.