An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the ‘Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms’ project as a Conservation Trainee. This position is hosted by the RSPB.

Hours: Part-time (30 hours/week)
Contract Type: Fixed term (until March 2028)
Salary: £27,123.00 – £28,956.00 (pro rata)
Location: Cairngorms

Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) is a partnership project between RSPB Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and NatureScot, committed to improving the fortunes of some of the UK’s rarest insects with strongholds within the Cairngorms National Park.

The project currently works on five species:

• Pine Hoverfly (Blera fallax)
• Small Scabious Mining Bee (Andrena marginata)
• Dark Bordered Beauty (Epione vespertaria)
• Aspen Hoverfly (Hammerschmidtia ferruginea)
• Kentish Glory Moth (Endromis versicolora)

We are looking for someone who will work with the two existing part-time project officers and will be responsible for day to day delivery of the project. This role is home-based in the Cairngorms with options to work at RSPB and partner offices. The role is funded by the John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust.

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting and organising volunteer surveys of the 5 key insect species across the Cairngorms with a particular emphasis on Dark Bordered Beauty in Strathspey and Kentish Glory across the project area. This includes:

• Managing volunteers including organising training days and maintaining regular contact.
• Engaging with land managers to protect and enhance habitat.
• Delivering habitat management via contractors and volunteers.
• Working with partners to deliver and monitor Pine Hoverfly and Dark Bordered Beauty moth translocations.
• Working with communications staff from partner organisations to promote project work.
• Entering data and manage databases and data flows.
• Providing updates to project and species steering groups and funders.
• Liaising with RSPB and partner staff across the Cairngorms to deliver shared conservation outcomes.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience of conducting and organising insect surveys
• Recruiting, training and managing volunteers
• Providing advice to land managers
• Managing datasets and use of GIS
• Report writing
• Demonstrable experience of working in partnerships to achieve shared outcomes

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Moth survey experience
• Working with contractors
• Experience of managing social media accounts for a project/organisation
• Producing communications for a wide audience e.g. blogs, videos, sway newsletters, presentations
• Knowledge of habitats and land management within the Cairngorms
• Experience managing SharePoint sites or similar shared documents

This is a Part-Time role for 30 hours per week for 26 months, until March 2028. We have an anticipated start date for this role of early January 2026.

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 13 November 2025, either online or in person in Grantown-on-Spey. For further information please contact claire.smith@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

How to Apply

For more information and to apply, visit the RSPB Recruitment Page.

Closing date: Wednesday 29 October 2025. Interviews are expected to be held from: 13 November 2025.

For further information on the project see Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms.

Please note that this role is not hosted by Buglife but with a partner organisation on the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms project. 

Main Image Credit: Dark Bordered Beauty (Epione vespertaria) male © Roy Leverton