Wildscapes Land Team Officer
27,846 per year
Flexible and blended working from office, home and on site
Full-time
Listed today
ABOUT SHEFFIELD & ROTHERHAM WILDLIFE TRUST Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust is an independent, local, environmental charity governed by a Board of Trustees drawn from our local community. We are one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK for nature and people. We are working towards an exciting and ambitious Strategy2030 which is summarised below: Our Vision Throughout Sheffield & Rotherham, from our streets & neighbourhoods to the wider countryside, there will be an abundance of nature that is protected, cared for and experienced by everyone. Our Ambitions ● 30% of land and water is great for nature by 2030 and an abundance of wildlife everywhere ● 1 in 4 people taking action for nature ● 5 minutes to nature for everyone Our teams protect important wildlife, habitats and green spaces that matter to local people. We directly manage 15 Nature Reserves, thanks to our many volunteers and dedicated staff, including the internationally important moorland at Blacka Moor, the much-loved Wyming Brook, the beautiful woodlands at Greno Woods and the locally important ‘space to breathe’ at Sunnybank. Recent projects to support nature recovery include the delivery of natural flood risk management schemes with the Environment Agency on the Rother, recording the return of the otter along the River Don and producing the first ever State of Nature report for Sheffield. We are the lead partner for the successful Sheffield Lakeland £4 million Heritage Fund landscape partnership. We are working with others to ensure that tree planting and woodland creation is coordinated through the South Yorkshire Woodland Partnership. Every year we engage with thousands of people of all ages, and have over 6,000 subscribing members and a rapidly growing social media following. We support our local community to take action for nature, campaigning on local issues that threaten 2 our natural environment and wildlife. Recent campaigns include saving Owlthorpe Fields, which faced the threat of development but has now been partly designated as a Local Wildlife Site. We also support the Sheffield Swift Network helping to address the decline in swift populations and we set up and support the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership. Working with our local communities is central to what we do, helping people to better connect with nature. Projects such as Nextdoor Nature empowers people to take action in their local green spaces. Our Outdoor Learning team provides opportunities for children and young people of all ages and abilities to enjoy and appreciate nature. For older, vulnerable, and isolated adults, our Wild@Heart nature programme provides dedicated activities to enjoy nature and nature’s benefits. To find out more about our work please take a look at our website here: https://www.wildsheffield.com ABOUT WILDSCAPES Wildscapes consultancy works to improve places for people and wildlife by providing a range of land management and ecology services. Profit generated by the social enterprise is reinvested back into the Trust’s charitable activities - into our nature reserves, wildlife conservation, community engagement and campaign work. Wildscapes Consultancy's turnover and profitability has grown considerably in recent years and there is potential to build on this further through the existing pipeline and framework agreements as well as some exciting opportunities in development. The consultancy can work across the country but has a regional focus, delivering contracts both through Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust and the subsidiary 'Wildscapes Community Interest Company' (CIC). All staff are employed by the Trust. The Consultancy Manager reports to a small Board and the CEO of the Trust. Services include: ● Ecology: biodiversity net gain, protected species and habitat surveys, licensing, mitigation, management plans, planning and architect support. ● Land Management: habitat creation, moorland restoration, fencing, tree planting, site maintenance, school grounds, soft landscaping etc. 3 ● Water contracts: creation/restoration of ponds through the GCN DLL framework and private contracts, river restoration and natural flood management. To find out more about our work please take a look at our websites here: https://www.wildsheffield.com/ https://wildscapes.co.uk/ ABOUT THE ROLE JOB DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: Wildscapes Land Team Officer JOB NUMBER: LTO-26 RESPONSIBLE TO: Wildscapes Land Team Manager RESPONSIBLE FOR: Casual Staff and Sub-Contractors SALARY: £27,846 per annum FT (pay award pending) HOURS: 37.5 Hours FT CONTRACT: 1 Year on a Rolling Basis (Subject to Business Performance) LOCATION: Flexible and blended working from office, home and on site OVERALL PURPOSE Under the supervision of the Wildscapes Manager (Land Team) deliver a variety of conservation-based work activities, some complex and non-routine in different situations as part of a team; land, ponds and ecology, across Yorkshire and surrounding regions. Lead and supervise casual conservation assistants and contractors in the successful delivery of a range of Wildscapes contracts tasks at a variety of project sites across the region. Act as competent supervisory ‘fore-person’ for sub-contractors on behalf of Wildscapes, ensuring safe working practices and high-quality outcomes. 4 MAIN DUTIES ● Deliver a range of practical habitat management tasks, with occasional budget responsibility not exceeding £1,000. ● On site supervision and on-the-job training of up to five Casual Conservation Assistants. ● Act as Wildscapes ‘fore-person’ when leading Casual Conservation Assistants or when representing Wildscapes on-site with contractors. This will sometimes entail considerable responsibility & autonomy, and the control or guidance of others. ● Undertake routine reporting on projects to the Wildscapes Management Team and liaise with external contacts sometimes around more complex queries, including: landowners, local authorities and Natural England. ● Present a professional image of Wildscapes and the Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust at all times. ● Contribute to the effective running of the Operational Base including: ● Equipment maintenance ● Materials stock ● Vehicle safety checks GENERAL DUTIES ● To work to and promote the Trust’s charitable objectives, strategy, policies and procedures, including the Trust’s culture statement at all times. ● Undertake any other duties as required by the Wildscapes management team commensurate with skills and responsibilities. PERSON SPECIFICATION CRITERIA EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL (E) or STAGE CRITERIA DESIRABLE (D) IS ASSESSED Relevant experience, knowledge and skills required. Likely to E A be demonstrated 1-2 years relevant experience in a supervisory role. 5 Demonstrable experience of some or all of the following: post E A and rail fencing, post and wire fencing, tree / hedge planting, coppicing, scrub clearance, tree felling, footpath construction and maintenance, pond clearance and creation, invasive species control, drystone walling, hedge laying and countryside furniture construction (benches, bridges, boardwalks and gates). Experience of selecting and managing casual staff or contractors Experience of delivering commercial land management contracts (Desirable) Experience of working with volunteers CRITERIA E D D A A I ESSENTIAL (E) or STAGE CRITERIA DESIRABLE (D) IS ASSESSED KNOWLEDGE & QUALIFICATIONS Education, UK level 4 qualification or equivalent HNC diploma Demonstrable understanding of the requirements of the role Health and safety principles and procedures in the workplace and in the field. A full driving licence is essential. A First Aid certificate or the willingness to undertake first aid training. Nature conservation and natural history understanding. SKILLS Good communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex data systems to non-technical stakeholders E E E E E D E A A A,I A A A I 6 Excellent organisational skills, able to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines Budget management skills, up to £1000 Good, confident IT skills - Google Workspace (Google Docs and Google Sheets), Word, Excel as a minimum E D D I A A CRITERIA ESSENTIAL (E) or STAGE CRITERIA DESIRABLE (D) IS ASSESSED PERSONAL QUALITIES Well organised, systematic approach to work, resilient and can work to deadlines in a busy office environment Ability to work cooperatively as part of a small team but also independently with minimal supervision. High level of enthusiasm, motivation and professional demeanour and a commitment to biodiversity and conservation. Self-motivated, able to use own initiative as well as work as part of a team Demonstrable ability to problem solve on the job. Please be aware that this is a physically demanding role and will require the postholder to be able to walk across uneven terrain, carry equipment and materials and be standing or physically active for long periods of time. E E E E E E I A,I I A I A,I Ability to deal with complaints/ enquiries from the public in a polite and professional manner. D A * A = Application I = Interview T = Task 7 DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT (26) Salary: £27,846 per annum (PO1 Grade ) Pay award pending Pension: All staff who earn over £192 per week (£833 per month) are over 22 and under pensionable age, are automatically enrolled on the SRWT pension scheme. Following a 3-month postponement, the pension contribution is based on a total of 8% minimum level, 3% by SRWT and 5% by employee. After 6 month’s service (subject to successful probationary period), the employee will be entitled to a 9% contribution which need not be matched. Anyone who does not meet eligibility criteria will have the opportunity to join the scheme should they wish, although they will not qualify for SRWT contributions. Working Hours: The working week for this post is 37.5 hours, exclusive of lunch breaks. The post may involve some evening and weekend work for which time off in lieu can be taken. Flexi-time arrangements can be made at the line manager’s discretion. Location: The post will be based at the Trust’s main office on Stafford Road. Staff have the opportunity to blended working combining home and office working. However it is expected that the post holder will be required to visit other project sites and will work throughout Sheffield and Rotherham and further afield. Probationary Period: 6 months, in which they will be expected to establish their suitability for the post. All new employees are required to undertake a period of probation for Annual Leave: 28 days of annual leave from day one (excluding bank holidays), 3 of which are to be used between Christmas and New Year as the office is closed. 3 days of leave in addition upon 5 complete years of service up to a maximum of 31 days. In addition to annual leave there are 10 (26/27) statutory bank holidays, (pro rata for part time staff). Length of Contract: 1 Year (on a rolling basis, subject to business performance) Transport provision: Trust staff are required to use public transport wherever practical. However the post holder will have use of a pool of Trust vehicles when needed. Equal Opportunities: Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust is striving to be an equal opportunities employer and selection of applicants is based on merit. Please request the full policy document for further details. 8 Safeguarding: In line with Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s commitment to safeguarding the postholder for this role will be subject to reference checks. WORKING FOR SRWT The Trust has a suite of policies and procedures that are designed to provide a framework for how we work and support our staff. The following are particular areas that we have given focus to under our current strategy. CARBON REDUCTION The reality and threat of climate change is sadly increasing year on year. Alongside our work to tackle the nature emergency in Sheffield & Rotherham, we are also working to help tackle the climate emergency. We are doing this through our strategic work, by delivering nature-based solutions that can help lock up carbon and manage flood risk for example. But in addition to that, we are reviewing our day to day operations to seek opportunities to reduce our own carbon footprint wherever we can. Our strategic ambition is to be zero carbon by 2030 and are currently working to an action plan to help us identify and prioritise where we can reduce our carbon emissions before then turning our focus on how we can offset emissions and use our extensive knowledge & experience of working to protect nature, to implement nature-based solutions that lead to carbon sequestration. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION We believe that equality, diversity and inclusion is an essential part of what we do and how we achieve our vision for wildlife. Our workforce, volunteers, and the communities we work with deserve equality of opportunity, benefit from embracing diversity and thrive in an inclusive environment. The Trust is committed to providing equality of opportunity, addressing lack of diversity and creating an environment that promotes inclusivity. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment and bullying and aim to provide a working environment where opportunities for recruitment or progression are based solely on merit. SAFEGUARDING Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust is deeply committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults involved in our work across the Trust. The Trust delivers a range of activities for children, young people and adults that includes some risk of harm. We come into contact with many people as we undertake our day to day work right across the Trust - from responding to customer enquiries, recruiting members, helping the public on site, delivering activities or supporting a placement student or volunteer. In view of this our safeguarding policy & procedures form a thread across all staff and teams from recruitment to the day to day work we carry out. Our Safeguarding Group plays an important role in leading our safeguarding activity and all staff carry responsibility in their work. We apply to the Disclosure & Barring Service for an appropriate level of disclosure, and also seek references for successful candidates. All staff take part in a safeguarding induction and identified roles undertake more specific safeguarding training. 9