Conservation officer jobs in dumfries, dumfries and galloway

Role title: Financial Controller
Reference: FC 2025
Location: Flexible remote, but must be resident in the UK
Salary: £48,000 per annum
Hours: Full time 35 hours per week

Born Free works tirelessly to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and can live according to their needs. As a leading wildlife and conservation charity, we oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong – in the wild.

About this opportunity

Are you passionate about wild animals and conservation with experience of working in a small but busy finance team? Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to take your career to its next stage? We are recruiting a Financial Controller. This is an essential role that ensures the integrity of our financial systems, data and processes. The role leads on financial monitoring and reporting (both internal and external), delivering robust and timely outputs that meet the needs of users. The Financial Controller is instrumental in facilitating the Charity’s adherence to tax, legal and regulatory requirements. The role also oversees our payments and payroll processing and has one direct line report. There is close liaison with Born Free’s two finance managers based in Kenya and Ethiopia. The role reports to the Chief Financial Officer.

The successful candidate will be proactive and adaptable and will work well with colleagues across other disciplines to ensure processes are fit for purpose, efficient and understood. With a keen eye for detail and a methodical approach, you will be highly proficient in Excel and experienced in delivering a varied workload. You will have a demonstrable record of working collaboratively as well as independently, and a good understanding of the UK charity sector. 

Resourceful, organised and a team player, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you will need to deliver with drive and enthusiasm, be able to work with minimum supervision and show good judgement and initiative.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make your mark as a finance professional in a much-loved charity. Applicants for this role must be CCAB qualified, or part-qualified with substantial, relevant experience.

Our excellent benefits package includes opportunities for continuous professional learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, a competitive pension, and wellbeing support to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Born Free is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. We welcome requests for flexible working.

The closing date for applications is:  09:00 on Monday, 16th June 2025.

Interviews will be held virtually on:  Thursday 19th/Friday 20th June.

Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Born Free politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Communications Officer – Scotland
Reference: APR20257121
Location: Flexible in Scotland
Salary: £27,123.00 - £28,956.00 Per Annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week
Benefits: Pension scheme (7%), Life Assurance scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays)

We are seeking a home-based Communications Officer to join RSPB Scotland's communications team.

You'll have an interest in or passion for nature and the outstanding communications skills, knowledge and the experience we need to tell inspiring stories of the conservation projects, our network of nature reserves and our colleagues that are striving to help protect and restore nature across Scotland.

What's the role about?

You'll be part of a dynamic team working across Scotland to unearth and tell great stories from colleagues that inspire key audiences about RSPB Scotland’s nature conservation work.

The role is diverse and busy, working on the roll out of RSPB-wide campaigns like Big Garden Birdwatch, managing and creating content for social media platforms, responding to press enquiries and building relationships with colleagues working in different areas of Scotland to bring their work to life in print, blogs, film and more.

The role will occasionally include opportunities to travel across Scotland, including overnight trips and out-of-hours work with Time Off in Lieu provided. Applicants need to be based in Scotland.

The role will demand:

• Building relationships with teams across Scotland, developing understanding of their work, stories and communications needs.
• Working with the wider communications and marketing team to support effective communications planning and delivery in line with country and organisational priorities.
• Day-to-day management of social media channels and communications enquiries with support from the wider team.
• Maintaining relationships with press and media to maximise coverage of communications priorities.
• Producing a monthly e-newsletter for supporters.
• Identifying reputational risks and working with the team to help minimise potential impacts.

Required skills, knowledge and experience:

• Evidence of a high level of literacy and of a good general education.
• An understanding of how to achieve objectives through communications campaigns and PR techniques.
• Ability to communicate in a clear manner at all levels (written and verbally) to develop shared understanding.
• Ability to summarise complex information and provide impactful copy - e.g. through press releases, social media posts, blogs etc.
• Being able to persuade others and negotiate to reach agreement.
• Demonstrable experience of identifying and developing stories and messages from briefings or background information on a wide variety of topics.
• Working in or with the media to sell and/or tell stories.
• Ability to write to tight deadlines and work in a fast paced, often changing environment.
• Multitasking.
• PR / marketing / journalism qualification (desirable).
• Experience working remotely across a widely distributed organisation (desirable).
• Knowledge of Scottish nature conservation/wildlife especially birds (desirable).
• Knowledge of key habitats and conservation issues in Scotland (desirable).
• Experience working for/with an environmental NGO or voluntary sector organisation (desirable).

Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 8th June 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on 25th/26th June 2025.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge and experience listed above. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

No agencies please.

Background

People and communities around the world have the solutions to social injustice, authoritarianism, and the climate crisis. But repressive governments, corrupt corporations, and armed groups use violence and oppression to try and silence them.

By building resistance and resilience among those challenging unaccountable power, Open Briefing supports a shared vision for a world where communities and ecosystems can thrive.

As a mission-driven nonprofit, we join forces with grassroots activists, community groups, and social movements at risk. Working together, we strengthen their physical safety, digital resilience, and collective wellbeing. As a social impact consultancy, we help leading nonprofits and foundations navigate risk and support the people and partnerships that make change possible.

This dual approach allows us to work at every level of civil society, from the grassroots to the global.

We have scaled to meet a 66% surge in demand for our support over the past two years, with our international team now responding to 11 new cases every week. Last year, we:

• Answered 575 calls for assistance across 100 countries.
• Delivered over 6,000 hours of mentoring and accompaniment.
• Trained over 1,000 activists in 112 holistic security workshops.

Across all our work, the same approach guides us. We come with questions, not just answers. We listen to the knowledge and experiences of the people we support before sharing our own. Then we act, together.

We are expanding our diverse, inspired, and purpose-driven team. Will you join us as our new director of digital and information security?

Role description

As our director of digital and information security, you will lead our digital risk and resilience team and programme in order to help build resistance and resilience among the people and movements challenging unaccountable power.

Your focus in this senior role at this crucial time will be on leadership, strategy, growth, and culture, with specific responsibility for our digital risk and resilience programme, internal information security, and tech transformation. Your responsibilities will include:

Lead our digital risk and resilience programme

1. Manage the design and delivery of our digital and information security support, including:
   • Coordinate the digital security mentoring, accompaniment, and capacity sharing we deliver to at-risk activists and low-resource civil society organisations referred through our rapid response mechanism.
   • Oversee the professional information security consultancy and advisory services we provide to high-profile nonprofit and foundation clients.
   • Develop our holistic security approach and ensure the smooth delivery of holistic security projects as part of our cross-programme leadership group.
2. Lead a team of digital and information security professionals and technologists, including:
   • Build and maintain an effective team, and recruit, onboard, and mentor new consultants as required to meet increased demand or to fill gaps.
   • Inspire, motivate, and line manage team members and foster a team culture that ensures psychological safety and reflects our values.
   • Quality assure and provide expert input into the work of consultants in the team as appropriate.
3. Drive our evolution in this risk domain from a service-focussed workstream to an impact-driven programme, including:
   • Build strategic relationships with hubs, hotlines, networks, and other key nodes in the protection ecosystem, particularly across the global majority.
   • Produce tools, guides, and trainings on key digital and information security issues of concern to activists and organisations at risk.
   • Raise Open Briefing’s profile in the digital rights and tech communities by representing the organisation externally, including at conferences and events and within relevant civil society networks.

Champion our own digital and information security

1. Maintain an up-to-date registry of our valuable and sensitive information assets and the technical and organisational measures in place to protect them.
2. Define, prioritise, and implement additional technical and organisational measures to better protect each of our valuable and sensitive information assets.
3. Continuously improve the digital hygiene of our team members and the security of our devices, accounts, communications, and website by introducing additional general measures, including device management and regular digital security training.
4. Coordinate our response to any data breach or security incident involving our information assets, devices, accounts, communications, or website.

Drive tech transformation in our organisation

1. Act as a catalyst for change and drive tech transformation as a strategic enabler of our growth and scale.
2. Map current systems and workflows to identify gaps, reduce complexity, and deliver improvements that strengthen security and ease staff burden.
3. Lead the specification, procurement, and implementation of new tools – including secure case management, communication, and collaboration systems – and oversee change management and training to ensure successful adoption across our team.
4. Establish a clear and responsive process for handling team requests for IT and digital security support, ensuring timely assistance and continuous improvement.

Shape our organisational strategy and culture

1. Play an active role in strategic decision making, organisation development, and delivering our three-year strategy as a key part of our senior leadership team.
2. Support our CEO and development director to cultivate new and existing funding partnerships, including for our digital risk and resilience programme.
3. Model our organisation’s values and culture by using inclusive language, acting with empathy and compassion, and demonstrating a solutions-focussed and growth mindset in your interactions with all our internal and external stakeholders.

Advance your own growth and development

1. Engage in our programme of training and coaching in order to grow as a leader.
2. Remain up to date with key developments in digital and information security and relevant technology, such as data protection regulations, digital rights, internet freedom, and new surveillance and censorship technologies.

You will be supported in your role by a digital risk and resilience coordinator and a team of highly-motivated consultants, other members of the senior leadership team, our office manager, and a CEO who models servant leadership. You will also have detailed handover notes and access to our extensive internal knowledge base and up-to-date project management system.

To help you grow as a leader, we will co-design your quarterly objectives, regularly review your priorities and progress, and provide an annual 360 performance and growth review. All team members also have access to unlimited professional coaching and other learning and development opportunities.

Person specification

Essential

1. You will be an experienced and empathetic leader or manager who values collaboration and teamwork.
2. You will have a proven track record in digital and information security roles.
3. You will have considerable digital and information security expertise and be able to communicate and apply that knowledge clearly, concisely, and effectively.
4. You will have experience working with nonprofits and foundations and/or grassroots movements, organisations, and activists.
5. You will have experience working in professional consultancy and advisory roles.
6. You will be sensitive to the progressive and rights-based missions and diverse profiles of our clients and other stakeholders.
7. You will have excellent written and spoken English.
8. You will be based in a country with a time zone that is UTC +/- 3 hours or able to accommodate our core working hours.

Desirable

1. You may have a strong understanding of the physical security and psychosocial aspects of holistic security and how they interact with digital risk and resilience.
2. You may have proficiency in additional languages.

Terms and conditions

We are a global, remote-first, and digital nomad-friendly organisation. This is a home-working role with some potential for occasional international travel.

We are looking for someone who wants to become part of our close-knit team and develop a long-term working relationship with us and our stakeholders. You will be properly onboarded and continually supported by empowering managers and highly-experienced colleagues. Your line manager will be our CEO, Chris Abbott.

This is a full-time employed role. We will offer you a remuneration package made up of fair pay, sector-leading benefits, and progressive leave policies, including:

• Salary of £72,400 per annum.
• 7% employer pension contribution (UK).
• Family private medical insurance.
• Employee Assistance Programme, including welfare counselling.
• Unlimited professional coaching.
• Enhanced annual leave of 25 days plus local public holidays.
• Additional leave days for annual closedown.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Flexible working, including flexitime and remote and home working.
• Access to local coworking spaces.
• Support for climate action:
  • Personal carbon emissions offsetting.
  • Up to two additional leave days for sustainable travel.
  • Up to two additional leave days for climate activism.
• Apple MacBook Pro and peripherals.

‬‭In order to ensure that we comply with local laws and regulations, Open Briefing staff based‬ outside the United Kingdom will be contracted locally through an‬‭ employer of record‬‭ (EOR).‬ Wherever possible, we apply the same terms and conditions of employment to all staff,‬ whether employed directly or through an EOR. Where there are differences due to local laws and regulations, we will apply the better of the provisions set out above or the local statutory requirements.

How to apply

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter (no more than two pages each) using the secure form.

You will be asked three screening questions in the form as part of your application:

1. What excites you about Open Briefing and this role?
2. In this role, you’ll support civic actors facing complex threats from state, corporate, or criminal adversaries. These actors often have limited resources, knowledge, or experience to identify or respond to such risks. What do you see as the key factors when designing effective digital and information security strategies in this context? If possible, please share an example of a role or project in which you tackled similar challenges
3. Our team is diverse in language, culture, location, working style, and employment model. Many of our consultants work with us part-time, alongside other clients, and are embedded in a wider ecosystem. Your role will be to support their growth, match them to the right work, and integrate their efforts across a broader, cross-functional team. What challenges would you anticipate in leading such a diverse, distributed team? Please share an example of a role in which you managed similar challenges – ideally within a global civil society or service-oriented organisation.

Please note the following dates:

• Closing date: 20 June 2025 (16:00 UTC)
• First round interviews: 30 June and 1 July 2025
• Second round interviews: 3 and 4 July 2025
• Desired start date: 1 August 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter

Please let us know in your cover letter if any of these dates are problematic and we will try to accommodate. Given the nature of our work, the successful applicant will need to complete a reasonable vetting process before being appointed.

Role: Senior Officer, Policy & Advocacy (Climate Change & Environment)

Reporting To: Policy & Advocacy Adviser (Climate Change & Environment)

Salary: £47,333

Location: Remote working (preference for GMT +/- 8h). 

For non-UK candidates: Please note that you would be hired via Deel either as a contractor or as an employee with local national benefits.

Contract duration: 3 year fixed-term contract, renewable

Probation period: 6 months

Contract type: Full-time or part-time (minimum 4 days a week), compressed hours and flexible working arrangements available

Closing date: 13 June 2025 at 23:30 UK time

What does United for Global Mental Health do?

At United for Global Mental Health, we work with trusted partners to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase support for mental health worldwide.

The United for Global Mental Health team is made up of diverse, passionate and knowledgeable individuals based in the UK and in countries around the world. By combining our extensive in-house expertise in advocacy, financing and campaigning with the unique insights of our many partners, we’re making progress on ensuring that everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health. You can read about our three-year strategy and our 2024 impact report here.

What will I be doing? 

This role will support the delivery of several activities within our portfolio of activities on climate change, the environment, and mental health. The four main areas of work that the Senior Officer will be responsible for include:

• Leading work with national partners (50% of post)

• Integration of people with lived experience (hereafter referred to as PWLE) across the portfolio (25% of post)

• Developing our advocacy on the intersection of air pollution and mental health (15% of post)

• Developing our advocacy on the intersection of biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)

National level work (50% of post)

A key component of the current project will be to support national partners in a subset of countries globally (approximately 6 countries) to advocate for action on climate change and mental health. The final set of countries is yet to be defined but will likely include one country per WHO region and one country from the Small Islands Developing States. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Lead in the selection of national partners in each country. This will include supporting the running of a competitive process to select one civil-society organisation based in each country to conduct the work

• Strengthen the capacity of national partners to work on climate change and mental health (e.g., via training to national partners to be delivered by the Senior Officer), if required

• Support national partners in advocating for the integration of mental health into climate policies, including but not limited to Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans, Heat Health Action Plans etc.

• Lead in cohort-building activities for this subset of countries (e.g., organising regular meetings, ensuring shared learnings etc.)

• With the support of our Operations team, support in the logistics of sub-contracting national partners and monitoring deliverables

Involvement of people with lived experience (25% of post)

The meaningful engagement of PWLE of mental health challenges is central to all work at United for Global Mental Health. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Leading on setting up and coordinating a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), which will meet every two months to provide guidance to UnitedGMH and national partners on their work on climate and health. The Senior Officer will be responsible for recruiting approximately 12 PWLE (2 x WHO region), organising regular meetings, and ensuring that the feedback of PWLE is integrated across different projects

• Support the attendance of PWLE to key global advocacy moments in a meaningful, safe, and impactful way

• Support national partners on the integration of lived experience considerations in their work on climate change and mental health 

Work on air pollution and mental health (15% of post)

The evidence on air pollution and mental health is a nascent, but rapidly growing, area of interest. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Scope what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into air pollution policies at the global, regional, and national levels 

• Build connections with organisations working on air pollution and clean air policies

• Refine our messaging on air pollution and mental health

• Lead on the production of one advocacy brief on air pollution and mental health

Work on biodiversity loss and mental health (10% of post)

There is emerging evidence on the association between biodiversity loss and mental health, but very little work has yet been done in the policy space. The specific responsibilities of this component will include:

• Scoping what concrete opportunities exist for integrating mental health considerations into biodiversity policies at the global, regional, and national levels 

• Build connections with organisations working on biodiversity, conservation, and nature

• Refine our messaging on biodiversity and mental health

• Lead the production of one advocacy brief on pesticide use and suicide

• Lead on our engagement with the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (biodiversity COP)

Is this job for me?

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of experience working on global mental health policy, advocacy, research, or practice

• Expertise in managing and engaging with multiple different types of stakeholders (e.g., civil society, UN agencies, governments etc.) 

• Experience working on co-creation, patient and public involvement (PPI), or working with people with lived experience of mental health problems

• Excellent project management skills and strong planning skills including attention to detail, critical thinking, multi-tasking and problem-solving

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written

• Ability to work collaboratively in a team

• Expertise in the development of funding proposals and ability to track and report on grant deliverables

• Expertise in organising meetings, events, and small gatherings of partners and other stakeholders

• Ability to travel 2-3 times a year internationally

Desirable

• Expertise in climate change and mental health is desirable but not required

• Experience of working in low- and middle-income countries on mental health is desirable but not required

• Experience of working on influencing policy within a government is desirable but not required

• Fluency in English is essential, the ability to work in a second UN language would be an advantage (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)

Diversity and inclusion

Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to UnitedGMH’s core mission and values, and the organisation is dedicated to promoting this across our work and also within the workplace. We will ensure that this commitment is embedded in all operational aspects of the organisation and also implemented within our day-to-day working practices.

Reasonable adjustments statement

We aim to ensure that all applicants are provided with the same opportunities during the recruitment process. Should you have a disability and require a particular adjustment to be made to allow you to fully participate in the recruitment process, please ensure that this is made known to the person arranging your interview.

How can I apply?

To apply please submit your CV and a cover letter (800 words maximum) via Charity Job. 

Selection process

• A subset of candidates will be invited to:

  • Submit a short written assignment

  • Participate in at least 2 online interviews between the 1st of July and the 18th of July

Benefits

• 28 days of holiday a year plus national holidays in your country of residency 

• Possibility of being hired by Deel as a local employee (with local pension and social security benefits) or as a contractor (decision up to the employee based on personal preference)

• Up to 1000£ a year of allowance for office space

• Up to 500£ a year in personal development training allowance

• A minimum of 1 in-person team retreat a year

• Possibility to work from anywhere in the world (where you have the legal right to work from)

• Possibility to work compressed hours 

• Access to Employee Assistance Programme via HealthAssured

• [For UK-based staff] You contribute 5% of your salary and we pay for 3% (8% total)

Director of Finance
Reference: APR20256942
Location: Flexible/Remote in England, with travel to RSPB Offices and HQ Sandy SG19
Salary: £86,059.00 - £109,346.00 Per Annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week.
Benefits: Pension scheme (7%), Life Assurance scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays)

The RSPB Finance Director role is a crucially important role for RSPB, reporting to the Executive Director for Finance, Governance and Strategy, and a part of the RSPB's senior leadership group.

What's the role about?

This is an opportunity for the successful candidate to:

• Drive the Finance department across all areas, including financial operations and budgeting and forecasting.
• Provide advice and support to the wider Finance, Governance and Strategy Directorate, Board, and other senior leaders on finance-related matters with a focus on strategy implementation.
• Engage with the Finance Committee and Audit and Risk Committee, leading on all financial matters.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Fully qualified accountant (UK-recognised qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA)
• Successful track record of inspiring, managing, and delivering large scale organisation-wide projects
• Demonstrable track record in the successful leadership and management of a Finance team in a multi-faceted and geographically dispersed organisation
• Successful track record in developing excellent working relationships between internal directorates and external stakeholders
• Experience of both internal and external financial reporting and the related regulatory environment in the charity sector
• Experience of control systems that manage risk effectively and provide assurance on the efficiency and effectiveness of financial processes and compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks
• Knowledge of the main direct and indirect tax frameworks related to the charity sector
• Experience in creating and communicating a compelling vision for directing and motivating the Finance team

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Investment management experience
• Defined benefit pension scheme arrangement experience

Please note this is a remote working role that can be conducted flexibly within the UK, however the successful candidate will be expected to travel to RSPB offices (including The Lodge in Sandy, Bedfordshire) on a monthly basis.

Closing date: 23:59, Wednesday 4th June 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from June 2025.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our recruitment partner's website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role will require standard pre-employment checks. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

As part of this application you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete a short form, which includes an optional cover letter section. Please use this cover letter section to detail how you meet the criteria listed above, as this will form the basis of our shortlisting. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

No agencies please.