Senior Accessibility Specialist
Reference: APR20257021
Location: Flexible in UK
Salary: £44,315.00 - £47,312.00 Per Annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours a week – Flexible working pattens to be discussed
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave
Whilst we have a huge presence and influence in the conservation sector we recognise that our work is not reaching everyone. We need to enable more, and more diverse people to engage with and act for nature.
Recognising that people are at the heart of delivering our ambitions, we have an exciting opportunity for a talented person to join as Senior Accessibility Specialist.
What’s the job about?
Our 2030 strategy commits the RSPB to becoming more relevant to the communities and supporters we work with by involving a more diverse range of people. Recognising that people are at the heart of delivering our ambitions, we have an exciting opportunity for a talented person to join as Senior Accessibility Specialist. Reporting to the Head of EDI, and as part of the EDI leadership team, you’ll hold close relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across the organisation. You’ll work collaboratively to support the transformation in behaviours and skills needed to make the RSPB a more accessible and equitable place for all.
The role does have flexibility to shape and innovate but will be focused on the continuation and delivery of two main priorities:
- Working with our nature reserve teams to implement accessibility improvements that make our spaces more inclusive for Staff, Volunteers and Visitors
- Working with Communications and Learning and Development teams, internal networks and other stakeholders, to deliver better experiences for our disabled workforce from the point they apply for a role.
Essentials:
- Experienced in delivering strategic accessibility interventions and influencing positive change at all levels of a large and complex organisation and the wider sector
- Personal commitment to making a tangible difference to accessibility with a focus on physical disability, sensory disabilities and neurodiverse people and communities.
- An advocate and practitioner of accessible design and clear communication
- Background and confidence in working with people with lived experience of access barriers and providing support and advice to organisations around accessibility.
- Comfortable to proactively challenge internal policy, practices and communications to better include marginalised groups.
- Expertise on accessible communications, with experience working to improve standards of internal communications and co-designing engaging content for external communication
- Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills to role model and drive behaviour change across all areas of accessibility
- In depth knowledge of accessibility standards and best practise within the UK. Including: WCAG, social model of disability, universal design principles, access to work, reasonable adjustments and working application of the Equality Act 2010
- Significant experience of designing and delivering resources and training around accessibility in a range of formats to meet learner needs
- Strong internal and external stakeholder management skills, ability to recognise a build key relationships and influence at a sector level
- Sound understanding of intersectionality of disability and other protected characteristics and a good generalist EDI knowledge to inform specialist advice and guidance
- Strong and effective communication skills, with ability to influence leaders and mobilise other teams to act
- Strong written communication and digital presentations skills to communicate accessibility and disability inclusion to a wide range of audiences
- Analytical evaluation to inform and report on areas of focus and impact
- Awareness of project and process management to enable work to be planned and delivered to a high quality, on time and within resource capacity
Desirable:
- Experience or interest in accessibility in the Conservation section, nature or climate emergency
- Understanding of the intersectional context of race and gender equity within accessibility
- Practical experience supporting accessibility changes at visitor attractions
- Experience working in the Voluntary sector or in volunteering
- Experience of movement building or membership organisations
Additional Information
This role is available full time and permanently for 37.5 hours a week, but we welcome applications for those looking for different working patterns and are happy to discuss further with interested candidates.
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.
Closing date: 23:59, Wednesday 21st May 2025
Interviews will take place around the 18th and 19th of June.
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert at any time.
Open briefings
If this sounds like the role for you and you'd like more information on what the day-to-day responsibilities are, or a chance to ask questions, please get un touch with EDI at RSPB to enquire about one of our open briefings.
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.
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.
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.
No agencies please.
Registered Charity
More than 1000
The RSPB brings people together – people like you – to protect the things that matter to us all.
Thank you!
Research Associate - National Youth Agency
Contract: 12-month Fixed Term Contract (with potential to extend)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Remote: This role is 100% homebased with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Knowledge Team, working alongside two existing Research Associates and a Data Analyst.
You will be integral in delivering research, data, and insights that support organisational development and programme delivery across NYA.
We are looking for an experienced mixed-methods researcher with a strong understanding of social research and evaluation approaches. Ideally, you will have experience working in or alongside the youth sector and be confident using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
You’ll need to be flexible, proactive, and a strong communicator, able to explain complex ideas to varied audiences.
This role is ideal for someone looking to make a tangible difference through evidence-led approaches that shape policy, practice, and impact in youth work.
Key responsibilities for this role will include:
- Designing and delivering research projects using a range of methods including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
- Supporting the development of the NYA research and data hub, including external research collation and data visualisation.
- Leading on evaluations to meet funder requirements and contribute to NYA’s growing evidence base.
- Analysing data from NYA programmes to support impact measurement.
- Promoting evidence-based practice across NYA and the wider youth sector.
- Communicating findings clearly through reports, briefings, and presentations.
- Managing research projects and collaborating with internal and external partners to deliver on time and to quality.
- Responding to internal and external research enquiries.
The ideal candidate will have experience in social research, familiarity with various research methodologies, and the ability to communicate complex findings to diverse audiences.
Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.
Why Work for NYA?
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 12th May 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the
About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it. As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
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