Environment and wildlife conservation jobs in exeter, devon

Education Officer

Are you passionate about environmental issues, in particular nature restoration, climate resilience and biodiversity?

Do you have experience working with young audiences, preferably within a wildlife or conservation setting?

We are looking for an Education Officer based in Scotland or North of England, with the ability to inspire people to connect with nature!

Position: Education Officer

Location: Remote/Scotland or North of England (this role requires frequent travel and overnight stays)

Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract: 1.5 year fixed term post, with the possibility of extension

Salary: £32,827 per annum

Benefits Include:  25 days holiday, plus Christmas day through to New Year’s Day paid, plus 6 days of floating holidays, pro-rata. Flexible approach to hours of work. Pension contribution of 3%, one-off contributions toward the cost of an ergonomic office chair and toward purchases of essential devices, monthly home working allowance, plus an annual contribution toward the maintenance and/or replacement of the essential devices.

Closing Date: 9am on Monday 8th September.  We reserve the right to interview candidates and close the ad ahead of the closing date, should a strong candidate be identified.

About the Role

We are looking to hire a skilled and engaging Education Officer to join a busy team, supporting the implementation and expansion of an established educational outreach programme, which reaches children in Scotland and Northern England.

At present, this post has funding for three years from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, 1.5 years of which is now complete and we are looking for someone to deliver the second 1.5 years of the project.

The purpose of the role is to extend passion and knowledge of beavers into communities around Britain, to engage and enthuse young people and to reconnect (or reinforce) their love of nature. Using and tailoring current materials and resources, you will do so by delivering high-quality learning sessions within schools, community groups or virtual training sessions, sometimes delivered in conjunction with beaver site partners and their education teams.

You will also be responsible for supporting wider aspects of the programme together with the Education Team, according to the requirements for each country and in partnership with relevant organisations

Key responsibilities include:

· Deliver a range of exciting, curriculum-linked workshops, non-curriculum home education talks, school and group sessions associated with beaver release sites.

· Run regional events and outreach activities to expand engagement in beaver education.

· Network and build contacts and relationships with key personnel in schools, youth groups and community groups in order to create engagement with the education programme and expand its reach.

· Support the development of further resources, activities and events specific to the country and region, and deliver existing activities for group learning.

· Monitor, collate and report on work carried out, toward learning goals and impact reporting, coordinated by the Senior Education Officer to support the programme evaluation.

· Support volunteers and build capacity working with partner site staff in the delivery of beaver education programmes.

We welcome applicants who may need flexible ways of working or support in managing workload.

About You

We are looking for someone with experience of working with young audiences, preferably within a wildlife or conservation setting. You will have a good grasp of ecology and be willing to travel around the country to support learning education opportunities as well as being confident running sessions or delivering train-the-trainer sessions online.

Essential skills and experience include:

· A foundation degree level or equivalent in a zoology, biology or conservation-related field, OR; A teaching/education qualification or equivalent experience in teaching, using different delivery methods including virtual delivery. Both formal qualifications OR equivalent lived, voluntary or professional experience are welcome.

· The ability to communicate complex concepts in an innovative and engaging way to a young audience.

· The skill set to inspire people to connect with nature, to support teachers, deliver talks, presentations and education sessions.

· A strong interest in nature, conservation and restoration.

· Working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.

· Competent use of IT skills, preferably Google Suite, and high standards for visual content.

· Experience in confidently using IT packages for teaching delivery, including the use of tablets, presentation software and audiovisual.

· A full valid UK driving licence (you will be required to access remote rural locations carrying more equipment than can be handled on public transport)

· Resident in mainland Britain and proof of right to work in Britain.

· A place to store learning materials. We can offer storage support if there isn’t space at home.

This role might suit you if you have…

· A sound understanding of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and the English National Curriculum (primary) in terms of expectations and limitations.

· Proven experience of developing and delivering workshops and activities for school audiences.

You don’t need to meet every requirement, if you’re enthusiastic about the role, we encourage you to apply

To apply please upload a 2pp CV and 1pp covering letter explaining their interest and suitability for the role. Please note, we can only accept candidates with the right to work in the UK.

About the Organisation

Join a nature restoration charity, restoring beavers to regenerate our landscapes. Beavers were once a common and influential part of the British countryside, and as such, the team wants to reconnect people to this part of our heritage.  

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented in the environmental sector including people of colour, disabled people, those from low-income backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ communities and all other protected characteristics.

You may have experience in roles including Education and Learning Officer, Education Project Coordinator, Youth Engagement Officer, Schools Programme Officer, Prevention Officer, Workshop Facilitator, Learning and Engagement Officer, Conservation Officer, Environmental, Environment and Conservation. #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Senior Financial Accountant - Fixed-Term
Reference: AUG20257890
Location: Flexible in UK
Contract: Fixed Term until 31st December 2026
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary: £47,313.00 - £50,309.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension scheme (7%), Life Assurance scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays)

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.

This is an excellent opportunity to join our busy Finance team and develop your skills in one of the UK’s leading conservation charities. This role arises in order to support the Finance Systems Replacement project which is a Board priority and a major digital change project.

In order to facilitate this we are looking for additional support in our Financial Control Team. We are looking for a strong technical professional, whose financial expertise and specialist knowledge are a given. The main purpose of the role is to provide technical financial accounting support, with a focus on, but not limited to VAT, gift aid and corporation tax, preparation of statutory accounts, to ensure that RSPB and its related group entities comply with a range of regulatory and external stakeholder reporting requirements and specific project requirements related to the implementation of the new finance system. 

What's the role about?

You will be part of a team of professionals reporting to the Financial & Treasury Controller.

As part of a team of 5 your main duties will be to:

• Deal with VAT, Gift Aid and corporation tax enquiries, produce returns, etc.
• Be involved in the preparation of the Trustees’ Report and Accounts (including subsidiary and related entities); This involves co-ordinating input from the wider Finance team as well as liaison with the Communications and Corporate Governance and Risk teams to provide an integrated narrative that clearly articulates RSPB’s impact and the challenges it faces.
• Liaise and provide information to internal and external audit.
• Help manage and reconcile the fixed asset system with particular focus on getting the fixed asset data ready for accurate transfer to new finance system.
• Financial analysis and technical reporting including government statistics returns

With an income of over £170m per annum and 1.15 million members the RSPB combines worldwide charitable impact with a substantial commercial operation. The scale and diversity of the operation gives scope for this role to make a significant impact on the delivery of RSPB’s work as well as the opportunity for major personal development.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Fully qualified accountant or part qualified in final year of exams.
• Good working knowledge of the rules, regulations and standards in respect of tax legislation (VAT and Gift Aid), preferably for the charity sector.
• Good working knowledge of the rules, regulations and standards in respect of financial reporting (Accounting standards and company law) preferably for the charity sector.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and communicate financial data.
• Ability to communicate financial information to both a finance and non-finance audience.
• Experience within a medium sized organisation (Income £50m+) of preparing reports/returns for external stakeholders including Tax returns (VAT, Gift Aid and corporation tax), Annual Reports and Annual Returns (Charity Commission, Government agencies).

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Advanced knowledge of MS Excel
• Experience of accounting software within a medium sized organisation.
• Experience of communicating with HMRC and other regulatory bodies.
• Experience of communicating with internal and external stakeholders including auditors, trustees and directors.

Additional information:

• The role can be hybrid within the UK however you may be periodically required to attend our HQ finance office at RSPB HQ in Sandy, Bedfordshire.
• This role may require some travel within the UK.
• This role may require some overnight stays away from home.

The RSPB works for a healthy environment for all and we therefore expect you to take action in accordance with our Environmental Policy and objectives. Together we can make a positive difference for our world.

In the RSPB, volunteers are a major resource and make a vital contribution to the RSPB’s aim to take action for the conservation of wild birds and the environment. Employees are responsible for encouraging, developing and supporting volunteers in their work for the RSPB.

Support for obtaining taxation qualification can be considered.

Agreed professional subscriptions are paid by RSPB.

Closing date: 23:59, Tue, 2nd Sep 2025

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on: 11th September 2025.

Please note that we will be actively recruiting for this role and reserve the right to close this vacancy should sufficient applications be received.

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, you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form where you will have the opportunity to tell us how you meet the criteria set above.

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. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete 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 visa sponsorship.

No agencies please.