Jobs for the Environment sector in york

Lead multi-million-pound partnerships for the UK’s largest nature conservation charity and Europe’s biggest nature-focused NGO, helping to build a future where nature and business thrive.

The Business Engagement team leads the RSPB’s work with the private sector and plays a central role in the charity’s strategy, working with businesses as agents of change. With a clear strategy and strong ethical foundations, the team are well positioned to raise £15 million through corporate partnerships by 2030 – and this role is central to making this happen.

Reporting into the Head of Business Engagement, you will oversee and grow a portfolio of multi-million-pound, strategic corporate partnerships, and ones that have the potential for this, ensuring they deliver both significant income and deep impact for nature. Partnerships include Tesco, Co-op, Ella’s Kitchen, Cemex and Barratt.

Working closely with the Head of New Business & Impact and the Head of Business Practice & Advocacy, you will deliver on RSPB’s Business Engagement Strategy, which focuses on:

• Investing in nature at scale
• Driving business practice change
• Influencing policy and systems
• Reaching new audiences through customers, employees and B2B engagement

As Head of Partnership Delivery, you will:

• Lead RSPB’s most strategic corporate partnerships, overseeing a portfolio that includes Tesco, Co-op, Cemex and Ella’s Kitchen. These relationships are already delivering conservation impact and income, but there is more potential to unlock.
• Manage and mentor a skilled team of four, with a collaborative, empowering leadership style and people-first approach
• Drive income growth and unlock new value from existing partners – including funding for restoration, nature projects, biodiversity in supply chains, engaging with business customers and employees’ and behaviour change initiatives
• Work across internal teams – including Global Conservation, Country teams, Fair to Nature, Policy & Advocacy, Finance and Communications – to integrate technical expertise and policy influence into our partnerships
• Play an active leadership role across the Business Engagement team and wider RSPB, helping evolve their approach to corporate engagement and championing the role of business in nature recovery

Ideal skills and experience:

• A track record of leading and growing high-value, strategic partnerships – ideally at a multi-million-pound scale
• Strong strategic and commercial thinking, with the ability to balance income generation and mission-driven impact
• A collaborative, empowering leadership style with a people-first approach (team leadership experience is essential)
• Experience of influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Confident managing sensitive ethical considerations and public scrutiny
• Experience or interest in sustainability, ESG or climate is helpful, but not essential
• Could suit someone stepping up from a senior partnerships role

Employee benefits

This is a home-based role, open to candidates across the UK, with a preference for someone based in England. Regular team meetups in London or at Sandy HQ (Bedfordshire), with travel costs reimbursed.

Benefits include: 

• 34 to 38 days’ annual leave (depending on length of service), including bank holidays
• Up to 7% employer contribution pension scheme
• Life assurance (5x salary)
• Four-week paid sabbatical after five years
• One paid volunteering day per year
• Generous sick pay

Our vision is of a world in which our human population lives fairly and sustainably with nature and each other.

Our mission is to address the negative consequences of ever more people using ever more of the planet’s resources and to inspire and engage with others to find, share and promote ways to make our vision a reality as quickly as possible.

You

Are you an experienced Chartered Financial Accountant, with extensive experience working in Financial Operations (FinOps) within international charities? Are you looking for a role that gives you the autonomy to shape and develop the FinOps function, as well as a role within the Senior Leadership Team?

We have just entered a new five-year strategy period and are looking for someone to take a strategic, long-term approach to developing our FinOps capabilities, further developing an increasingly professionalised function. We are a growing organisation and will be further expanding internationally over the strategy period.

If your application is successful, you will form part of the organisation’s Senior Leadership Team, helping Population Matters to continue to build on recent successes and increase its focus on impact.

How we’ll do things

Population Matters is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age and all other categories protected by law.

If you require any adjustments to make the process more accessible, or to arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact our switchboard.

Please apply by sending a CV (no more than two A4 pages) and covering letter (no more than two A4 pages), addressing the Job Description and, in particular, the Person Specification.

We will use blind recruitment practices to minimise unconscious bias.

The deadline for applications is midday on 6th June. We will hold first interviews on the 12th June remotely, with Joshua Hill, Chief Research & Operations Officer, and Sho Nair, Director of Fundraising & Engagement. We will hold second interviews on the afternoon of the 17th June, in person, with Joshua Hill and Amy Jankiewicz, Chief Executive.

Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Salary: Starting at £55-62,000, negotiable within this range

Contract: Permanent

Working Pattern: We promote and encourage flexible working all types, in line with our flexible working policy

Location: Home-based in the UK, with occasional travel and access to our London office space. We are afraid that we can not accept international applicants for this role. 

Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave pa; additional three days’ closure over Christmas; employer pension contribution 6-8%, employee matching contribution min 2%; Employee Assistance Programme; we fund and encourage CPD.

Thank you for your interest in Population Matters.

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of developing countries to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that developing countries should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions.

This is a unique opportunity to shape global conversations on climate science by empowering researchers in developing countries to publish and communicate their work, collaborating with some of the world’s leading SRM experts. 

The Scientific Writing and Publishing Lead will play a key role in supporting researchers in the Global South to communicate their findings effectively and contribute to the global SRM conversation. Working within the Programmes team, reporting to the Programmes Director, and in cooperation with the Communications team, the Scientific Writer will collaborate closely with research teams and external partners. Responsibilities will include: 

1. Support researchers with scientific writing and publishing

• Develop guidance materials on topics such as structuring research papers, writing abstracts, and best practices for peer-reviewed publication. 

• Train and support researchers to develop, refine, and publish scientific manuscripts through one-on-one and group training sessions and technical editing and feedback. 

• In collaboration with the Staff Scientist, help build climate researchers’ capacity to prepare and communicate their findings to different audiences. 

• Advise research teams on scientific publishing norms, including peer review, and open-access publishing.

• Support researchers in choosing appropriate journals and navigating the submission and review process.
• Assist researchers in adapting their work for public and policy-facing communication channels, ensuring clarity and accessibility.

2. Lead and coordinate reports and publications

• Serve as the lead coordinator for a recurring international scientific report, overseeing contributions from multiple researchers and ensuring deadlines are met. 

• Act as a writer for key sections of the report, synthesising insights from researchers into a compelling and scientifically rigorous narrative. 
• Work closely with stakeholders and coordinate peer review and fact-checking to ensure the report’s accuracy, consistency, and accessibility.

3. Support Degrees’ scientific communication and outreach

• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure that external materials such as blog posts, website content, policy briefs and media articles are scientifically accurate and up to date. 

• Work with the policy engagement teams to develop scientific summaries and briefings for a range of stakeholders. 

• Keep Degrees staff and researchers abreast of new techniques for communicating research results to a range of stakeholders and training them how to use them. 
• Ensure that information from our funded research teams is shared with the communications teams. 
• Work closely with Degrees’ Staff Scientist and provide support when required.

4. Manage projects 

• Manage multiple writing and editorial projects simultaneously, ensuring deadlines are met. 

• Work closely with programme officers, researchers, and external partners to coordinate content development and align with strategic goals. 

• Working closely with the Staff Scientist in helping them to maintain an organised archive of scientific publications, reports, and communication materials for internal and external use. 

About WasteAid

WasteAid is an international NGO working in low and middle-income countries to implement environmental and economic empowerment programmes. We focus on supporting green businesses and grassroots entrepreneurs to improve livelihoods, promote circular economy innovation, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier future for all. Our work primarily addresses waste pollution in areas without formal waste management systems.

With programmes currently in The Gambia, India, South Africa, and Uganda, we're making a significant impact with over 1.3 million people positively affected by our work.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Programmes to provide strategic management of our programme portfolio during an exciting phase of our organisation's evolution. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a growing international development organisation working at the nexus of environmental and development programming.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement WasteAid's programme strategy
• Lead programme development, creating pathways to scale our impact
• Ensure high-quality delivery and impact measurement across all projects
• Manage the programmes team and budget effectively
• Build relationships with key stakeholders and represent WasteAid externally

What We're Looking For

We seek a candidate with experience in international development programming, ideally with knowledge of environmental management and circular economy approaches. You should have proven ability to design and manage complex programmes, work with funders, and lead remote teams.

Package

• Salary: Circa £65K depending on experience
• Location: Home-based in UK or Europe with approximately 25% international travel + 15% UK travel
• Reports to: Chief Executive

WasteAid's vision is a world where waste causes no harm, and people are empowered to recover its value.

About you

You are an experienced and values-led HR professional with a track record of strategic leadership and operational delivery. You are comfortable working across the full range of HR functions, from leading organisational development and change to ensuring high-quality operational support.

You are a trusted advisor to senior leadership, with excellent influencing skills and the ability to coach and support managers at all levels. You are also passionate about building inclusive workplaces and supporting staff to thrive.

About the role

As a core member of the Leadership Team, the Head of HR will lead the development and implementation of Plantlife’s people and culture strategy to enable a thriving, inclusive and high-performing workplace.

The postholder will oversee both strategic HR initiatives and proactive and efficient HR operations, providing a high level of customer service and ensuring our people policies, systems and culture are aligned with Plantlife’s goals and values.

With a staff team of almost 100 staff located across the UK, primarily working remotely, this role is critical to embedding values-led leadership, building organisational capability, and ensuring all staff have access to the tools they need to succeed.
This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives on balancing strategic influence with operational excellence, supporting our ambition to be an employer of choice in the conservation sector.

To apply for the role or view the full recruitment pack, please visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you!

Please note we do not accept CV's.

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.

About the Degrees Initiative  

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that builds the capacity of developing countries to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that developing countries should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions.  

Degrees’ programmatic work is centred on capacity-building through research grants and North–South and South-South collaboration schemes, outreach activities, and cross-cutting community-building. As part of this, Degrees runs workshops in the Global South that bring new voices into the SRM conversation, and our research funds support scientists and other experts in developing countries as they research what SRM could mean for their regions and become part of a global research community.

The Programmes Officer role offers a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to help scale up the organisation’s work, building on the successes of the last decade, and to help the most climate-vulnerable countries make their own minds up about SRM.  

About the Role

As Programme and Innovation Manager (all genders), you’ll play a pivotal role in designing and delivering an exceptional incubator experience for our startups. From refining the curriculum to coordinating mentors, events, and workshops, you’ll ensure that every founder receives the guidance, support, and connections they need to succeed. This is a unique opportunity to work with some of the most innovative food-tech startups globally—at the intersection of sustainability, entrepreneurship, and impact.

Job Details

Role: Permanent, Full-time 
Hours: 40 / week 
Location: Berlin or Remote (ideally within Germany, Poland, Netherlands, UK, South Africa or Czechia)
Reports to: Head of ProVeg Incubator

Responsibilities

• Programme Leadership: You will own and continuously evolve the structure, content, and delivery of the Incubator programme.
• Curriculum Development: You will curate and coordinate a world-class curriculum, including workshops, expert talks, and networking events.
• Startup Support: You will work hands-on with leading startups in the food tech space, coaching and supporting them during and after the programme on strategy, fundraising, and go-to-market topics.
• Impact & Knowledge Management: You will build and manage knowledge-sharing systems, KPIs, and programme impact tracking.
• Community Building: You will expand our global mentor network and stakeholder community.
• Startup Selection: You will contribute to the selection process of startups in close collaboration with the team.
• Trend Monitoring: You will stay ahead of trends in food innovation and identify high-potential startup teams early.
• Budget Management: You will manage the programme budget and ensure effective resource allocation.
• Representation: You will represent the Incubator at industry events and within the broader startup ecosystem.

Qualifications

• You hold a degree in Business, Economics, Innovation, Food Tech, or Biotechnology - or bring equivalent hands-on experience.
• You have 1-2+ years of experience in programme or project management, ideally within a startup incubator, accelerator, or entrepreneurship support organisation.
• You have a strong understanding of the startup ecosystem and the food innovation landscape.
• You bring excellent organisational and communication skills and thrive in fast-paced environments.
• You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
• You have experience coaching or working with early-stage startups.
• You are passionate about sustainable food systems and supporting mission-driven founders.
• You are outgoing and confident and enjoy networking and representing the Incubator and ProVeg with professionalism.
• You are driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and food innovation and want to help startups succeed and build a more sustainable food system.
• You work proactively and think creatively to generate original and relevant ideas to continuously improve the incubation and acceleration programme.

Benefits of working with us

• The opportunity to work closely with groundbreaking startups from all over the world that are building the future of our food system 
• Build a strong foundation for a career in one of the most exciting areas of innovation and impact.
• A mission-driven team and work culture that values impact, autonomy, and creativity.
• Strong organisational focus on personal development and designated training budget with plenty of room for initiative, independence and responsibility
• Flexible, trust-based working arrangements and home office arrangements
• A supportive, open and diverse work environment

When?

Application deadline: 15.05.2025
Start: Ideally 15.06.2025 or 01.07.2025

We are Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.

We want to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys; free from congested roads and pollution, reducing the risk of preventable illnesses and social isolation. We want to achieve a better walking environment and to inspire people of all generations to walk and wheel more.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team as our Project Coordinator in the West Midlands.

The postholder will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of the Walk To School Outreach (WTSO) project and acting as a key contact for our delivery partners, liaising with schools and/or any other stakeholders, as appropriate. You will work with schools across your assigned region in England. You will occasionally be required on site and will therefore live within a reasonable distance for travel via public transport.

You will be part of a team responsible for ensuring the project achieves its behaviour change aims, as agreed by the funder. This includes but is not limited to recruiting schools onto the project, keeping schools engaged and actively participating, organising the distribution of resources, behaviour change activities, and keeping monitoring and record keeping systems up to date. You will also support the project aims of identifying and recommending improvements, to overcome barriers to walking to school.

This will be a varied role and an ability to embrace a diversity of tasks is essential.

Living Streets is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk; and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be subject to background and criminal records checks as relevant to the job role.

Location: Homebased in the West Midlands

Closing date: 30/05/2025 (midnight)

Interviews: 11/06/2025 via Teams

We are Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.

We want to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys; free from congested roads and pollution, reducing the risk of preventable illnesses and social isolation. We want to achieve a better walking environment and to inspire people of all generations to walk and wheel more.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team as our Project Coordinator in the West of England (e.g. Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Sommerset, BathNES).

The postholder will be responsible for coordinating the delivery of the Walk To School Outreach (WTSO) project and acting as a key contact for our delivery partners, liaising with schools and/or any other stakeholders, as appropriate. You will work with schools across your assigned region in England. You will occasionally be required on site and will therefore live within a reasonable distance for travel via public transport.

You will be part of a team responsible for ensuring the project achieves its behaviour change aims, as agreed by the funder. This includes but is not limited to recruiting schools onto the project, keeping schools engaged and actively participating, organising the distribution of resources, behaviour change activities, and keeping monitoring and record keeping systems up to date. You will also support the project aims of identifying and recommending improvements to overcome barriers to walking to school.

This will be a varied role and an ability to embrace a diversity of tasks is essential.

Living Streets is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk; and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be subject to background and criminal records checks as relevant to the job role.

Location: Homebased within the West of England

Closing date: 23/05/2025 (midnight)

Interviews: 05/06/2025 via Teams

We are Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking.

We want to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for everyday, local journeys; free from congested roads and pollution, reducing the risk of preventable illnesses and social isolation. We want to achieve a better walking environment and to inspire people of all generations to walk and wheel more.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our team as our Project Assistant.

The post holder will be responsible for providing effective support to the delivery of the Walk To School Outreach (WTSO) project across the Midlands and South of England. This will include research into schools’ eligibility and suitability for the delivery of this behaviour change project, assisting with online engagement activities and supporting with delivery on the ground through school and community events. 

You will also be expected to undertake administrative duties as required, including formatting and use of spreadsheet data.

This will be a varied role and an ability to embrace a diversity of tasks is essential, as is a positive ‘can do’ attitude to work.

Living Streets is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk; and expects all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be subject to background and criminal records checks as relevant to the job role.

Location: Homebased within either the Midlands or the South of England

Closing date: 30/05/2025 (midnight)

Interviews: 13/06/2025 via Teams

Volunteering Development Officer - Local Groups
Reference: APR20257427
Location: Flexible in UK
Salary: £27,123.00 - £28,956.00, Per Annum Pro Rata
Hours: Part-Time, 22.5 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave (pro rata)

The RSPB strategy to 2030 is all about saving nature through people. Our aim is that our volunteers and Local Groups are embedded in this strategy and continue to deliver impactful work to save nature. To do this, we want to build on our existing relationships and ways of working and harness their enthusiasm, working as one team for nature.

This role would continue the smooth transition from the Saving Nature through Local Groups project into core delivery, taking responsibility of the Vision and Local Group action plan.

What's the role about?

The successful candidate will raise the profile of our groups externally as well as empower and support staff to build productive and collaborative working relationships with the groups.

You will develop resources and guides that will help groups run efficiently, improve their activity programmes and grow their membership. Working closely with country teams you will deliver workshops, training and support to Local Groups as appropriate.

You will raise awareness and understanding of volunteering, championing it to ensure that it is valued and seen as a positive way of meeting business needs.

You will also deliver a recognised and respected source of leadership, support and transformational advice to the UKHQ team seeking to develop new volunteering initiatives.

This role would have an individual specialism but with the ability to be flexible to cover the priorities required across the department and the UK wide needs, ensuring that they identify and own the ‘once for all volunteering work’, i.e. the information, processes, procedures and projects that affect volunteering across the whole organisation, and support this through funding, project development, training and resources.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Understanding and knowledge of volunteering innovation, best practice and sector standards.
• Demonstrable track record of having successfully and effectively developed a range of volunteering roles and schemes across an organisation.
• Experience of providing operational advice and guidance on volunteer involvement to people at all levels.
• Building effective stakeholder relationships with a focus on community groups.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills; ability to manage and deliver a portfolio of work and balance the priorities and needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to be proactive, use initiative and work independently.
• Strong skills in identifying and analysing problems, issues and areas of improvement, working collaboratively to develop creative strategies and solutions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, successfully influencing, persuading, guiding, listening to, and negotiating with others, constructively challenging thinking.
• Experience of working in a customer-focused environment.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Qualification in volunteer management.
• Good training, facilitation and coaching skills; ability to enthuse and inspire and increase others’ confidence.
• Experience of working in an HR/Customer database.

Closing date: 23:59, Wednesday 21st May 2025
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 4th 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. 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 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.

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:

1. Working with our nature reserve teams to implement accessibility improvements that make our spaces more inclusive for Staff, Volunteers and Visitors
2. 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.

The Big Chalk Partnership is made up of more than 150 organisations with a common vision of creating nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us. 

This relies on an expansion in the scale, pace and impact of nature recovery activities across southern England, benefiting globally important habitats and species and delivering ecosystem services including natural beauty, clean water, healthy soils and our own wellbeing.

The Protected Landscapes Partnership and Defra are supporting our Partnership to catalyse progress towards the UK’s nature commitments across these landscapes. The Nature Recovery Fund Manager will manage a new grants fund for Big Chalk’s Partnership Board. 

The Big Chalk programme is hosted by the National Landscapes Association, whose mission is to lead and champion activity, in partnership with our National Landscapes, to protect and restore the UK’s most outstanding landscapes and make sure everyone can enjoy them.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds – the most important thing is that you are motivated to work collaboratively and effectively with Big Chalk’s partners to help ensure our grant-making benefits nature to the greatest extent possible.

With experience of grant making and donor reporting in the environmental or social sectors, you’ll be skilled at quickly building positive working relationships with new colleagues, our partners, our funders and other stakeholders. 

You’ll also have excellent analytical skills, able to identify, summarise and communicate key issues, and be adept in using spreadsheets to manage budgets and grant processes. 

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, then we’d love to hear from you.