Animal care volunteer jobs in Shaftesbury, dorset

The Woodland Trust is looking for an Assistant Site Manager for our Scotland Region. The role will assist the Site Manager with the management of mainly urban woodlands in West Lothian, Central Scotland. This will involve leading on the management our growing Volunteering teams, assisting with monitoring contracts, liaising with maintenance contractors, engaging with neighbours and the public, running events and carrying out surveys associated with delivery of site management plans and work programme.

A company vehicle will be provided for this role. Please note that out Company Vehicle Policy is also under review as part of our Job Families and Contract Review project, so the eligibility criteria therein are subject to change in due course.

The Role:

• Oversee and monitor estate contract works, ensuring delivery to the highest professional standards and full compliance with FSC certification.
• Implement and maintain Health & Safety compliance on sites, including risk assessments, recording, safety surveys and overseeing resulting works.
• Support woodland and land management planning, including ecological condition assessments, compartment records, species checks and site surveys.
• Plan, deliver and financially manage site management programmes, working with agents, contractors and volunteers to agreed budgets.
• Lead tendering, procurement and contract management, ensuring value for money, accurate pricing and effective delivery.
• Support site budgeting and work programming, assisting the Site Manager with forecasting and monitoring expenditure.
• Manage volunteers and community engagement, working with the Volunteering Team to recruit, coordinate and support volunteer activity (including Woodland Working Groups).
• Act as a professional external representative, engaging with schools, community groups, neighbours, contractors and stakeholders. Additionally, supporting events, funding bids and visits
• This is a homebased role, requiring regular travel to locations within the West Lothian landscape and wider Scotland, sometimes to remote locations. You would be expected to live within reasonable travelling distance of your area of responsibility. Occasional travel to regional offices and overnight stays will be required.

The Candidate:

• You’ll have experience working in a public-facing land-based management role, within either the conservation or commercial sector, ideally in an urban environment.
• You’ll have experience working within the charity sector, collaborating across internal teams and with external partners.
• A proven ability to manage Health & Safety, including conducting site inspections and overseeing safe delivery of activities.
• Strong experience in community, school and volunteer engagement, supporting participation and inclusive involvement.
• Excellent communication skills, able to engage confidently with diverse audiences in writing and verbally, and to represent the Trust professionally and positively.
• You’ll have experience managing contracts and contractors, delivering site-based works including access and people-focused projects.
• You’ll have an ability to plan, prioritise and manage workload effectively, working with internal and external partners to deliver shared objectives.
• You’ll possess relevant technical knowledge and practical capability, including awareness of UKWAS, NPF4 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, supported by a qualification in forestry/land management (or equivalent experience) and IT literacy.
• The successful candidate will have a full UK driving licence, and ability to meet pre-employment checks. The successful candidate will also be required to undertake a PVG Background Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
• Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.  We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees. 

People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.

Application Advice:

For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and we do not ask for your CV at application.

Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools. 

Apply Now:

If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.

First round interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on 17th July 2026.