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Conservation assistant volunteer jobs in Newcastle
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Remote
£72,000 per annum
Full-time
Permanent
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job description
Assistant Director of Operations
Salary: £72,000 per annum
Work Pattern: This is a permanent contract, working full time, Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours a week.
Location: Based at any of our Wetland Discovery Sites – Castle Espie BT23, Washington NE38, Martin Mere L40, Slimbridge GL2, Llanelli SA14, London SW13 or Arundel BN18.
For this role we can offer the opportunity for hybrid working. It is expected the role will need you to be present at each of your sites on a regular basis, at least once per month.
About The Role
WWT is the charity for wetlands.
This is a critical role in the recently restructured Operations Directorate at WWT. As Assistant Director, you will be directly responsible for the performance of our 7 Wetland Discovery sites. You will provide inspiring and professional leadership to your teams, whilst proactively collaborating cross organisation and externally.
Your focus will be on driving meaningful improvements at sites across our three ambitions of Restore, Inspire and Thrive, with emphasis on financial performance driven by visitor experiences. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will directly manage two Heads of Operations, a Head of Retail and Head of Catering. You will indirectly lead more than 400 staff and volunteers across Living Collections, Reserve Management, Visitor Experience, Trading, Marketing, Facilities and Grounds.
You will work closely with Health & Safety and Sustainability leads to ensure good governance and compliance at sites and across the Operations Directorate.
You will have a background working in visitor attractions or a very similar sector, coupled with a passion for purpose-led organisations and a keen interest in the environment. You will be an inspiring leader with high levels of emotional intelligence and values & behaviours that align with WWT.
About You
To join as our Assistant Director of Operations, you will need to evidence:
- Experience in a senior position(s) held in the visitor attraction/events management sectors, directly accountable for site operations and visitor experience throughout the visitor journey.
- Strong skills in leading business planning, financial analysis, budget development and management, and delivery of significant capital projects across £multi-million business unit(s).
- Demonstrable ability to recruit, performance manage and motivate large (>100) diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
- The ability to develop, communicate and implement strategic change, turning organisational vision into improvements at scale.
- An inspirational and empathetic leadership style, able to role model an organisation’s values and behaviours, and to evidence strong emotional intelligence. Able to prioritise effectively, to collaborate, network and influence internally and externally at a senior level.
- A highly creative and inquisitive mindset, able to spot and exploit potential opportunities, keen to explore, test and learn as a means of driving continual improvement and excellence in the visitor experience.
- Experience of working collaboratively with insight, marketing and communications teams to deliver strong brand and marketing campaigns which drive footfall.
About Us
We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.
Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.
Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?
Why you’ll love working at WWT
- Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
- Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
- 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
- Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
- Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
- Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
- Cycle to work scheme
- Contributory pension scheme
- Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
- Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme
Closing Date: 15th February 2026
N.B. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications from candidates who meet the required skills and experience. We therefore encourage early applications.
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.
WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.
No agencies please.
Organisation
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
View profile
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Registered Charity
101 - 500
Restore Wetlands and Unlock their Power
Posted on: 29 January 2026
Closing date: 15 February 2026 at 23:30
Job ref: 168164_WW
Tags: Campaigns, Communications, Policy, Marketing, Advocacy, Operations, Brand, Business Intelligence, Conservation, Delivery, Engagement / Outreach, Environment / Animal, Insights, Monitoring and Evaluation, Partnerships, Public Relations, Strategy, Sustainability, Events / Activities, Governance / Management
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Remote
£38336 - £44427 per annum
Part-time
Permanent
Job description
Job Title: Head of People & Governance
Responsible To: Chief Executive
Location:Remote, but with flexibility to travel for in person meetings
Salary: £38,336 - £44,427 pro rata, per annum (dependent on experience) plus 8% pension contribution
Duration: Permanent established role
Hours: 0.8 FTE (29 hours 36 minutes per week), flexible
Job Purpose:
The Head of People & Governance will provide leadership to the CEO Office team and serve as a key advisor to the CEO and Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This role will be responsible for the three specialist areas which form the CEO Office: People Services, Governance and Executive Support.
This role is responsible for delivering the People Services function for the organisation, including the development and implementation of People Services strategies, plans, policies and processes. You will lead the People Services team in delivering high quality support and advisory services.
This post requires the individual to understand, anticipate and react to the organisation’s changing needs, to think critically, make decisions, and offer solutions to problems with expert professionalism, sensitivity, and confidentiality. To implement Butterfly Conservation’s (BC) objectives through leadership of the CEO Office team, setting and managing budgets, targets and workplans while inspiring and enabling staff to achieve their best.
Specific Tasks:
- Delivering the People Services function
- Responsible for delivering a high-performing People Services function ensuring all interactions adhere to BC’s inclusion and organisational values. To lead, manage and be accountable for the function, including:
- Aligning workload with BC’s Strategy and annual business plans.
- Advising, coaching, and enabling the People Services team to deliver effectively and create an engaging, supportive, and empowering environment.
- Ensure monthly workforce reporting systems are in place and actions followed up where required.
- Lead on Employee Health and Wellbeing initiatives, promoting a culture of engagement and self-responsibility.
- Implement, monitor and evaluate performance management systems and processes.
- In conjunction with the CEO and SLT, procuring external specialist support and/or legal advice as needed to minimise risk to the organisation.
- Act as the escalation point for complex employee casework, including dispute resolutions, disciplinaries, grievances, absence, retirement and redundancy, ensuring that the SLT members’ roles remain objective and that safe formal processes can occur if required.
- Account management for providers of BC’s People Services Workforce Systems, ensuring Service Level Agreements are met and partnership opportunities are maximised including Occupational Health, EAP services, Hireful and BreatheHR.
- Oversee and manage ‘Charity Learn’ BC’s online learning management system, to include setting up annual statutory training for all staff and creating bookable in-house training sessions as required.
- In conjunction with the CEO and SLT, develop and implement a People Strategy to include areas of succession planning, talent management, change management, and staff engagement.
- Governance, Risk and Management Information & Reporting
Accountable for the smooth running of BC’s core governance activities and trustee meetings, including:
- Overseeing the risk and audit process for the CEO Office, bridging as needed between the Finance Directorate and the CEO Office Directorate.
- Ensuring all core legal requirements are met and that the trustees comply with their duties in accordance with the Articles of Association.
- Ensuring relevant statutory returns are submitted to Charity Commission and Companies House.
- Executive Support
Ensure the support function to the CEO and SLT is delivered efficiently and effectively, including direct line management of the Executive Assistant to the CEO and SLT PA’s.
- Management and Development of Team members
Responsible for managing a team of five direct reports and undertaking all People Manager duties, including:
- Setting objectives, workload planning, holding 121 meetings and regular reviews.
- Conducting Performance Development Reviews and giving timely direction and feedback.
- Building engagement within the team and creating an environment of trust and wellbeing.
- Coaching and developing team members to ensure professional and personal growth and career development and supporting any training needs.
- Role modelling people management in line with BC’s values and competency framework, setting a good example from the CEO Office.
- Strategy, Planning and Budgeting
Working with the CEO and SLT on the annual and long-term business cycles, including:
- Supporting with the creation of BC’s Strategy as required.
- Creating annual Directorate work plans to deliver actions and outcomes in line with BC’s strategic priorities ensuring teams within your responsibility have clarity and direction.
- Working with Finance to ensure that the function has adequate budget to match the work plans and supporting with budget refresh and reforecasting.
- Supporting the Directorate with workforce planning and resource management as required.
- Responsible for the CEO Office budget.
- Relationship building, partnering and culture development,
Operating as a strong ambassador for BC and the CEO by:
- Cultivating and nurturing excellent working relationships both internally with all colleagues and trustees, and externally with branches, volunteers, partners, suppliers, funders, and sector networks.
General:
- Promoting and exemplifying BC’s values (Excellence, Passionate, Inspiring, Collaborative) ensuring they are adopted in all aspects of the role.
- Aligning with the mission and strategic goals of BC; commitment to species conservation, the environment and nature recovery.
- Undertaking any other reasonable duties as required and commensurate with the grade of post.
- Undertaking all duties and responsibilities in compliance with BC policies, processes and code of conduct, role modelling inclusive behaviour to enable a diverse workforce.
- Be cost conscious and respectful of funders’ money. Make good financial decisions to minimise cost and maximise impact by the charity.
- Actively participating in on-going professional development activities, committing to personal and professional growth and development.
Candidates must have the right to work and be resident in the UK.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early before the advertised closing date and time.
Closing date:Sunday, 15 February 2026 at 23:59.
REF-226 149
Organisation
Posted on: 15 January 2026
Closing date: 14 February 2026 at 23:59
Job ref: 226149
Tags: Governance / Management
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