Job Title: East Cleveland Natural Heritage Officer

Job description

Location:Tees Valley Wildlife Trust Offices, Margrove Heritage Centre, Boosbeck, Saltburn, TS12 3BZ.

Salary:£19,500per annum: pro rata (£11,700)

Duration:Fixed term contract:two years

Responsible to:Manager, People and Wildlife

Responsible for:Volunteers, student placements, contractors

The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust:

The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust (TVWT) is part of the influential UK-wide partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts. The TVWT has worked for more than 30 years to protect wildlife and wild places, and educate, influence and empower people. TVWT’s overarching mission is to create a better future for wildlife and society by connecting people with the nature surrounding them. Our staff and volunteers deliver projects that inspire people to learn about nature by offering genuine opportunities to get actively involved in improving their local environment.

The East Cleveland Wildlife Oral History Project – Where the Wild Things Were

The Where the Wild Things Were Project (the Project) will use spoken and written testimonies and archival material to explore the evolution of the East Cleveland landscape and its biodiversity and to record the experiences and recollections of the last generation of truly free ranging outdoor children. It aims to bring the wild spaces of East Cleveland to life for a new generation of children and to improve knowledge of the past distribution of multiple species of wildlife to guide future landscape conservation and restoration activities

The Project will engage all generations of the community in exploring changes to the East Cleveland landscape and its wildlife through interviews, intergenerational reminiscence sessions, exhibits, events, walks and publications. It will create a record of childhood outdoor experiences from an era when children ranged freely across the landscape and their leisure activities were closely associated with nature and wild spaces. Use of these memories will help to: shape the landscape and natural heritage in children’s imaginations; explore conservation lessons such as biodiversity loss; reintroduce children (and adults) to East Cleveland’s special wild spaces and; contribute to a greater sense of place.

The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northumbrian Water Ltd

Job purpose

To engage communities in landscape-scale conservation in East Cleveland.

Principle duties and responsibilities

To develop and deliver,through volunteer support, a programme of activities to collect records of people’s memories and experiences of nature in East Cleveland in times gone by.
Identify, liaise and develop relationships with participating community groups
To promote and encourage reporting of today’s wildlife through a web based application
To develop maps showing the past and present distribution of key wildlife species in East Cleveland and to identify key timelines for the disappearance or appearance of key wildlife.
To engage school children in discovering how childhood experiences of nature have changed
To work closely with community groups, schools and volunteers to achieve this objective
To engage new, and support existing, volunteers through capacity building and training programmes so they are able to play a greater role in the collection of historic wildlife data in East Cleveland and other oral histories
To coordinate and facilitate location based field events to collect new data on small mammals and reptiles in East Cleveland
Work within reminiscence oral history best practice
To ensure the project is appropriately documented and archived including any recordings
To build greater awareness and appreciation for the changing wildlife landscape of East Cleveland through promotion and events.
To ensure that projects outputs and outcomes are monitored as outlined in the Projects’ Evaluation Plan
Communicate and promote the project including development and management of web pages, e-bulletins, use of social media and liaison with the press
Assist with managing the project budget
Prepare reports to funders on project progress
To take responsibility that the project delivery complies with the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s policies and procedures
To undertake other such duties commensurate with the post as identified by the People and Wildlife Manager.

Person Specification

Job title: East Cleveland Natural Heritage Officer

Technical/specialist skills / Essential / Desirable
A degree in biological, environmental, or rural land use science, or equivalent experience / 
Local knowledge and understanding of the East Cleveland area / 
Understanding of oral history/reminiscence standards / 
Track record of engaging and developing relationships with community groups / 
Full driving licence and valid car insurance for business use together with use of a vehicle / 
Experience of training others and/or leading workshops / 
The ability to use IT applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, powerpoint, databases / 
Experience of using GIS / 
Data management experience (data recording, comparison, analysis and presentation of findings) / 
Project management experience / 
Experience with communications including development of websites, use of social media and liaison with press / 
Experience of organising and delivering events / 
Budget responsibilities
Experience of managing project budgets / 
Experience of reporting to funders / 
Contractor responsibility
Experience of overseeing contractors / 
Dealing with volunteers/managing external parties and others
Experience of working with volunteers, partner organisations and the general public to build rapport and maintain effective relationships / 
Ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals ranging from landowners, community groups, volunteers, youth groups, schools and external organisations / 
Good written, spoken communication and presentation skills / 
Experience of chairing meetings / 
Personal attributes
Well organised, self motivated; able to plan and undertake work on your own (or with limited direct supervision) / 
Able to prioritise a diverse workload, meet tight deadlines and use own initiative / 
Analytical and methodical, with a high degree of accuracy / 
Flexible: able to rapidly assimilate information and adapt to a changing environment / 
Able to work effectively as a member of a team / 
Pragmatic, innovative, enthusiastic and able to motivate others / 
Able to manage potential conflicts by dealing with people in a clam and professional manager / 
Flexible approach to working hours: willing to work weekends and evenings as required / 
Empathy with the aims and objectives of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust / 

Main conditions of employment

Job title:East Cleveland Natural Heritage Officer

Employment start date: April 2016

Place of work:Tees Valley Wildlife Trust Offices, Margrove Heritage Centre, Boosbeck, Saltburn, TS12 3BZ.

Salary:£11,700 per annum pro rata based on a full time annualsalary of £19,500

Pension:The Officer isentitled to join the TVWTs’ pension scheme (minimum contribution 2% of salary) and will receive up to 5% employer’s contribution.

Probationary period:This post is subject to a two month probationary period

Duration:Fixed term contract, ending March 2018

Hours:Part time 22.5 hours per week (0.6 FTE), but working hours will be flexible and will include some evening and weekend work. Time off in lieu will be allowed for overtime worked

Annual leaveThe annual leave entitlement is 22 days per annum (pro rata for part time) plus statutory public holidays.

Use of vehicleCosts of own vehicle use may be claimed at the prevailing TVWT mileage rate

Closing date:The closing date for electronic receipt of completed applications for this position is Midnight on Sunday28th February

Interview date:Interviews will be held on Thursday 10th March 2016 atTees Valley Wildlife Trust Offices, Margrove Heritage Centre, Boosbeck, Saltburn, TS12 3BZ