Chief Executive (Team Leader) Rewilding Affric Highlands

Kate on Conservation; Inverness; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Kate on Conservation in the United Kingdom is seeking a visionary Chief Executive (Team Leader) to steer Affric Highlands, a major Scottish Highlands rewilding project. The role leads development, fundraising, and reporting across a large landscape, aligning with Rewilding Europe’s Strategy 2030.

The post oversees a small team, builds partnerships with government bodies, NGOs, landowners, and communities, and acts as the primary spokesperson for the landscape locally and with the Rewilding

Qualifications

• Masters-level degree (minimum) in the field of natural resources management/conservation, wildlife ecology or related fields.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in the conservation sector or related field.
• Significant senior leadership experience in organisational development, programme management, planning and reporting.
• Proven track record in fundraising and grant management, both local/national and international level.

Responsibilities

• Drive Affric Highlands forward as a large rewilding initiative in all aspects, delivering tangible outputs and impact at landscape scale.
• Design and develop the overall vision, 5-year strategy, objectives, deliverables, activities, budgets, and monitoring of results.
• Provide confident organisational leadership and delivery-focused development.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and establish strategic partnerships.
• Identify and secure rewilding, business, and communication opportunities and realise them with concrete steps.
• Work with the team to create an enabling environment for the initiative, including policy and collaboration with local authorities.
• Build and supervise staff, ensuring timely delivery of results and impact.
• Explore land access possibilities and scale up activities within the landscape.
• Collaborate with Rewilding Europe central team to maximise input and align with Network initiatives.
• Develop fundraising strategy and submit proposals to donors to ensure long-term viability.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Networking

Entrepreneurial

Education

Masters-level degree in conservation

Job description

• Location: Scotland (Inverness) | Hybrid
• Type of contract: Employment contract (full time 35hrs)
• Duration: Permanent with 6-month trial period
• Salary: £53,000-£59,000 pa depending on experience
• Reporting to: Rewilding Affric Highlands Board

This is an opportunity to lead one of the UK’s most ambitious rewilding initiatives and help shape the future of nature restoration across the Scottish Highlands.

Affric Highlands is a large-scale and long-term rewilding initiative stretching across more than 200,000 hectares in the Scottish Highlands. It was established in September 2021 as the ninth member of Rewilding Europe’s network of large, iconic rewilding areas, building on three years of work under Trees for Life’s pioneering East-West Wild project. Rewilding Europe and Rewilding Affric Highlands work in close collaboration to deliver the vision, mission and objectives of Rewilding Affric highlands under a co-production model. The Affric highlands Team Leader plays a key role in delivering Rewilding Europe’s Strategy for 2030 and will work closely with the Rewilding Europe Central team to help achieve this.

Main role and function

Rewilding Affric Highlands is ready to enter the next phase and require a Chief Executive (Team Leader) able to lead on the longer-term strategic development of the charity and create a resilient, high-performing organisation.

The Chief Executive’s main role is to oversee and coordinate all aspects of development, design, planning, implementation, management, fundraising and reporting of Affric Highlands as one of the 11 rewilding landscapes of Rewilding Europe and Network, which serve as large-scale rewilding demonstration examples for the European-wide initiative. The Chief Executive oversees a small team of staff with regards to rewilding, communication and enterprise development. She/he is the main spokesperson on behalf of Rewilding Affric Highlands and the Affric Highlands landscape in the country or region, and towards the Rewilding Europe central team.

Internally the Chief executive works very closely with the Rewilding Affric Highlands Board and Rewilding Europe central team The Chief Executive represents Rewilding Affric Highlands as a member of the Rewilding Europe Network Executive Team. Externally this role interacts and builds positive relationships with a variety of local stakeholders and partners, such as government institutions, local authorities, media, hunting community, landowners, protected area managers, NGOs, donors, politicians, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers and others.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the Team Leader include:

• Drive Affric Highlands forward as a large rewilding initiative in all its aspects, in line with Rewilding Europe’s Strategy 2030, and deliver tangible and meaningful rewilding outputs and impact at landscape scale.
• Design and develop the overall vision, 5-year strategy, objectives, deliverables, activities, yearly work plans and budgets, including timely and adequate (technical and financial) reporting and monitoring of the rewilding results and impact.
• Provide confident organisational leadership, bringing a pragmatic, delivery-focused approach to organisational development and operational improvement.
• Develop and maintain close relationships and constructive dialogue with key stakeholders and establish and formalise strategic partnerships with these on rewilding, communication or enterprise development.
• Work very pro-actively to identify and secure rewilding, business, and communication opportunities on a day-to-day basis, and ‘’make them real’’ by concrete steps and
• Work with the team to create an enabling environment for a successful Affric Highlands rewilding initiative, g. in terms of policy, legislation, and create a strong network between the on the groundwork and local authorities.
• Build the rewilding team and supervise all staff and ensure their timely delivery of results and impact.
• Explore possibilities for land access through e.g. user – or concession rights and ensure concrete and meaningful rewilding and enterprise opportunities in the Affric
• Work closely with the Rewilding Europe central team, to maximise their input, use lessons learned and ensure linkage with other large rewilding initiatives in the Network and with centrally led initiatives and activities.
• Develop a fundraising strategy for the Affric Highlands landscape, develop and submit funding proposals to potential donors and work with the central team to attract (substantial) funding for delivering the landscape 5-year strategy and ensure long-term financial viability of the charity.
• Identify possibilities and work to scale up activities and models from priority areas (within the larger rewilding area) to a wider landscape (even outside the larger rewilding area).

Key qualifications

• Masters-level degree (minimum) in the field of natural resources management/conservation, wildlife ecology or related fields.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in the conservation sector or related
• Significant relevant experience in a senior leadership
• Proven experience with organisational development, programme management, leading, supervision, planning and reporting.
• Proven track record in fundraising and grant management, both local/national and international level.
• Strong local network in the country/region in related fields (preferable).
• Strategic thinker with ability to lead and motivate colleagues and external parties towards the rewilding vision and objectives.
• Proven leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, or business development
• Very result oriented, pro-active, hands-on approach, outgoing and entrepreneurial
• Strong skills in working with local authorities, government institutions, local entrepreneurs,

landholders, conservation managers and others.

• Excellent inter-personal and lobbying skills, including the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships and partners at all levels, including with local field staff, local communities. government agencies, scientific community, and the for-profit sector.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in
• Fully supports and endorses the Rewilding Europe vision and overall
• Adheres to values like passionate & optimistic, challenging and inspiring, credible and accountable, persevering and delivering results.