Project Officer - Natural Heritage

Scottish Wildlife Trust; Cumbernauld; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

An environmental conservation organization based in Cumbernauld is seeking a driven individual for habitat restoration and management tasks. The role involves working with volunteers and project partners on greenspaces through the Nurturing Natural Connections project. The ideal candidate must possess relevant qualifications in environmental management and at least two years of experience in wildlife management.

Benefits

Salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes

Flexible work approach

One Wellness Hour per week

Enhanced Pension rate upon completion of probation

Sick Pay Allowance

Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity Leave

Training and Development

Qualifications

• At least 2 years' experience in wildlife reserve management.
• Demonstrable track record in the environmental land management sector.
• Current first aid qualification or willingness to gain.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of habitat works, including woodland restocking.
• Monitor and evaluate the delivery of habitat works.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

Skills

Wildlife reserve management

Habitat restoration

Volunteer management

Health and safety compliance

Communication skills

Education

Higher Education qualification in environmental land management

Tools

Chainsaw

Strimmer

Brushcutter

Other hand and power tools

Job description

Salary: £25,750 - £27,295
Location: Cumbernauld
Full time (35 hours)
Fixed term contract initially until 31st March 2033, potential for extension
Closing date: 5pm, Friday 22nd August 2025
Interview Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025

Nurturing Natural Connections

About us

For 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas. The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. It also manages a network of over 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.

Nurturing Natural Connections is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, with North Lanarkshire Council, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Sanctuary Scotland, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.

The Role

We are looking for a passionate and driven person to habitat restoration, creation and enhancement activities on Trust owned greenspaces within the Nurturing Natural Connections (NNC) project, working closely with the Cumbernauld Reserves Manager, and project partners, and with the help of volunteers.

Building on the success of previous projects, this project continues to realise the Cumbernauld Living Landscape long-term vision to improve Cumbernauld’s green spaces for both people and wildlife, helping everyone in the community connect with the nature on their doorstep.

The Candidate:

The successful candidate will have a Higher Education qualification in environmental land management (Wildlife conservation/agriculture) and at least two years’ experience of wildlife reserve management and demonstrable track record in the environmental land management sector.

Main Objectives

The main objectives of the role are:

Habitat management

• Support delivery of habitat works, including woodland restocking towards native semi-natural woodland, creation and enhancement of species-rich grasslands and enhancing riparian corridors.
• Monitor and evaluate (M&E) the delivery of these works including details of their successes and challenges.
• Undertake and manage the maintenance of tools and equipment for relevant sites, including machinery, to ensure safe and efficient operation.
• Respond to severe weather events with reactive remedial works as required e.g. clearing fallen trees and reinstating ground damaged by flooding.

Health and Safety

• Ensure compliance with health and safety, including safe working practices, volunteer safety, premises safety, and site safety.
• Ensure all work by project staff, and volunteers is carried out in a safe manner, and in accordance with Health & Safety legislation, policies, activity risk assessments and best practice guidance.

Volunteer recruitment

• Support the recruitment of volunteers and identify and promote volunteer opportunities within Cumbernauld Living Landscape.
• Work with individual volunteers and volunteer groups (including corporate groups) so that their contributions and experiences are maximised and, where required, organise and mentor volunteers ensuring that they receive support and appropriate training.

Wider project work

• Support the team’s wider communications plan with blogs and social media content.
• Support project team with events and other project-wide opportunities, with occasional working of evenings and weekends for activities including bat walks, moth trapping and dawn chorus walks.
• Contribute to project reporting, including M&E across the life of the project (2025-2030), including the identification of highlights and challenges.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Relevant degree or N/SVQ Level 3 / 4 or equivalent demonstrable experience relating to countryside management.
• Certification to NPTC/Lantra standards and experience in chainsaw maintenance, cross cutting and felling small trees. CS 30 and 31 or willingness to undergo qualification.
• Certification to NPTC/Lantra standards and experience in strimmer and brushcutter operations or willingness to undergo qualification.
• Certificate for trailer, all-terrain vehicles or willingness to undergo qualification.
• Current first aid qualification or willingness to gain
• 2 years of planning and delivering practical conservation work.
• 2 years of volunteer supervision & management.
• Demonstrable experience in the safe use and maintenance of hand and power tools.
• Good understanding of land management for wildlife conservation, notably native flora & fauna.

Please refer to the Job description for more information.

This role will require a PVG scheme membership

How to apply:

Please click here and then click on the green apply now button, which will take you to our application pages, from here you can upload a CV and provide a supporting statement.

What we offer:

• Salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes.
• We have always been hugely flexible in our approach to how you wish to work and continue to offer a flexible approach.
• One Wellness Hour per week
• Enhanced Pension rate upon completion of probation
• Sick Pay Allowance
• Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity Leave
• Training and Development

If you would like more information, please email [e-mail]

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a proud equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all candidates irrespective of their background. We are committed to helping to make the world of nature conservation as inclusive as possible, as we believe there should be no barriers to being involved, and that champions and role models from every part of society will be vital in helping to reverse the loss of biodiversity.