Species Recovery Officer

Reports to: Rivers Recovery Manager

Responsible for: Contractors and Volunteers

Work base: The Trust’s activities cover Hertfordshire and the London Boroughs of Barnet, Enfield, Harrow and Hillingdon.

The post is based at the Trust’s offices at Grebe House, St Albans, AL3 4SN with extensive travel across Hertfordshire.

The Trust supports flexible and hybrid working. This role may involve some lone working.

Hours: 22.5 hours per week (0.6 FTE)

Employment Term: Two-years (24 months) fixed term contract, with the possibility of extension

Salary: £15,486 p.a. (£25,810 FTE)

Salary Scale: Scale point 19 - 23 plus contribution to pension auto-enrolment

Job purpose

The Species Recovery Officer will coordinate the work of the Trust to control/eradicate invasive nonnative species in Hertfordshire and Middlesex, enabling native species to thrive and thereby contributing to nature’s recovery. The Trust has an ambition for Water Voles to be thriving on all its rivers by 2030.

Main responsibilities

• Co‑ordinate and manage a programme of work to control/eradicate key invasive non-native species (INNS) in Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
• Provide training for volunteers to enable them to survey and monitor invasive non-native species and Water Voles.
• Co‑ordinate Water Vole surveys and invasive non-native species monitoring across Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
• Co‑ordinate work across Hertfordshire and Middlesex to eradicate American Mink to protect existing Water Vole populations and encourage their expansion.
• Maintain a GIS layer of survey data of invasive non-native species and Water Voles which will be distributed to partners, such as Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and Environment Agency.
• Represent Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust on the Waterlife Recovery Trust Steering Group and provide reports to them on the status of American Mink and Water Voles in Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
• Raise awareness of non-native invasive species and Water Voles through work with volunteers, walks, talks and events.
• Provide advice to land holders, land managers and conservation groups to enable them to contribute to the control/eradication of invasive non-native species and the conservation of Water Voles.
• Organise and manage an annual public conference focusing on Water Voles and invasive non-native species in Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
• Recruit, develop and support volunteers as required to survey and monitor Water Voles and invasive non-native species.
• Duties can involve working outdoors, walking and standing, where appropriate, for prolonged periods of time.
• Provide advice and support to funding partners, currently Environment Agency and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

Carry out all other such duties, as may be reasonably required, from time to time, determined by the Line Manager and/or Director of Nature Recovery and/or Chief Executive.

This post is part‑funded by GSK's support for the Trust's ‘Hertfordshire’s Living Rivers Network' project through the Projects for Nature platform. The project is delivering a programme of nature recovery action and community engagement focused on globally rare chalk rivers and their associated habitats.

All applicants will be sent a request to complete a voluntary, anonymous equal opportunities form online.

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