Senior Conservation Officer

🌱 About the Role - Lead Conservation Impact Across Scotland

Are you an experienced conservation professional ready to lead high impact projects? Do you thrive in a role that blends leadership, strategic thinking, and hands on ecological work? Join Buglife as our Senior Conservation Officer and help shape the future of invertebrate conservation in Scotland and beyond.

This pivotal role is ideal for a passionate and driven individual seeking to make a lasting impact on biodiversity. You’ll lead conservation programmes, develop new projects, manage staff and volunteers, and represent Buglife at a national level helping us secure a thriving future for the small creatures that keep our ecosystems alive.

You’ll coordinate and deliver a range of initiatives aligned with Buglife’s strategy, overseeing projects, building strong partnerships, and ensuring effective planning, budgeting, and reporting. This includes leading on project development and fundraising, supporting practical habitat restoration, and advancing invertebrate conservation through policy and public engagement.

Experience of managing staff and/or volunteers is essential, as line management and team development will be central to your role. You’ll also contribute expertise to environmental planning and represent Buglife in the media, at events, and on steering groups.

This is a dynamic and varied role requiring strong leadership, technical understanding, and communication skills. You’ll work both independently and collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including landowners, local authorities, NGOs, statutory agencies, and the public. You may also be asked to deputise for senior management when needed.

🧠 What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a confident, enthusiastic conservationist with a track record of delivering successful nature conservation projects and experience of managing staff and/or volunteers. You’ll bring excellent communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage budgets, oversee contractors, and build strong relationships with external partners.

A strong understanding of habitat and species conservation, including practical habitat management and experience reporting to funders, is essential. You’ll be comfortable in the field and the boardroom, equally at ease delivering public talks or drafting funding proposals. As a leader, you’ll be pragmatic, innovative, and inspiring, and someone who motivates others and takes pride in problem solving and achieving results.

You should hold a full UK driving licence and be prepared to travel regularly and occasionally work outside normal hours.

🐞 About Buglife

Buglife is the only organisation in Europe solely dedicated to the conservation of all invertebrates. From bees and beetles to spiders and snails, we work to halt invertebrate extinctions and secure thriving, sustainable populations of these essential creatures, which play critical roles in pollination, soil health, and entire ecosystems. Our mission is to halt the extinction of invertebrate species and secure sustainable populations of these essential creatures. We work across the UK and internationally through practical conservation, public engagement, scientific research, and policy advocacy.

Our projects restore habitats, reconnect landscapes, and raise awareness about the crucial role these small but mighty creatures play in keeping ecosystems healthy. Whether influencing national policy or planting wildflowers in local communities, we’re committed to saving the small things that run the planet.

💡 What We Offer

• A supportive and flexible working environment.
• 23 days annual leave (rising to 28 after 3 years service), plus office closure over between Christmas and New Year.
• Enhanced pension contributions.
• Opportunities for training, development, and career progression.
• The chance to make a tangible difference to the conservation of threatened invertebrate species.

🗓️Application deadline: 25 August 2025
🗓️ Interviews: week commencing 1st September 2025 (held via Microsoft Teams)

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we may close our vacancies early. It is therefore advisable to apply as early as possible if you would like to be considered for this role.

If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.