Coastal Grazing Marsh Project Manager - Transforming the Thames

The Transforming the Thames project, led by the Zoological Society of London and funded by the Endangered landscape programme, involves a coalition of over 20 organisations in an ambitious partnership project that aims to restore the ecological health of the Greater Thames Estuary, creating a more resilient, connected, and thriving coastal environment.

For more information on the Transforming the Thames project, please click here: Transforming the Thames

We require a Project Manager to take responsibility for all aspects of RSPB led Coastal Grazing Marsh elements of this project and build on a strong legacy of success delivering these types of schemes. With strong communication and people skills you will work alongside staff from the RSPB, partner organisations, contractors, consultants and volunteers to deliver this element of the Transforming the Thames project. 

What's the role about? 

The role will involve working on two coastal grazing marsh projects on partners land, one at the Essex Wildlife Trust’s reserve Blue House Farm and another on a 3rd party land in Kent. With responsibility for all aspects of the project co-ordination and delivery including:

• Obtaining consents and permissions that will enable the work to happen
• Managing the contract tendering and procurement process
• Overseeing and managing the contractors when on site.

The works on the site will include the following:

Coastal grazing marsh restoration at 3rd party land in Kent.

196ha of coastal grazing marsh will be restored and have improved condition. Techniques used may include the creation of 500m of ditches, installation of two solar pumps, installation of three penstock sluices, installation of a crossing culvert, installation of 3,590m of fencing and associated ditching, and creation of 1200m of new rill features.

Coastal grazing marsh restoration at Blue House Farm. 

24.6ha of coastal grazing marsh will be restored and have improved condition. Techniques may include the creation of 2000m of ditches, installation of solar pumps, sluices, fencing and grazing infrastructure, as well as earthworks including ditch restoration and bunding.

You will be expected to manage the project budget, ensuring that any necessary changes are escalated and approved, identifying any risks and issues and escalating them as necessary.

Communication will be key, with a need to work with the landowners to ensure that these works deliver the funding outcomes and outputs. You will also represent the RSPB at project meetings with the wider Transforming the Thames partnership, reporting back on progress and achievements.

You’ll have the confidence and leadership skills to drive the projects forward, the projects will be necessarily fast-paced so you’ll be an effective problem solver and thrive in a deadline-driven environment.

You will also have responsibility for co-ordinating other elements of the project’s budget outside of the coastal grazing marsh work. Working closely with other project leads to report back to the Transforming the Thames programme board and project manager and undertaking the claiming and reporting process on behalf of the RSPB.  

*Please note that the ideal candidate will need to hold a drivers licence valid for use in the UK.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience: 

• Energy, enthusiasm, adaptability with excellent communication skills to ensure that a complex programme of works is delivered on budget, on time and delivers the best outcomes for nature.
• Well organised approach to work.
• Experience of contractor management. 
• Knowledge and experience of acquiring planning permissions, consents and environmental derogations
• Budget management experience
• Partnership working with a diverse range of partners
• Experience of procurement and contractor tendering processes

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Experience of working to a standard project management approach
• Knowledge of land management for conservation
• Experience of delivering large-scale/ complex projects or landscape scale projects
• Experience of the funding claim process

Additional Information

This is a Fixed-Term role for 37.5 hours per week, for up to 16 months. The role will report to the Old Hall Marshes Site Manager but can be based from home or another RSPB office in Kent and Essex.

The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from the 11th of September. For further information please contact [email protected]

As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

Before applying for this role, we recommend reading through the candidate guidance notes.