Project Officer - Protecting our Urban Kittiwakes

Job Description:

We are looking for a highly organised and motivated individual to support our work on urban kittiwakes. Working alongside the Senior Conservation Officer for Yorkshire and Humber, as well as key partners and stakeholders, you will play a vital role in protecting the urban kittiwake population of Scarborough.

The black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is a globally vulnerable seabird, with populations under pressure from climate change, food scarcity, and habitat loss. In Scarborough, kittiwakes have established colonies on coastal cliffs and increasingly on urban structures, providing a unique opportunity to study their breeding behaviour in and around urban environments.

Based from home (and with opportunities to work from our Bempton reserve), you will be collecting data on kittiwake productivity in Scarborough, and reporting on the outcomes. You will be liaising with partners to develop and coordinate a network of volunteers, and supporting the work of the Yorkshire Coast Urban Gull Partnership. The successful candidate will be someone who can thrive with a mix of desk and field based activities, and encourage others to monitor and protect our urban kittiwakes.

This position is a fixed-term contract from April to September 2026.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• Higher level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience
• Experience of working to survey and protect important species and/or sites and habitats
• Experience of liaising with partners and key stakeholders
• Organisational skills e.g. maintenance and analysis of datasets, and managing conflicting priorities
• Effective communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) - including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public to a variety of audiences
• Ability to work under own initiative with limited supervision

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Ability to identify kittiwakes by sight and sound, and an understanding of their ecology
• Experience organising training events, workshops or facilitated discussions and meetings
• Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers
• Experience of mapping software

This is a Fixed-Term Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week.

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 on 19th February. 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. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

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.