Sustainability and Biodiversity Assistant

Hours: A minimum of 37.5 hours per week (exclusive of breaks) Wednesday – Sunday during our open season (April – early November), and Monday – Friday during our closed season (November – March). Occasional hours outside of the normal rota and evening work will be required, for which time will be taken in lieu.

The Role:

We are seeking an enthusiastic Sustainability and Biodiversity Assistant to be an integral part of the Sustainability team at Waddesdon Manor.

This role plays a key part in turning high-level sustainability and biodiversity commitments into practical, measurable action, supporting long term environmental resilience and demonstrating credible progress against the Sustainability Roadmap and Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).

What you will do:

They will support the delivery of the organisation’s Sustainability Roadmap and BAP by assisting with data collection, project coordination, monitoring, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. The role ensures that environmental commitments are translated into measurable, on-the-ground actions and that progress is accurately tracked and communicated.

When our Conservation Hub is open, the main focus of this role will be to engage with our visitors in the hub, and create new material to display to the public.

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Sustainability Roadmap Support

• Assist in implementing actions within the Sustainability Roadmap across areas such as carbon, resource efficiency, land use, procurement, and nature recovery.
• Collect, organise, and maintain sustainability data (e.g. energy use, materials, land management activities, environmental KPIs).
• Support annual sustainability reporting and evidence gathering for internal reviews, audits, or external standards.
• Help track progress against targets and flag risks or delays to delivery.

Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Support

• Assist with delivery of BAP actions, including habitat management, species monitoring, and enhancement projects.
• Support biodiversity surveys and monitoring (e.g. species records, habitat condition assessments), working with ecologists, land managers, and volunteers as required.
• Maintain BAP action trackers, maps, and datasets.
• Help evaluate outcomes and contribute to BAP reviews and updates.

Project Coordination

• Support planning and coordination of sustainability and biodiversity projects, including timelines, contractors, and budgets where relevant.
• Assist with funding applications, grant reporting, and evidence collation for nature based projects.
• Liaise with internal teams and external partners to ensure projects align with agreed sustainability and biodiversity objectives.

Engagement & Communication

• Help develop clear internal and external communications on sustainability and biodiversity initiatives (briefings, reports, presentations, web or social content).
• Support engagement with staff, tenants, volunteers, visitors, or community groups to promote positive environmental practices.
• Assist with training sessions, site walks, or events linked to sustainability and biodiversity.

You will be a great fit if:

You will be a proactive and detail oriented individual who is enthusiastic about nature recovery and sustainability outcomes. It is important that you are comfortable balancing desk-based tasks with occasional outdoor or site-based work. You’ll be willing to learn and develop new technical skills over time.

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter for this role:

Essential:

• Strong interest in sustainability, environmental management, or biodiversity conservation.
• Good organisational skills with the ability to manage data, track actions, and meet deadlines.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
• Competence with standard office software (Word, Excel, databases; GIS or mapping tools an advantage).

Desirable:

• Relevant qualification or working towards one (e.g. environmental science, ecology, sustainability, land management).
• Experience supporting environmental projects, surveys, or sustainability reporting.
• Familiarity with Biodiversity Action Plans, Nature Recovery Networks, or sustainability frameworks.
• Practical experience in the field (e.g. habitat management, species surveying) or with environmental data.

Additional Requirements:

The safety and wellbeing of children, young people, and vulnerable adults are of the utmost importance for any role at the Rothschild Foundation, Waddesdon Manor. Consequently this position may require a basic or enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to uphold the safety and security of all our guests, staff and volunteers.

Rewards for working with us:

• We are proud of where we work and want to share Waddesdon Manor with family and friends by offering a number of complimentary tickets to the house and grounds.
• Waddesdon Discounts – 50% discount in the food-to-go outlets at the Manor. 20% in the Manor gift shop and restaurant, Stables Café, Five Arrows Hotel, and The Bow Pub. 20% discount on special event tickets made available to staff.
• Staff Card - A National Trust staff card entitles two adults and children under 18 years of age free admission to all National Trust properties and 20% discount in NT retail and catering outlets.
• Annual Leave - On starting with us, you will receive 25 days annual leave per year plus 8 public holidays pro-rata. Stay with us for 3 years and this rises to 28 days, 30 days after five years and 32 days after 10 years.
• Sick pay - If you become ill, one week of sick pay during your first 3 months. This rises to a maximum of 3 months full pay within a rolling 12-month period. After four years you also receive a further 3 months at half pay in the rolling 12-month period.
• Pension - We will top up your pension by matching any contribution you make, up to 10% of your basic salary.
• Income Protection – on completing one year of continuous service, income protection may be available at 50% of basic salary for a maximum of 5 years.
• Life Assurance – a lump sum of 4 times basically annual salary is payable upon death in service.
• Long Service Awards – every 5 years of service, you are invited to a celebration to recognise your contribution to the organisation. A cash sum is awarded as a thank you.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Support – access to a wellbeing platform and fully funded 1:1 counselling service.
• Enhanced Maternity Pay – after 12 months of continuous service, you can choose 13 weeks of maternity leave at full pay followed by 26 weeks statutory pay.
• Enhanced Paternity Pay – after 12 months of continuous service, you may take 3 months of paternity leave at full pay.
• Eye Care – eye care vouchers for employees who are DSE users.
• Flu Jabs – free flu jabs in October.
• Travel – Cycle to Work Scheme, Season Ticket Loan for train or bus, Octopus Electric Vehicle Scheme.
• Deposit Loan Scheme – financial support to go towards a private rental deposit.
• Access to Perk at Work – access to exclusive discounts from hundreds of retailers, and up to 55% off cinema tickets.
• Memberships – 20% discount on new Nuffield gym memberships. 15% off Hartwell Spa Memberships and treatments, and 15% off food in the restaurant.

Workplace adjustments:

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, compressed hours, providing equipment or changes to the workplace, where possible.

EDI

At the Rothschild Foundation, we place Equality, Inclusion and Diversity at the core of our values. We strive to be an organisation that actively addresses inequality and prejudice while fostering a truly anti-racist culture. Our approach is centered on meaningful and equitable support and development for you and others throughout your time with us. We are committed to providing an environment free from discrimination, where every team member feels valued, respected and has a true sense of belonging.

Application:

The vacancy advert may be taken down from job boards earlier than the stated deadline if a high standard of applications is received.

We welcome applications from everyone and particularly encourage applications from people from an ethnic minority background, and people with a disability to help us achieve a balanced representation in our workforce, especially at senior grades.

To reduce bias in our shortlisting process, we operate an anonymized application process.

All candidates invited to interview have the opportunity to request adjustments to the recruitment process when scheduling your interview, for example accessible parking, communication support or breaks.

Closing Date: midnight, Sunday 12 April 2026
Interview Date: provisionally held for w/c 20 April 2026

If you apply for this role and are selected to interview, here is what you can expect:

• Round 1: In-person interview with Head of Sustainability and Head of Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity
• Round 2: In-person interview with Head of Sustainability and Head of Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity