Nature Recovery Assistant

About the role

We’re looking for an early career ecologist to join our Wild Solutions Consultancy Team. As a Nature Recovery Assistant in our Wild Solutions team, you’ll join an inclusive, thriving, and values-driven workplace culture. Wild Solutions is a team of passionate ecologists and conservationists dedicated to restoring habitats and ecosystems. As Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s professional consultancy, our mission is to deliver the Trust’s strategic goals of a wilder, connected Derbyshire.

This role offers an exciting opportunity for an early-career ecologist to develop skills in ecological surveys and advisory work, making a meaningful contribution to nature recovery at a landscape scale. You will work collaboratively with landowners, corporate clients, project partners, and DWT colleagues to support the delivery of high-quality conservation projects that contribute to nature recovery at a landscape scale.

Through your work, you will help advance DWT’s vision of managing 30% of Derbyshire’s land for nature by 2030. You will receive guidance and support from the team to build your knowledge and technical skills, whilst contributing meaningfully to our mission for a Wilder Derbyshire. Learn more about our Wild Solutions team and projects at Wild Solutions.

What we can offer you:

• Flexible working options, we have adopted a 9-day working fortnight meaning all full time staff get a non-working Friday every fortnight
• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays, we also have a festive shutdown so all staff get the days between Christmas and New Year off in addition to their leave entitlement
• Sustainable Travel Employer (extra leave granted for staff using more green, sustainable transport)
• 9.5% employer pension contribution
• Electric bike and car salary-sacrifice schemes available
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Personalised Development programme designed to enhance your knowledge and progress your career
• A multi-disciplinary business, with opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, developing your experience and skills
• A close-knit, friendly and supportive team, with a relaxed office atmosphere

Our Values

Our work towards a Wilder 2030 is shaped by three core values:

• Collaborative – We work together with colleagues, volunteers and communities because lasting change happens when everyone is involved.
• Curious – We ask questions, explore new ideas and stay open to learning so we can keep improving and adapting for nature.
• Courageous – We take bold action, challenge the status quo and stand up for what wildlife and people need.

If these values feel like you, you’ll thrive here.

About you

This role might be right for you if:

• You have some experience undertaking ecological surveys (botanical or species surveys) in a professional context.
• You are passionate about nature recovery in the UK and understand the main challenges to nature.
• You are willing to learn and develop within the role.
• You are a good written and verbal communicator and confident in speaking to a wide range of people.
• You are an early-career ecologist with practical experience in survey work and identification of British fauna and flora.
• You are enthusiastic about the potential of rewilding and green finance/nature economy to deliver nature recovery.

We are happy to talk flexible working!

This role will be based at our office in Middleton although a balance of home and office working will be allowed. We are a local charity so applicants should be easily able to access our office and other locations around the county.

Interviews are planned for 30th June.

For more information please refer to the job description and key terms on our website. If you have any questions about the role which are not answered in the documents, or require adjustments to the application process, please either email [email protected] or call 01773 881188.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and believe that everyone should have access to nature. We expect people to work harmoniously with each other and with volunteers, and to provide help and guidance to others when needed. As a small charity, our employees need to be willing to be flexible about working arrangements and willing to provide occasional cover for absent staff. We want people to develop professionally and personally while working with us and employees are encouraged to participate in the range of opportunities available to enable this.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is an equal opportunities employer that strives to be a diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone is valued. We welcome applications from eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

We recognise that our workforce needs to represent the communities and people we work with. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups within Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the wider charity and conservation sector, such as people from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

We are proudly a Disability Confident Commitment employer. The scheme is helping us recruit and retain great people to meet our workforce needs. As a member of the scheme we interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role. You can request this and adjustments including accessible formats of this vacancy by emailing [email protected].