Conservation Project Manager (Assurance)

About the role

WWT is the charity for wetlands and wildlife. We're on a mission to restore wetlands and unlock their power.

Wetlands are one of the most biodiverse habitats on Earth, helping nature burst back to life and offering a lifeline to multiple declining and threatened species. Wetlands can help tackle the climate crisis by storing carbon and buffering us from floods. They can reduce the impacts of drought and provide a welcome relief during a heatwave, vital for our health and wellbeing too.

The time for taking action is now and we need wetlands more than ever. On global scale, wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, and in the UK, our landscapes are drying out with 75% of wetlands having disappeared with much of what is left in poor condition. To respond to the magnitude of today’s challenges, we need to speed up wetland restoration and reverse the loss of this vital habitat. After all, a world where healthy wetland nature thrives, is a world where people and life thrives.

WWT’s new strategy builds on a history of doing incredible, positive, conservation work on the ground with plans for the future, firmly rooted in science and backed by evidence. In the Conservation Directorate our aim is to deliver meaningful change that unlocks the super-powers of wetlands. One of the keys ways we do this is through developing wetland projects that allow this positive change to happen.

As Conservation Project Manager (Assurance) you will be responsible for working positively with Project Managers across WWT’s Conservation Directorate to facilitate and coordinate the efficient running of the Project Pipeline & Assurance process. This activity is essential to ensure the efficient tracking of project ideas as they transition through delivery to closure, with a clear focus on maintaining and updating the Project Register.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• manage a team of Senior Administrators (Project Assurance) to provide the administrative function for both projects in delivery and the Project Pipeline & Assurance process;
• provide regular project highlight reports to the Head of Wetland Services and;
• provide guidance to Project Managers on using WWT’s Project Pipeline and Project Management Framework.

By building a good and positive working relationship with others throughout the organisation you will ensure that this process is embedded into the culture of managing conservation projects in WWT.

This is a full time position working 37.5 hours Monday to Friday. For this role we can offer the opportunity for hybrid working (with a minimum of 3 days a week in the office and for team meetings).

About you

The key skills that we are looking for are :

• Extensive experience and knowledge of an industry-standard project management approaches
• Ability to work effectively across departments and motivate a team operating through matrix management.
• Highly innovative with strong problem-solving skills and an ability to reach well-informed conclusions quickly
• Excellent communicator with clear written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Exceptional time management and organisation skills, adaptable under pressure and multiple priorities
• Clear and methodical approach to understanding and delivering process-driven tasks

You will be an extremely committed person who cares deeply about the success and impact of your work. You will be a key advocate for the super-powers of wetlands, be enthusiastic about what you believe in, and can work closely and get the best from people across multiple disciplines within WWT.

You will be, able to nurture trusted relationships with colleagues in other teams and counterparts in other organisations. You will also be a great communicator, advocating your work successfully to wide range of stakeholders. Having a clear head, a can-do attitude with an ability to complete work to strict deadlines will be important aptitude to have in this role.

You will have experience in facilitating the development of successful projects and will understand the importance of following a project management framework.

If this sounds like a role that appeals then we would very much like to hear from you. Come and join us in delivering our vision of a world where healthy wetland nature thrives and enriches lives.

About us

We’re WWT, and we’re on a mission to restore the super-powered ecosystems we call wetlands. There’s never been a more important moment for our work, and we’ve got some phenomenal people on the case.

Whether they’re taking a new visitor under their wing, or conducting ground-breaking research further afield, our team are second to none. And there’s nothing we love more than watching them soar.

Whatever you do here, you’ll be helping to restore wetlands and unlock their power. So, the only question left is, what role will you play?

Why you’ll love working at WWT

• Wake up every day knowing your work is helping to restore wetlands, and our world
• Be surrounded and inspired by our team of passionate, dedicated people
• 33 days annual leave (which goes up to 38 days after 5 years of service) – this includes bank holidays and you have flexibility to take those days whenever you want
• Free entry to all our wetland centres, including your family
• Free car parking and secure bike storage areas
• Colleague discount on shopping and memberships
• Cycle to work scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance of three times your salary, for peace of mind for your loved ones
• Independent personal, workplace and financial advice from our Employee Assistance Programme

WWT is an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be considered solely on merit.