Project Officer - Natural Heritage
Cumbernauld
£25,750 - £27,295
Full time (35 hours)
Fixed term contract initially until 31st March 2033, potential for extension
Closing date: 5pm, Friday 22nd August 2025
Interview Date: Wednesday 10th September 2025
Nurturing Natural Connections
Our client is looking for a passionate and driven person to habitat restoration, creation and enhancement activities on their owned greenspaces within the Nurturing Natural Connections (NNC) project, working closely with the Cumbernauld Reserves Manager, and project partners, and with the help of volunteers.
Building on the success of previous projects, this project continues to realise the Cumbernauld Living Landscape long-term vision to improve Cumbernauld’s green spaces for both people and wildlife, helping everyone in the community connect with the nature on their doorstep.
The candidate:
The successful candidate will have a Higher Education qualification in environmental land management (Wildlife conservation/agriculture) and at least two years’ experience of wildlife reserve management and demonstrable track record in the environmental land management sector.
Main Objectives
The main objectives of the role are:
Habitat management
Support delivery of habitat works, including woodland restocking towards native semi-natural woodland, creation and enhancement of species-rich grasslands and enhancing riparian corridors.
Monitor and evaluate (M&E) the delivery of these works including details of their successes and challenges.
Undertake and manage the maintenance of tools and equipment for relevant sites, including machinery, to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Respond to severe weather events with reactive remedial works as required e.g. clearing fallen trees and reinstating ground damaged by flooding.
Health and Safety
Ensure compliance with health and safety, including safe working practices, volunteer safety, premises safety, and site safety.
Ensure all work by project staff, and volunteers is carried out in a safe manner, and in accordance with Health & Safety legislation, policies, activity risk assessments and best practice guidance.
Volunteer recruitment
Support the recruitment of volunteers and identify and promote volunteer opportunities within Cumbernauld Living Landscape.
Work with individual volunteers and volunteer groups (including corporate groups) so that their contributions and experiences are maximised and, where required, organise and mentor volunteers ensuring that they receive support and appropriate training.
Wider project work
Support the team’s wider communications plan with blogs and social media content.
Support project team with events and other project-wide opportunities, with occasional working of evenings and weekends for activities including bat walks, moth trapping and dawn chorus walks.
Contribute to project reporting, including M&E across the life of the project (2025-2030), including the identification of highlights and challenges.
The successful candidate will ideally have:
Relevant degree or N/SVQ Level 3 / 4 or equivalent demonstrable experience relating to countryside management.
Certification to NPTC/Lantra standards and experience in chainsaw maintenance, cross cutting and felling small trees. CS 30 and 31 or willingness to undergo qualification.
Certification to NPTC/Lantra standards and experience in strimmer and brushcutter operations or willingness to undergo qualification.
Certificate for trailer, all-terrain vehicles or willingness to undergo qualification.
Current first aid qualification or willingness to gain
2 years of planning and delivering practical conservation work.
2 years of volunteer supervision & management.
Demonstrable experience in the safe use and maintenance of hand and power tools.
Good understanding of land management for wildlife conservation, notably native flora & fauna.
This role will require a PVG scheme membership
What they offer:
Salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes.
They have always been hugely flexible in their approach to how you wish to work and continue to offer a flexible approach.
One Wellness Hour per week
Enhanced Pension rate upon completion of probation
Sick Pay Allowance
Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity Leave
Training and Development
Our client is a proud equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all candidates irrespective of their background. They are committed to helping to make the world of nature conservation as inclusive as possible, as they believe there should be no barriers to being involved, and that champions and role models from every part of society will be vital in helping to reverse the loss of biodiversity.