Communications & Engagement Officer – Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

The vacancy

Full-time, 35 hours a week
Status: Full Time, Fixed Term (until 31 March 2026)
Closing date: 12noon, 16 March 2025 
Interview Date: Week commencing 31st March 2025 

The Role

Are you passionate about wildlife conservation and skilled in communication and community
engagement? We’re looking for an enthusiastic Communications & Engagement Officer to play a
key role in protecting Scotland’s iconic red squirrels. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS)
is a project delivering the essential protection measures required to secure the long-term
future of red squirrels in Scotland. Through collaborative partnerships it ensures systems are
put in place to continue the delivery of these measures over the long term.

The Communications & Engagement Officer leads on Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels regional
and national communications. As part of a major conservation project, you will be instrumental
in raising the project profile, through activities including supporting a network of active
volunteers, delivering an annual citizen science survey through the Great Scottish Squirrel
Survey, an overseeing all project publicity and engagement materials to promote public
understanding of red squirrel conservation and grey squirrel control. Your work will inspire
and empower communities to take an active role in protecting red squirrels.

Key Responsibilities and Duties include:

Media & Public Relations:

Oversee all project publicity, press, media, and engagement materials, promoting public
understanding of red squirrel conservation and responsible grey squirrel control.

Volunteer & Stakeholder Engagement:

Strengthen and support a network of active volunteers and stakeholders, fostering collaboration
and best practices for red squirrel conservation.

Citizen Science Survey Coordination:

Lead the annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey, coordinating efforts to collect vital data on
red and grey squirrel distribution.

Community Hub Development:

Maintain and enhance the Community Hub, ensuring it remains a functional, engaging, and
supportive space for volunteers and community networks.

Encouraging Public Involvement:

Drive awareness and participation in conservation efforts by encouraging members of the public
to record and report squirrel sightings.

The successful candidate will be:

• A skilled communicator, both written and verbal, with experience in media, PR, or community
  engagement.
• Passionate about wildlife conservation and understands the importance of engaging
  communities in conservation work.
• Highly organised, responsible and able to manage small projects and campaigns effectively.
• Confident engaging volunteers, stakeholders and the wider public in conservation issues.
• Experienced in proactively generating and managing print, broadcast and online media
  coverage to engage and mobilise communities.

If this sounds like you, please download the job description for full details of
the role. We’d love to hear from you. 

What we offer: 

• Salary sacrifice schemes, including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes. 
• We have always been hugely flexible in our 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 
• Training and Development 

The Trust is a passionate employer, proactive about creating a culture of diversity and
inclusive workplace that promotes and values equal opportunities for all. We welcome
individuals from all networks of life, backgrounds, and experiences.

About us

For more than 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and
supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and
seas.

The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work,
demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and
inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. The
Trust manages a network of over 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the
UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.