Assistant Warden – North Wales Wetlands Reserves

We are offering a chance to join a team developing and looking after six nature reserves on the glorious Isle of Anglesey and the coastal fringes of Snowdonia. There are four wetlands, including Cors Ddyga and Valley Wetlands whose reedbeds have been instrumental in returning Bitterns and Marsh harriers back to Wales as breeding birds and attracting Great Egrets to breed in Wales for the first time, and whose grasslands support 15% of Wales’ lapwing and some of the last remaining lowland Curlew. They are also rich in wetland mammals, aquatic plants and invertebrates.

There are also two tern colonies including the largest arctic tern colony in the UK.

We are seeking a capable full-time Assistant Warden to join us in managing these rich and treasured places.

This role is focused on the physical upkeep of the wetland habitats and the reserve infrastructure, and physical and biological monitoring. Key activities include:

• Maintaining anti-predator and livestock fences and hedges.
• Field work using a tractor, Softrak and herbicide applications.
• Controlling scrub in the reedbeds using a chainsaw.
• Controlling invasive plants such as Himalayan Balsam in the summer.
• Monitoring water levels and graziers’ livestock numbers for our records.
• Monitoring breeding birds such as 4 visit CBC transects, and at other times monthly WeBS counts or winter roosts.
• Monitoring other wildlife such as Water Voles and Mink. There are opportunities to help monitor a wide range of other taxa depending on your interests.

This role requires working on land that may be flooded, muddy or uneven, also clambering over uneven rocks. It also involves the use of machinery such as brushcutters and chainsaws. Candidates will need to be able to meet the rigour of the role and understand the health and safety demands of working in a wetland environment.

You will manage and develop our weekly volunteer work parties, who help with many of the above tasks, ensuring they are trained and properly equipped to work safely on any of the reserves in the area.

You will also line manage the seasonal wardens at one of the tern colonies. This involves assisting with their recruitment and induction, line managing them during the breeding season, joining them with tern counts and ringing, and occasionally doing night patrols when they need a break. Finally ensuring they produce a good annual report before they leave.

At times you might be asked to assist with predator control to help benefit the success of ground nesting birds.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• You will have knowledge and experience of practical habitat and estate management.
• You will have a proven track record of completing work alone and working within a varied team.
• Comfortable line-managing two seasonal tern wardens and managing volunteers from a range of backgrounds
• Reasonable birdwatching knowledge and experience of biological surveys
• Be willing to assist with predator control to benefit ground nesting birds
• Full, manual driving licence that is valid in the UK.

Desirable qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience:

• Welsh speaker
• Lantra or equivalent qualification in using equipment such as brushcutter, tractor, PA1/6 pesticides, and chainsaw.
• Knowledge of servicing and maintaining vehicles, machinery, tools and equipment to agreed standards.
• Experience of staff and volunteer recruitment and line management.
• Implementing and updating health and safety records and assessments.
• Experience of report writing

Additional information:

• This role will involve lone working and working in remote locations.
• This role will require occasionally working anti-social hours and so will need someone who is able to be flexible.

This is a permanent role working 37.5 hours per week.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 16 January. For further information please contact Ian Hawkins at [email protected]

As part of this application process, you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience requested

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship – the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.