Breeding Wader Monitoring Officer x5 – Lough Erne, Lough Beg or Antrim Hills

RSPB Northern Ireland is looking for enthusiastic individuals with experience in monitoring breeding birds to fill seasonal posts monitoring breeding wader populations in Lough Erne (2 posts), Lough Beg (1 post) and the Antrim Hills (2 posts). Funded through the PEACEPLUS Nature Programme, these areas are three of the last remaining strongholds for Northern Irish curlews and other breeding waders.

PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and supported by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland administration.?

PEACEPLUS Nature is an ambitious €20.8 million project that will bring together nine partners to tackle the decline in priority species and habitats across Northern Ireland and bordering counties.

The project will work to restore lowland wet grassland and limestone grassland and priority species from breeding waders to Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, as well as support peatland restoration works.

RSPB NI in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland, Butterfly Conservation, Monaghan County Council, River Blackwater Catchment Trust, Truagh Development Association, Lough Neagh Partnership, NI Water and An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland, will work to deliver this.

What’s the role about?

Breeding wader species in the UK have seen major population declines due to large-scale landscape changes which have resulted in habitat loss and increased generalist predator numbers. Northern Ireland’s curlews have declined by 82% since the 1980’s, with only an estimated 250 pairs left we are in a race against time to stabilise and reverse this population decline. Following the awarding of funding through the EU’s PEACEPLUS Nature programme, RSPB NI aims to deliver landscape-scale conservation at Lough Erne, Lough Beg and the Antrim Hills. This is a fantastic opportunity to play your part in delivering the RSPB’s conservation work within landscapes rich in wildlife and important for people.

Key activities for all three locations will include:

• Conducting breeding wader surveys following either the modified O’Brien & Smith (Lough Erne and Lough Beg) or Brown and Shepherd (Antrim Hills) methodologies.
• Conducting habitat mapping and assessments.
• Conducting predator scat surveys.
• Data entry and upkeep.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with private land-owners and other stakeholders.

Please refer to the attached information on our site for further details about the specific activities at each location.

What we need from you

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• You will have working knowledge of the wildlife and habitats of the areas and experience in bird surveys and monitoring.
• Ability to identify a wide range of breeding birds by sight and sound, specifically waders.
• Ability to undertake demanding fieldwork in remote areas for long hours and in poor weather.
• Ability to navigate using a map, compass and GPS.
• Strong data management skills, ensuring accurate and legible record-keeping and data entry.
• A full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and access to a vehicle for the duration of the contract

Desirable Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of undertaking breeding wader surveys
• Practical experience of quantitative habitat surveys.
• Experience of managing volunteers
• Knowledge of conservation delivery mechanisms such as agri-environment schemes.

These roles are Fixed-Term Full-Time posts, working 37.5 hours per week for a period of 6 months. The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make these positions permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.

We are looking to conduct interviews for these positions from Tuesday 17th February 2026, with a potential start date of Monday 16th March 2026.

For further information, please contact:

• Lough Erne: Jonathan Pinnick – [email protected] or call 07703 716839
• Lough Beg post: Rachel McConnell – [email protected] or call 07510 586526
• Antrim Hills posts: Stephen Magennis – [email protected] or call 07719 140205

As part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence of how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

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.

These roles are not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship – the successful applicants will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. These roles are covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.