Conservation Assistant Officer – Practical Tree Conservation

Position Summary

BGCI is seeking to appoint a Conservation Assistant Officer to support the delivery of BGCI’s
tree conservation programme. Part of this role will include gathering data from our global
network on current conservation actions for threatened tree species to help prioritise where
future conservation efforts are needed. The data is collated in the Conservation Action Tracker
that can be viewed via BGCI’s GlobalTree Portal. The appointed person will also support the
delivery and expansion of BGCI’s conservation planning work for threatened tree species.
Candidates for this post will be self-motivated, demonstrate an interest in plant conservation
and have a record of data collection and report writing. They will support the facilitation of
multi-stakeholder workshops and therefore must have good social and listening skills.

Title of post: Conservation Assistant Officer – Practical tree conservation
Job Purpose: Conservation Assistant Officer will collate information on practical conservation actions for
threatened tree species and carry out other tasks to support BGCI’s conservation planning work
Reports to: Conservation Manager
Contract Type: Full-time
Duration: Until 31st January 2028, possible extension funding dependent
Location: BGCI Offices, Kew, London; Hybrid
Remuneration: £21K – £25K dependent on level of experience

About BGCI

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a membership organisation and a global
network for plant conservation located in Kew, United Kingdom with regional, bureaux in China,
Kenya, Singapore, and the USA. Our membership comprises over 900 botanical institutions working
in plant conservation – botanic gardens, arboreta, NGOs, restoration organisations, government,
and universities – in over 120 countries all around the world. We work with this extensive
network of members, and the wider conservation community, to use our collective knowledge and
hands on expertise to reverse the threat of extinction facing plants and to secure plant
diversity for the well-being of people and the planet.

BGCI provides support to its members in many different ways: we are an advocate for the botanic
garden community, promoting the role of botanic gardens in plant conservation policy, practice
and education; we connect people, co-ordinating efforts and bringing people together to
exchange ideas; we are a knowledge hub, providing training, learning resources and professional
support; and we provide funding and technical support to efforts aimed at saving plants.

BGCI also leads a programme of practical work on threatened tree species, including
coordinating action for specific taxonomic groups of trees via Global Conservation Consortia
and working with partners on the ground to design and deliver projects for threatened tree
species.

Person Specification

BGCI is seeking to appoint a self-motivated person with a strong interest and knowledge of
plant conservation approaches. They will need good social and listening skills. Candidates for
this post will have a proven record of data collation, report writing and attention to detail.
The post holder will demonstrate an understanding of working with multicultural and
multinational institutions and structures.

Closing date for applications is 25 February 2025

The interviews will be conducted online/in person 12 – 14 March 2025

BGCI is committed to putting equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our
organisation. We are committed to ensuring a working environment in which all individuals are
free from discrimination and in which opportunities are equal to all. We encourage applications
from all sections of the community, particularly those underrepresented within our sector.