Conservation Assistant Officer

Position Summary

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is seeking to appoint a Conservation Assistant Officer to support the delivery of reassessments for the Global Tree Assessment, producing IUCN Red List assessments for tree species. Candidates for this post will be self-motivated and demonstrate an interest in plant conservation.

Job Purpose: To produce Red List assessments for tree species and support the activities of the Global Tree Assessment
Reports to: Head of Conservation Prioritisation
Contract Type: Full-time (35hrs/week)
Duration: 18 months
Location: BGCI Offices, Kew, London; Hybrid

About BGCI

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a membership organisation and a global network for plant conservation located in Kew, London with regional bureaux in China, Kenya and the USA. Our membership comprises over 800 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 coordinates efforts to enhance regional networking and scale up technical networks by facilitating, coordinating, and supporting the consolidation and functioning of botanic garden networks. The Global Tree Assessment is the largest Red List assessment initiative for the IUCN Red List, producing thousands of tree assessments over the last 10 years. Over 30% of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction. The Global Tree Assessment continues to support Red List assessments across the world, to ensure the best data is available to guide conservation action.

Person Specification

BGCI is seeking to appoint a self-motivated person with a knowledge of the IUCN Red List categories and criteria and an interest in plant conservation. Candidates for this post will have a proven record of report writing and attention to detail. The post holder will also demonstrate capacity to summarize key technical information and sensitivity to complex, multicultural and multinational institutions and structures.

Closing date for applications is 30 November 2025.

The interviews will be conducted online/in person week commencing w/c 15th December 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.