Peatland Programme Manager

Who are we?

Zora Ecosystems is a leading, tech-enabled developer of high integrity nature restoration projects. We work at the intersection of applied science, land management, and emerging natural capital markets to deliver real, measurable environmental outcomes at scale.

With 35 active projects, over 100,000 hectares of contracted landholdings, and a 600,000-hectare UK pipeline, we are scaling rapidly. Our work spans peatlands, woodlands, biodiversity, and catchment restoration, supported by proprietary technology, cutting-edge analytics, and a team of industry leading practitioners. We focus on doing restoration properly – grounded in ecological integrity, robust evidence, and practical delivery, while seeking to continuously improve practice and innovate.

Your mission

This role is central to the scoping, planning, design, delivery, and long term management of peatland restoration projects across Scotland and the UK.

You will also help coordinate complementary land use and restoration projects at landholding and landscape scales, working alongside specialist leads in woodland creation, native woodland recovery, biodiversity enhancement, and water quality and flow regulation.

You’ll be a key part of our industry-leading Scottish Operations team, working hands-on in the field while also contributing to strategic project development, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. You will have the support and backing of our internal technology, science and R&D teams to help ensure our practice continues to push the boundaries.

We’re looking for someone who is practical, organised, and confident moving complex projects forward, with a strong commitment to ecological quality and delivery standards.

Your profile

• Work closely with the Senior Peatland Programme Manager to develop and deliver peatland restoration programmes at a range of scales, collaborating with landholders, land managers, and contractors.
• Lead the end-to-end delivery of peatland restoration projects – from initial scoping and survey through design, implementation, and post-restoration monitoring.
• Generate and interpret data, and conduct analyses to support project design, grant applications, carbon documentation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Contribute to developing key internal models that streamline the estimation of quantities, costs, materials, labour, and delivery timescales.
• Ensure projects meet all relevant industry, grant, carbon, and reporting standards.
• Build and manage relationships with private sector partners, NGOs, and government agencies to support and scale restoration delivery.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• A strong motivation to contribute meaningfully to climate and nature recovery.
• Qualifications or equivalent experience in ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, or demonstrable experience delivering habitat restoration at scale.
• Deep practical knowledge of peatland dynamics, development, history and fates
• Experienced with a wide range of Peatland restoration standards, techniques and related survey and monitoring methods.
• Strong understanding of UK Peatland funding opportunities and standard grant processes (e.g. Peatland ACTION) and of the IUCN Peatland Carbon Code.
• Proven experience securing grant funding and delivering grant funded projects.
• Experience managing on-the-ground delivery, working with contractors, agencies, and land managers.
• Be self-directed, methodical, and driven, with the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel.
• Proficiency in QGIS, ArcGIS, or equivalent desktop GIS platforms and spatial data handling.
• Physically capable of fieldwork in remote, complex upland environments, including lone working.
• Full driving licence.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with project management tools and workflows.
• Experience with project budgeting and financial management.
• An innovative, forward-thinking mindset, with interest in innovation, improving practice and contributing to industry discussions or policy development.
• Experience working with and analysing biophysical datasets, habitat data, and Earth Observation data.
• Skills in Python, PostgreSQL, and/or PostGIS.