Wilder Firths Community & Funding Officer

Wilder Firths (Linneachan nas Fhiadhaiche) is a marine enhancement
initiative focusing on the firths around the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands. We’re
looking for a self-motivated, community-focused Community & Funding Officer to help us
continue to develop and manage this exciting restoration initiative with the rest of the team.

Our vision is for the firths surrounding the Black Isle to be home to a resilient mosaic of
biogenic habitats that support diverse and thriving ecosystems. Central to achieving and
sustaining this vision are local communities that are connected to and invested in their
coastal environment.

This role will focus on the seagrass side of our work and work closely with our newly recruited
Seagrass Officer, two seasonal field staff as well as the rest of the project team. This role
is supported by the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF).

Role overview:

Fostering an invested community, managing funding and supporting seagrass
fieldwork

Hybrid working with an office at the Life Sciences Innovation Centre, Inverness. The successful
candidate must live or be willing to move within an hours’ commute of the focal area (around
the Black Isle). There will be computer-based work in connection with the rest of the team at
Mossy Earth but much of the role will revolve around fieldwork.

• Develop a program of citizen science opportunities with the support of the Project Officer
  with a focus on seagrass surveys, planting and seed collection.
• Seek new opportunities for outreach and lead on engagement events.
• Coordinate a range of volunteers, ensuring their comfort and safety.
• Liaise with local educational institutions to provide opportunities for students to get
  involved.
• Manage logistics relating to volunteering events.
• Support two seasonal field staff.
• Lead on funding management with the support of the Project Manager.
• Submit timely Progress and Claim forms to external funders with the support of the Project
  Manager.
• Assist the Seagrass Officer with fieldwork within the project area including data collection,
  seagrass planting and maintaining field equipment.
• Communicate findings effectively in a way that is suitable for external audiences.
• Update Risk Assessments and Methods Statements where appropriate.
• Keep internal systems up to date and track tasks on Notion.

Communication and transparency

Being transparent and creating engaging content is crucial to us. Project staff must
communicate effectively with the rest of the team and make sure that written content and
imagery are made available in a timely manner.

• Keep the Wilder Firths Project Manager and wider Mossy Earth team up to date on activities,
  including challenges as well as successes.
• When doing fieldwork, film activities and explain what is happening to the camera for our
  Field Notes YouTube channel.
• Provide written content on field activities upon request.
• Participate in communications with the press and supporting businesses about the
  initiative (e.g.: presentations, webinars, live feeds, articles, and interviews).

Important qualities

• ‘All hands on deck’ attitude towards team working during busy periods.
• Ability to work independently for most of the working week and to assist the Wilder Firths
  team in carrying out complex projects from idea to completion.
• Good at coordinating with multiple people and prioritizing effectively across a wide range of
  tasks.
• Excellent speaking and writing in English and skilled at communicating science accurately and
  in an engaging way.
• Proactive at improving the way Mossy Earth runs and having the mindset and the vision to
  question things and make suggestions.
• Positive outlook in the face of challenges and uncertainty.
• Willingness and foresight to take ownership of tasks.
• Creative in coming up with solutions to complex challenges.

Skills overview:

Essential:

• Degree in marine biology, ecology, conservation science or if without a degree relevant work
  experience.
• Experience writing successful funding applications.
• Experience managing external funding.
• Experience managing groups of volunteers.
• Ability to work in challenging environments and undertake light physical labour.
• Have good attention to detail and be able to follow standardized survey methodologies.
• Good communication skills and confidence in building relationships with an array of local
  stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently.
• Full UK driving license. There will be a work vehicle parked at our Headquarters at the Life
  Sciences and Innovation Centre but personal transport will be required to get there.
• Flexible working as some of the work will be limited by tide times and weather conditions.

Desirable:

• Relevant Master’s degree.
• Experience in biological surveys and data recording.
• Appropriate marine training qualifications / tickets to work in Cat C waters.
• Understanding of marine funding opportunities in Scotland.
• Experience managing conservation/rewilding projects.

Conditions:

• The successful candidate must live or be willing to move within an hours’ commute of the
  project area (around the Black Isle).
• Hybrid working, office at the Life Sciences Innovation Centre. A laptop will be provided.
• Full-time using 40 hours per week as a reference.
• Mandatory paid leave of 28 days per year in addition to bank holidays.
• Probation period: month-on-month performance assessment for the first 3 months.
• Notice period: One month.
• Starting gross annual salary: £30,000, increasing by £2,000 each year from the contract start
  date.
• Initial interviews will be held in person at the Life Sciences Innovation Centre, Inverness
  between the 17th and 28th of March.
• Starting earliest 1st April 2025 for a period of 36 months from that date. Continuation of
  the role after this time will be considered based on funding availability.

Deadline for submission: midnight on Friday the 7th of March, 2025.