Community Development Officer

The Community Development Officer (CDO) will develop mechanisms to engage communities of place and interest with SCOTLAND: The Big Picture’s rewilding projects, with particular emphasis on engaging communities with rewilding taking place within our Northwoods Rewilding Network.

Specifically, the CDO will work with communities and support them to:

• Co-create community benefit packages funded by private investment.
• Learn more about local nature restoration projects, improving understanding of rewilding.

Ultimately, this role will support more people to become informed about and involved with rewilding via recreational and educational activities across Scotland.

ABOUT US

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture (SBP) is a charity that works to drive the recovery of nature across Scotland through rewilding, in response to the growing climate and biodiversity crises. Our vision is of a vast network of rewilded land and water, where wildlife flourishes and people thrive.

We are a small, friendly, agile and progressive team that works in a spirit of collaboration with many different interest groups to:

• Drive support for rewilding
• Commit more land and water to rewilding
• Return missing species
• Develop rewilding business

Learn more about SBP and the way we work at www.scotlandbigpicture.com.

KEY LIAISONS

The role will report to SBP’s Head of Projects and interact regularly with other members of the home-based SBP team. The role will also require regular communication and relationship-building with stakeholders and organisations outside of SBP, including land holders, community groups and colleagues in partner organisations across Scotland.

KEY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as SBP’s community engagement expert, reviewing and applying guidance and lessons from related organisations/projects on what successful engagement looks like.
• Identify communities of place and interest in relation to Northwoods Rewilding Network sites and other SBP rewilding projects in receipt of private investment.
• Provide opportunities for communities to learn about proposed local rewilding actions via on-site events and other activities.
• Identify and proactively engage under-represented community stakeholders by working with local charities/organisations.
• Co-create community benefit packages relating to specific sites, or groups of sites, via targeted in-person events/workshops.
• Record the outcomes of community events and share with the wider community in order to ensure transparency.
• Consider possible barriers to engagement and potential mitigations.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum two years’ experience working in a community development/engagement setting.
• Proven record of planning and delivering engagement/consultation events.
• Experience of developing high quality materials and resources for events.
• Experience of building partnerships and effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• Experience of working independently/remotely.

Desirable but not essential:

• Education to degree level or equivalent in ecology/conservation or a related subject.

KEY SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES

• Ability to communicate appropriately and confidently with a wide range of stakeholders, including land managers, community organisations.
• Strong understanding of the community and voluntary sectors, based on experience.
• Excellent organisational skills, including time management and prioritisation, with the tactics and approach to effectively manage a busy workload and meet deadlines.
• Excellent writing and research skills, with the ability to prepare high quality external-facing materials and compelling text to engage others with projects.
• Ability to work within a budget in delivering events and activities.
• Passion for nature and its recovery, against the backdrop of the climate and biodiversity crises.
• Knowledge/understanding of rewilding and its social, cultural and political context in Scotland.
• Conscientious, self-motivated and able to work well without close supervision.
• Competent with IT and able to learn quickly/troubleshoot problems independently.
• A full clean UK driving licence.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Salary: £28-32k per annum depending on experience.

Salaries are paid in arrears on the last working day of each month by bank transfer and cover the period of the 1st of the month to the last day of the month.

Place of work: This role is home-based within Scotland and will require a suitable home office working environment and equipment (grant assistance is available for necessary equipment). Attendance of meetings and events held in other parts of Scotland will also be required periodically. Travel expenses will be paid in accordance with SBP’s expenses policy.

Contract: Fixed-term, running to March 2025 (approximately 15 months).

Hours: Working hours are flexible but must equate to a minimum of 37.5 working hours per week, Monday to Friday. The nature of the post may from time-to-time require evening and weekend work. Paid overtime is not available, but time off in lieu will be given.

Flexibility: Subject to ensuring that the needs of the charity and the role are met, SBP endeavours to meet the flexible working needs of its staff.

Holidays: 28 working days per annum including public holidays, plus 5 additional office closure days between Christmas and New Year.

Pensions: You may be eligible to be enrolled into SBP’s staff pension scheme. Written terms of the scheme are available on request.

Probationary period: 6 months.

Notice period: 3 months.