County Wildlife Sites Field Officer x2

Cumbria Wildlife Sites Project – Field Officers (2 x roles)

Location: Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre at Tullie House Museum & Art
Gallery Trust, Carlisle, Cumbria

Hours: Two roles totalling 1.5 FTE: approach is flexible and could be one
full-time role and one part-time (e.g. 18.5 hours per week) or two part-time roles (e.g. 28
hours per week for both roles)

Contract: Fixed term for 12 months, with possibility of extension subject to
funding

Salary: £26,322-£27,739 pro rata, per annum

Closing date: 9am, Monday 12th February 2024

An exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of the Cumbria Wildlife Sites
Project and play a significant role in nature recovery in the county, based in one of the
oldest environmental record centres in the country!

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre in partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Cumbria
Wildlife Sites Project is looking to recruit two Field Officers for the Cumbria Wildlife Sites
Project.

Cumbria Wildlife Sites (CWS) are a vital part of our biodiversity resource and a key component
of the Cumbria Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The CWS Project aims to put in place a survey
and monitoring programme which will eventually survey/resurvey all the sites and provide advice
to landowners/managers to maximise the many benefits these sites can provide to biodiversity
and other environmental services.

We are looking to recruit two CWS Field Officers to carry out site surveys, contribute to the
CWS database and draft reports for landowners/partners outlining survey findings. Working under
the supervision of the CWS Project Manager, who will be based at Cumbria Wildlife Trust (see
advert and job description here), these roles will further develop the methodology and protocols to
ensure a robust survey and monitoring programme is developed.

Based at Tullie Museum in Carlisle, which has been collecting and managing natural history
records for the county since 1902, both roles will be part of the Cumbria Biodiversity Data
Centre team. The CWS Field Officers will work closely with the data centre team as well as
other organisations involved in the CWS Project. The CWS Project is being delivered jointly
between Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre and Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Extensive travel to sites
across Cumbria will be required during the field survey season. Hybrid working will be
permitted whenever the requirements of the roles permit.

The Field Officer roles offer an exciting opportunity for experienced habitat surveyors or
those at an early stage of their career but a proven ability to carry out Phase 1/UKHab/NVC
surveys to make a significant difference to understanding and protecting important habitats in
one of the most ecodiverse counties in England.

Purpose of the Role

• To develop and implement the site survey methodology for the >1,600 Cumbria Wildlife
  Sites, collecting digitised habitat data from the sites surveyed.
• To draft reports for each site surveyed for different end-users including landowners and
  the Cumbria Wildlife Sites Selection Panel.
• To provide habitat assessment training to other staff and volunteers, ensuring safe working
  practices are followed at all times.

Application Process

If you are inspired by these roles and would like to apply for these positions, please visit
Job Vacancies – Cumbria Biodiversity
Data Centre (cbdc.org.uk) to access the job description and person specification. Send your
CV and a covering statement detailing any relevant experience and knowledge, and how you meet
the person specification to [email protected] by 9am
on Monday 12th February 2024. Please indicate in your covering statement whether you are
interested in a full-time or part-time role.

Successful candidates will be notified by 5pm on 15th February 2024.

Interviews will be held during w/c 19th February 2024 at Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Gosling Sike
site in Carlisle. We encourage candidates to attend in person but a Zoom option will be made
available if this isn’t possible.

If you have any questions about the role or would like an informal chat before applying, please
contact Rebecca Slack at Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre: [email protected] or 07810 322127.