Policy Lead

We are seeking a Policy Lead with a background in wildlife conservation and a strong track
record of policy development work. A person to strengthen our work to influence national
policies and strategies, align our wider influencing work, build effective relationships and
drive national policy change to ensure positive outcomes for beavers in Britain.

As our Policy Lead, you will closely collaborate with the CEO and various teams within Beaver
Trust, particularly focusing on policy formulation and implementation, stakeholder engagement,
and inter-team coordination for effective policy advocacy. 

Your responsibilities will include strategic leadership in policy development, ensuring our
efforts align with and impact national strategies effectively. You will be essential in
managing and nurturing high-level stakeholder relationships, adapting our approach to suit
different regional contexts within Britain, and developing political engagement strategies.

You will also engage in research and analysis of policy issues related to beaver restoration,
creating relevant responses, policy documents, and briefings. Monitoring and evaluating the
effectiveness of our policy initiatives, you will contribute to reporting mechanisms for
funders and trustees.

We expect you to have excellent organisational skills, with an ability to handle multiple
aspects of policy development and implementation. 

This role demands a highly organised, strategic, and proactive individual who is committed to
wildlife conservation and has the expertise to navigate and influence the policy landscape for
the betterment of our ecosystems.

Key responsibilities

• Strategically lead and coordinate Beaver Trust’s policy work to ensure maximum impact on
  national policies and strategies.
• Work closely with Beaver Trust team to coordinate, cross organisational working to maximise
  our influencing impact with most effective use of staff resources.
• Cultivate and manage high-level stakeholder relationships to bolster support for national
  policy change.
• Ensure our influencing work is responsive and reflects the different situations in the
  three countries in Britain.
• Develop and implement a political engagement strategy.
• Research and analyse critical policy issues with direct and indirect impact on beaver
  restoration and draft relevant responses, policy documents and political briefings.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our influencing work and provide information to
  support reporting to funders and trustees. 
• Represent the charity at meetings and events.
• Organise events and meetings to support our influencing work.

Essential to the role is:-

• Experience in developing and implementing policies related to wildlife conservation and
  habitat restoration.
• Deep understanding of the environmental policy landscape at local, national, and
  international levels.
• Demonstrated ability in shaping policy change through strategic insight and action.
• Strong leadership skills to guide interdisciplinary teams towards common goals.
• Skilled in conflict resolution and stakeholder negotiation.
• Ability to synthesize and apply scientific research in policy-making.
• Excellent communication skills to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders,
  including government officials, NGOs, local communities, and landowners.
• Expertise in creating comprehensive policy reports and communications for diverse
  audiences.
• In-depth knowledge of ecological systems, with a focus on beavers and their role in
  ecosystems.
• Ability to navigate complex environments, identifying key opportunities for maximum impact.
• Advanced IT and visual content creation skills, and experience of working in Google
  Workspace.
• Highly organised, self-motivated, and committed to the organisation’s mission.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Britain for work, with access to transport to get
  to areas not covered by bus/rail

Beaver Trust strives to be diverse and inclusive and a place where we can all be ourselves and
we positively welcome applications from people from a wide range of backgrounds and
experiences. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and encourage
applications from individuals regardless of their religion, beliefs, age, gender, race,
disability or sexual orientation.

This role will require you to have a safe and secure space to work from home daily.

For more information about Beaver Trust, our work, who we are and for more information
about the role and how to apply for the role, please visit our website.

Beaver Trust is a registered charity 1185451 .