Curlew and People Officer

Working with landowners and managers, farmers, local communities and partner organisations, the Curlew and People Officer will undertake effective monitoring and deliver targeted conservation works aimed at increasing chick productivity to maintain viable populations of curlew within this landscape. They will work alongside farmers to promote collaboration and take up of Welsh incentive schemes, thus ensuring long term, sustainable curlew recovery beyond the life of CLW. The post holder will drive the delivery of management interventions as outlined within the Wales Action Plan for the Recovery of Curlew (2021), lead the monitoring of the curlew response and inspire many more people to get involved with opportunities to support efforts to conserve breeding curlews across the Important Curlew Area (ICA) 12 and beyond, which is primarily located within Bannau Brycheiniog.

Responsibilities

• Forge close working relationships with the farming, landowning and managing communities to support them in curlew-friendly conservation measures.
• Support the project manager and board to develop and deliver a robust survey and monitoring system to determine breeding occupancy and ascertain the status of the curlew population within their Important Curlew Area (ICA) and any neighbouring areas as agreed with the Board and Project Manager.
• Enhance conditions for breeding curlew using best-practice conservation methods as outlined within The Wales Action Plan for the Recovery of Curlew to halt curlew declines within their ICA and any neighbouring areas as agreed with the Board and Project Manager.
• Work with the NRW Protected Sites Officers for adjacent SSSI/SAC/SPA to ensure they are aware of the local curlew population and the requirements of the birds in those areas.
• Build a positive profile for Curlew Landscapes Wales and Gylfinir Cymru in the local area.
• Assist with creation of local farming-clusters and collaborate to co-design initiatives which deliver key curlew conservation works.
• Work with colleagues and the Project Manager to develop "Curlew Champions" who will help build a positive profile for the project and encourage landowners to take a proactive part in breeding curlew recovery.
• Co-ordinate and work alongside contractors to undertake specific works aimed at increasing chick-productivity.
• Support the Community Engagement Officers to develop and implement a programme of activities that will inspire and enable a range of audiences including the farming community, young people, the older generation and other communities to build a high level of local support for breeding curlews both during and beyond the project.
• Assist colleagues and the Community Engagement Officers to maximise volunteer opportunities, such as training volunteers in breeding territory identification for curlew and opportunities to assist in population monitoring across the ICA.
• Support and assist the project manager to create mechanisms for evaluation and collate and analyse responses to this work through monitoring of habitat condition, predator abundance, curlew abundance and breeding success.
• Working with the project manager, assist with production of reports for the Project Management Board and Project Steering Group and attend and support these meetings as necessary.
• Keeping the Project Manager up to date on all project spend, keeping meticulous financial records devised jointly with the Project Manager that will feed simply into the financial reporting system.
• Contribute to aligning the Project activities with the work of the host organisations staff team and with implementation of the Management Plan, through input to team meetings and work planning.
• Some weekend and evening working will be required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in a relevant subject or at least 2 years relevant experience.
• Experience of collaborative teamwork.
• An appreciation of the importance of the farming community and how best to collaborate with it in line with our commitment to Wales-wide curlew recovery.
• Experience of engaging with the public in talks, events, guided walks and interpretation.
• Landscape and habitat management, ecological knowledge.
• Experience in training, motivating and supervision of volunteers.
• Experience of managing regulatory requirements of and knowledge of what these may be in relation to the work detailed.
• Excellent all round communication skills.
• A good level of competency in IT skill will be required, including e-mail, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Ability to organise & prioritise work effectively.
• Good knowledge of species monitoring and surveying techniques.
• You will need to be based close to this project area and hold a full driving licence.
• An understanding and affinity for the countryside and conservation and farming practices and how they may be successfully integrated.
• Ability to undertake demanding fieldwork in remote areas for long hours and in poor weather.
• Ability to relate well and deal with the public, farming groups, community groups and partners.
• Welsh Language Level 1.