Engagement Project Manager (Wilder Vision) in Maidstone

The Trust offers hybrid working, with staff splitting their time between offices, reserves, visitor centres and some remote work, depending on their role.

About us: Kent Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity with more than 31,000 members and over 1,000 registered volunteers. We manage and protect over 9,000 acres of land across more than 90 different sites and nature reserves, alongside two visitor centres. But we can’t save nature alone. We work closely with local communities, businesses, organisations and individuals to protect and restore wildlife and wild spaces and create a wilder Kent for the benefit of people and the planet.

What you’ll be doing: Kent Wildlife Trust has recently acquired three large areas of formerly arable land near Lamberhurst, providing a 3‑mile corridor, with the aspiration to create a new landscape‑scale wilding project. This role will work within the Estates team to oversee the project, focusing on engaging with local stakeholders, realising opportunities around financial support locally and collaborative land management to further extend the project. The role will help co‑ordinate a wilding vision for the landscape, the site design and land management objectives and effectively communicate this both at a local scale and wider as an exemplar wilding project.

• Effectively leading the Hoathly, Furnace and Wickurst Farms project team, which will consist of staff from Estates and staff from other departments across Kent Wildlife Trust.
• Developing a vision for this new landscape‑scale wilding project through an engagement strategy within the local community that focuses on landowner support, managing stakeholder relationships across the project, working with KWT colleagues and stakeholders on the site design process and communicating this effectively.
• Holding a series of engagement events with the local community to facilitate ongoing interest and support with the project.
• Commissioning and managing contractors, consultants and community facilitators as needed.
• Working with the relevant internal teams to effectively fundraise for the project, including private donations, grant support and nature‑based solutions investment.
• Working within the Estates team to produce a landscape approach for wilding.
• Working with the farmer engagement team to utilise the landscape as an example of what can be achieved for wildlife in the farmed environment and to work with neighbouring landowners interested in this approach.

What we need you to bring:

• Be organised and able to effectively manage a range of sub‑projects and milestones.
• A good communicator who can engage with a range of individuals and organisations.
• A good understanding of habitat management and conservation.
• A good understanding of Wilding and the necessary approaches to successful land management using this methodology.
• Experience in project management and delivering complex projects, preferably with a conservation, land management or engagement focus.
• Experience in fundraising, including major donors, grants and nature‑based solutions.
• Experience in managing or leading a project team.
• Experience in leading engagement events at various scales.

What we will offer in return: We offer exceptional enhanced benefits. Recognising the wellbeing pressures related to the climate and nature crises we face as a society, we provide flexible work options, wellbeing initiatives and professional development opportunities. Whatever stage of your career you’re at, our comprehensive benefits package at Kent Wildlife Trust can be a key factor in your choice to join us.

Next steps: If you’re ready to join our team and help us create a Wilder Kent, simply click "Apply now" to apply via our website. Here you can find out more about the role and complete the online application form. Be sure to include your personal statement in the space provided and upload your CV, and take a moment to review the guidance notes for helpful tips. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face‑to‑face interview. We will let unsuccessful candidates know if they have not been shortlisted. We are unable to recruit anyone who does not have a right to work in the UK.

Kent Wildlife Trust believes that everyone has a responsibility to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk; we are committed to ensuring their safety and wellbeing is at the heart of our engagement with people. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to references, Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks as appropriate to the role.

The Kent Wildlife Trust Group is Wild About Inclusion. To us, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better. It also means cultivating inclusive workspaces that are free from discrimination, where differences are celebrated, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature!