Reserves Manager – West (North Lanarkshire) in Cumbernauld

The role provides operational leadership across a defined operational area of the Trust’s reserves, ensuring land management, people management and community engagement to deliver strong conservation outcomes. The post oversees planning, delivery and quality assurance of reserve and project work, ensuring compliance with policies, health and safety and regulatory requirements. The role involves leading and developing the local team, managing budgets, mitigating risks and utilising ecological data to inform evidenced based decision making to support long-term site and project development. Through this combination of leadership and operational oversight, the role helps safeguard the Trust’s reserves and advance its conservation mission.

Main objectives

• Manage wildlife reserve operations across the West Reserves Management Area, including conservation and land management and monitoring of 3,700 hectares across ten wildlife reserves with a range of habitats, including blanket bog, heaths, fens, freshwater lochs, woodlands within the temperate rainforest zone, and a range of montane vegetation communities.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with landowners, volunteers, contractors, communities and interested parties. Represent the Trust professionally at local, regional and national events and meetings, and proactively manage day-to-day issues with neighbours and partners.
• Line manage and develop the operational area team, leading recruitment, induction and performance. Foster a positive organisational culture, support collaboration across teams, and act as the key local contact for members and volunteers. Help recruit, train and retain volunteers, and provide local operational insight to support fundraising, communications and policy work.
• Ensure that data management, documentation and reporting adhere to legal and regulatory requirements and comply with internal policies and procedures. Maintain and review work programmes, risk assessments, project risk registers, reserve and project budgets and promote a strong safety culture within the operational team and with contractors and volunteers.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• HND in environmental conservation or similar (essential)
• Degree / post graduate qualification in environmental conservation, countryside management or similar (desirable)
• Minimum three years in similar role – to include experience of management planning and coordinating practical conservation work (essential)
• Health and Safety legislation/procedures relating to outdoor working (essential)
• Evidence-based decision making (essential)
• Demonstrable experience of securing permissions and consents required for conservation and land management activities.
• Demonstrable experience of managing practical constraints while implementing conservation and land management activities, including ecological and archaeological mitigation measures.
• Demonstrable knowledge of Construction, Design and Management Regulations in context of conservation projects (essential)
• Demonstrable knowledge of the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR)
• Experience of delivering upland conservation projects including peatland restoration, non-native conifer plantation felling, extraction and restoration, and/or native woodland planting and regeneration.
• Demonstrable experience of working within urban and rural areas of Scotland with specific reference to the challenges associated with managing land for wildlife conservation in these areas.
• Demonstrable knowledge of upland deer management and conservation grazing for nature conservation purposes.
• Demonstrable knowledge of conservation and land management to mitigate against wildfire risk.
• Demonstrable experience of communicating the importance of maintaining and expanding healthy habitats for wildlife and people.

Closing date for applications: Friday 5th June, noon. Interviews will be held on: Wednesday 10th June.

What we offer

• Salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes.
• Flexible approach to work.
• One Wellness Hour per week.
• Enhanced Pension rate upon completion of probation.
• Sick Pay Allowance.
• Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity Leave.
• Training and Development.

Equal opportunity statement

The Trust is a passionate employer, proactive about creating a culture of diversity and inclusive workplace that promotes and values equal opportunities for all. We welcome individuals from all networks of life, backgrounds, and experiences.