Wilder Communities Officer – Coastal

Location: The Keep, Brighton

Salary: £27,946

Contract Type: 12 months fixed term

Hours: 35 hours per week – some out of hours work (weekends and evening) required

Closing Date: 12th May 2026

Interview Date: 20th May 2026

Sussex Wildlife Trust is committed to restoring and protecting at least 30% of Sussex land and sea for nature, inspiring one in four people to take meaningful action for wildlife, building a stronger more inclusive and diverse organisation and becoming a net zero and climate resilient organisation.

The Role:

As a Wilder Communities Officer – Coastal, you’ll lead and deliver an inspiring programme of community engagement that connects people with Sussex’s marine and coastal environments and empowers them to take meaningful action for wildlife. You’ll coordinate and deliver a wide range of activities, including Shoresearch, beach litter surveys, community walks and practical marine sessions, as well as supporting corporate and membership beach cleans and responding to emerging issues such as pollution incidents. Working closely with local communities, volunteers and partners, you’ll help build strong coastal networks, support citizen science and biological recording, and encourage greater local stewardship of the coastline. Alongside hands-on delivery, you’ll contribute to project and partnership development and ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of impact. You’ll also play a key role in communicating our work – through engaging with communities, creating content, attending events and acting as a passionate and knowledgeable ambassador for Sussex Wildlife Trust.

This is a varied, practical and people-focused role within the Wilder Communities team, helping to inspire collective action and create lasting change for Sussex’s seas and coastline. A valid driving licence and willingness to travel across Sussex are required for this role, along with flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends.

The Person:

You’ll be an enthusiastic and adaptable practitioner with a passion for engaging people with marine and coastal wildlife. You’ll bring experience of working with diverse communities, delivering inspiring, practical activities that help people connect with and take meaningful action for nature. You’ll be confident engaging and supporting people who may be new to the natural world, creating welcoming and inclusive experiences that build confidence and curiosity. At the same time, you’ll be comfortable working alongside established volunteers with a wealth of knowledge, recognising and valuing the important contribution both new and experienced participants make to conservation. The ideal candidate will be organised and self-motivated, with the ability to manage a varied workload that includes event delivery, partnership development, communication and evaluation. You’ll have a strong awareness of safety, safeguarding and inclusive practice, and be confident applying these in practical, real-world settings. You’ll share our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and bring energy, creativity and a genuine passion for wildlife. Through your work, you’ll inspire others, strengthen community stewardship and contribute to a collaborative team working towards a wilder Sussex coastline.

Benefits:

• 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays each year (pro-rated for part time staff)
• Pension – company contribution from 6% and employee contribution of 3%
• Life Assurance – Pension Scheme Members 2 x Salary, Non-Pension Scheme Members 1 x Salary
• 2 days paid leave for volunteering each year
• Flexible working policy
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• EAP Employee discounts
• Informal car share arrangements

We are keen for this post to start asap. Candidates are asked to only apply if they have a 1 month max. notice period. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may close the vacancy early so please get your application in as soon as possible.