Project Development and Delivery Manager – Cairngorms Connect in Aviemore

Cairngorms Connect is the UK’s biggest habitat restoration project. It is a partnership of neighbouring land managers, committed to a bold and ambitious 200-year vision to enhance habitats, species, and ecological processes across a vast area in the Scottish Highlands. Stretching over 600 km of contiguous land within the Cairngorms National Park, this is a landscape of ancient woodlands, intersected by sparkling rivers and lochs, that encircle an Arctic-like mountain massif. It is the most extensive and wildest landscape of its type in Britain; there are vast tracts of blanket bog, tranquil wetlands and secluded woodland bogs. It is home to more than 5,000 recorded species; 20 per cent are nationally rare or scarce.

The Cairngorms Connect partnership is comprised of four land-owning organisations who, collectively, manage 600km of contiguous land:

• WildLand Limited
• Forestry and Land Scotland
• NatureScot
• RSPB Scotland

Following an incredibly successful five-year programme of work funded by the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme, Cairngorms Connect is moving into an exciting new phase that will see the expansion of existing projects and introduction of new initiatives, underpinned by a proactive fundraising drive.

The Project Development and Delivery Manager will:

• Work with staff across the CC partnership to identify opportunities for new landscape restoration projects and project continuation within the CC area;
• Facilitate development of projects with input from partnership staff;
• Assist in fundraising for project workstreams;
• Co-ordinate and monitor delivery of ongoing and new projects;
• Contribute to reporting on projects where required;
• Oversee management and development of CC venison project and CC tree nursery and associated activities.

If you are a collaborative and adaptable project manager with strong people facilitation skills, this could be the role for you.

What we need from you:

Essentials:

• Experience managing projects from initial development through to successful delivery, including planning, coordinating delivery, monitoring progress against milestones, budgets and outcomes, and taking appropriate action to keep projects on track.
• Able to build collaborative working relationships and influence colleagues, partners and stakeholders to achieve shared project objectives.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively through written reports, presentations and verbal communication, adapting information for colleagues, partners, funders and other stakeholders.
• Experience managing contractors, including procurement, contract administration, monitoring delivery and associated budgets.
• Able to manage multiple projects and competing priorities, adapting plans where required to meet changing priorities and deadlines.
• Experience preparing or contributing to funding applications for a range of funding sources, including coordinating information from multiple contributors where appropriate.
• Able to apply strategic thinking when planning and delivering projects, recognising how individual projects contribute to wider programme objectives and organisational priorities.
• Experience leading or coordinating projects, partnerships or multidisciplinary teams, including influencing and supporting others without relying on line management authority.
• Experience identifying, monitoring and managing risks across multiple projects or workstreams, taking appropriate action to mitigate or escalate issues.
• Experience working collaboratively across complex organisations or partnerships, coordinating multidisciplinary teams or stakeholders to deliver shared objectives.

Experience of conservation and land management in the Scottish Highlands, Scottish land management legislation, small-scale commercial operations, practical conservation activities or GIS software would be beneficial. However, where candidates can demonstrate transferable skills and experience, we will support the successful candidate to develop their knowledge of the specific landscape, projects and operating context of Cairngorms Connect.

Additional Information

Length of contract: This is a permanent, full-time role based at our office in Aviemore.

Reports:

• Reports to: CC Senior Programme Manager
• Direct reports: CC Tree Nursery Manager, CC Deer Stalker

Other key links:

• Senior Site Manager, Visitor Operations Manager, and Site Manager, RSPB Abernethy
• Senior Site Manager, RSPB Insh Marshes
• Regional Environment Advisor - North, Forestry and Land Scotland
• Regional Nature Reserves Manager, NatureScot
• Director of Nature, and Ecology Manager, WildLand Limited

Workbase: Location - Aviemore (Achantoul - NatureScot offices)

Funding for this post has been secured until December 2030. The post will be employed by the RSPB on behalf of the Cairngorms Connect partnership, comprising WildLand Limited, NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, and RSPB Scotland. As the employing organisation, the RSPB's terms and conditions of employment will apply to the successful candidate.

Closing date: 23:59, Sunday 20th September 2026

Interviews: w/c 28th of September.

Interested? If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. This role is not eligible for sponsorship. No agencies please.