Community Outreach Officer - Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels in Newborough

Full time (35 hrs/week), Fixed term (until 31st March 2028) £25,000 per annum pending review. Blairgowrie Office, Perthshire (working across the Central lowlands and Southern Highlands). Closing date: 15th June 2026.

As Scotland's leading nature conservation charity, we welcome applications from individuals who are looking to join us in our journey of protecting Scotland's wildlife for the future. From major species and landscape restoration projects to managing our network of wildlife reserves and campaigning for nature, we work for Scotland's wildlife year-round. We give a voice to wildlife through our policy and campaigning work, demonstrate best practice through practical conservation work, engage with people to take positive action through our education programmes and events, and so much more.

The Community Outreach Officer will contribute to the protection of the Highland Line (HL), a coast-to-coast control zone which aims to prevent grey squirrels from moving north from Central Scotland into the red strongholds of the Highlands and Grampians. Progressed through a programme of targeted grey squirrel monitoring and control, you'll help support the protection and expansion of red squirrel populations in accordance with the Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels strategy. This role requires an approachable individual with experience recruiting, motivating, training, coordinating and managing community-based volunteers (groups and individuals) to undertake active conservation work.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Work closely with the Monitoring and Control Officers (MCOs).
• Support and expand volunteer networks through recruitment and onboarding.
• Enter data and maintain digital records.
• Engage and build relations with key stakeholders, landowners and local authorities.
• Provide community network support and communications, identifying opportunities to engage difficult-to-reach people and new audiences in the Central Lowlands.

Specific tasks include

• Recruit, train and support volunteers to carry out fortnightly feeder box monitoring surveys, ensuring they have the equipment and consumables required, and providing practical support and temporary survey cover as needed.
• Manage and coordinate the processing of monitoring samples and resulting data, including the analysis of hair samples to identify and record red squirrel, grey squirrel or pine marten detections and sharing results with volunteers.
• Engage with and recruit new landowners/managers to undertake grey squirrel control and monitoring on their land, along with the SSRS HL team.
• Develop methodologies to sustain engagement and data sharing to support independent controllers across the Highland Line region.
• Engage and build relations with new and existing stakeholders to support the project.
• Lead strategic events, talks, and other activities to promote active community understanding and participation of red squirrel conservation in Scotland.

Successful candidate will

• Possess a relevant degree.
• Have experience recruiting, motivating, training, coordinating, and managing volunteers.
• Have a good understanding of conservation principles, invasive non-native species management, wildlife practices and legislation.
• Have experience working with landowners, gamekeepers, foresters and the public (desirable).
• Have experience keeping and maintaining accurate records using Microsoft packages (essential).
• Knowledge of ArcGIS would be useful.
• Occasionally work out of normal working hours.
• Must possess a full clean driving licence and have use of a vehicle.

Interview date Thursday 25th June.