Project Officer - Climate FORTH Community & Youth Development (Fixed-Term)

Job content

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with a passion for partnership working to help deliver ’Climate FORTH: Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage’.Climate FORTH is an ambitious project by Inner Forth Futures – a collaboration of 9 organisations who work around the upper Firth of Forth in Scotland. We have committed to working together with advisory organisations, stakeholders and community groups to achieve a shared vision.The Climate FORTH project was developed over 2022-23 to contribute significantly to delivering our vision and will be delivered from August 2023, subject to a successful delivery stage application to National Lottery Heritage Fund.It will support a move to a greener future and post-pandemic recovery and generate opportunities to share learning, influence adaption and inspire the change needed to transition to a climate resilient landscape in the Inner Forth and beyond. This will be achieved using locally-created, measurable resilience plans with participatory budgets, targeted action to demonstrate ways to repurpose heritage assets, tools and events to promote the principles of 20-minute neighbourhoods, skills development and capacity building, and initiatives to promote local, sustainable tourism. A new Youth Panel will engage a different demographic in decisions about their local places and project activities, including through a dedicated micro-grant scheme. See www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk for more information.The post will be based at the RSPB Skinflats Reserve near Falkirk. As part of this role you will need to be able to travel around the project area without the use of public transport, for which you will have access to a car. You will have flexibility to work part of the week from home and occasional weekend and evening work.What’s the role about?In this role you will support project delivery by leading on community activities and facilitating co-design across the project area, with a focus on developing four Local Resilience Plans and linked funding models (participatory budgeting and micro-grants) that are at the core of the project. You will oversee an external contract to facilitate the delivery of these plans, support the running of a Youth Panel and design outreach programmes at heritage assets. You will recruit, manage and mentor a Project Assistant, who will be responsible for supporting the Youth Panel.The successful candidate will have proven experience of community development work and partnership working. You will be supported by the Climate Forth Project Manager, Steering Group and Board but you will need to be able to demonstrate the ability to work independently and to implement creative solutions.You Will Be Responsible For

• Leading on community engagement across the project
• Working with four local communities and an appointed consultant to develop Local Resilience Plans
• Implementing participatory budgets that can be used to catalyse delivery of the Local Resilience Plans
• Facilitating a co-design process with young people to establish and run a Youth Panel and micro-grants process
• Supporting the Project Manager with elements of grant reporting and claims
• Contributing to internal and external communications
• Line managing a Project Assistant

Essential Skills, Knowledge And Experience

• Competent IT user (e.g. MS packages, Outlook etc)
• Experience of successful community development work
• Knowledge of participatory budgeting and plan making processes
• Experience of working with project teams, partners and stakeholders
• Some knowledge of the theory and practice of project management
• Ability to produce clear written communications including report writing
• Ability to persuade and influence a wide range of people
• Excellent problem-solving skills, ability to find creative solutions and to work on own initiative
• Proven time management and organisational skills and ability to work under pressure
• Experience of contractor management

Desirable Skills, Knowledge And Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a cross-functional project team

This is a Fixed-Term Full-Time role for 37.5 hours per week until 31st July 2026.The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make this role permanent without further advertising dependent on business needs at the end of the contract term.We are looking to conduct interviews for this position on Thursday 3 August 2023 and appointment is subject to final confirmation of grant funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund. For further information please contact kate.fuller@rspb.org.ukAs part of this application process you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.This role will require completion of a DBS check in addition to the standard pre-employment checks.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. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.