Birds of Poole Harbour (BoPH) is a small Dorset-based charity that was established in 2013. Our vision is to inspire hope for nature through delivering innovative conservation projects and high-quality outreach events that enthuse the public about the exciting environmental work happening in South Dorset.

In the last three years our charity has grown significantly, accelerated by the successes of local reintroduction projects, and we are now connecting more people with Poole Harbour’s birdlife than ever before. Our team is driven by our passion for the local area and its wildlife, recognising the importance of being proactive in response to challenges faced by our sector and the natural world.

We are looking for maternity cover for the role of BoPH Manager, starting in the spring of 2025. Within this role, you will be facilitating the continuation of our charity’s growth at this exciting time, and providing support to our team of staff and volunteers. This is a varied role, with opportunities to be involved in both our conservation and engagement work. We are looking for someone to lead our team with an understanding of our charity’s ethos and share our core values of kindness, authenticity, ambition and effectiveness.

Position: Birds of Poole Harbour Manager

Hours: 40 hours per week, with occasional weekend work required. This position would run from 14th April 2025 to 31st May 2026, with some flexibility if required.

Salary: £36,500 per annum

Location: Primarily Poole and Wareham-based, with occasional optional home-working

Annual Leave: 28 days per annum, including bank holidays

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing overall management of the charity, working closely with our Chair of Trustees to make sure that the charity’s operations are guided by the our core values, aims and strategy, while operating sustainably
• Overseeing the management of our team, providing support where required, including line management of 4-5 staff members and recruitment of new team members
• Ensuring the organisation fulfils its legal, statutory and regulatory responsibilities, with support from our trustee board
• Working with our Operations Manager to prepare and review the charity annual budget and annual report
• Maintaining effective communication with our Chair of Trustees, and regularly supply the board with charity updates and reports with support from the Operations Manager
• Providing management support for our conservation and engagement projects
• Identifying funding opportunities to diversify the charity’s income streams
• Maintaining and growing relationships with charity partners
• Working with our engagement team to develop our annual events calendar and providing support with the delivery of our events when required
• Ensuring a high standard of delivery for our outreach projects and events, overseeing feedback from the public to continue our growth

Job Specification:

To be successful in this position, these are the skills and experience that are most important:

• Good interpersonal and leadership skills
• Experience of effective line management
• Experience of managing and working to budgets
• Enthusiasm for wildlife conservation and birding
• Being able to work effectively as part of a small team
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Considered decision-maker, acting in the best interest of the charity and our staff
• Ability to confidently act with initiative in a fast-paced environment
• Good organisational skills, being able to oversee multiple projects and staff

It would also be advantageous to have the following skills and experience:

• Knowledge of Poole Harbour and its surrounding area, with an understanding of local conservation projects
• Strong practical knowledge of bird identification
• Experience of applying for funding opportunities
• Understanding of charity governance

If you would like to apply, please email our Operations Manager Laura at laura@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk with a CV (2 pages maximum) and a PDF with answers to the following questions:

• What attracted you to apply for this position? (250 words max)
• Why do you believe you are well-suited for the role of BoPH Manager at Birds of Poole Harbour? (600 words max)

Closing date: 9am on Wednesday 26th February

Interviews commencing W/B 3rd March with the option for online interviews available.

If you have any questions or queries about the role or application process, please contact our BoPH Manager Liv Elwood via liv@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk. Birds of Poole Harbour are an equal opportunities employer and are happy to provide additional information or accommodations within our hiring practices to support applicants with additional needs.