RSPB Volunteer Coordinator (Farmland Birds Co. Down)

Do you enjoy supporting people and would you like to make a positive impact for nature? We are looking for organised people with excellent communication skills to champion and coordinate our volunteer team. Volunteers are part RSPB foundation and are key to all we do at our reserves and in our projects, so we want to make sure we give them the best experience possible – you will play an important role in helping us do this!

Why we need you

Seed-eating farmland birds have experienced significant declines in Northern Ireland. For example, it is estimated that just 5,000 pairs of yellowhammer remain. This represents an alarming decline for a species which had a population of 32,000+ pairs as recently as 1991.

In N Ireland, these seed-eating species are largely dependent on the presence of seed and cereal fields, making the large arable regions of County Down a stronghold. This is why RSPB has a long and established history of working with farmers in Co. Down as a focus of our conservation efforts. Our team of dedicated volunteer surveyors complete surveys on farmland across County Down, recording what bird species are present and monitoring the number of priority species breeding on the farm. These surveys help to generate tailored advice to farmers and landowners on how to enhance, create and manage suitable habitats for wildlife on their farms.

What you will be doing

Volunteer Coordinators undertake a wide range of tasks, including:

• Helping manage and develop the team of volunteers surveying farmland bird species in Co. Down.
• Dealing with queries from potential new volunteers who get in touch.
• Being the first point of contact for our existing volunteers and answering general queries.
• Lead on advertising new volunteer roles (on the RSPB and external websites, in the local community)
• Set up interviews with potential volunteers and assist with induction administration.
• Administrative tasks such as, helping record volunteer hours, organise and distribute survey packs with the team, process expenses claims and maintain survey schedule to keep volunteers on track for completing surveys.
• Championing the RSPBs annual volunteer engagement survey.
• Supporting the project manager with volunteer administration, recruitment and training as necessary.

This role will require approximately 6-12 hours of work per week. There will be general flexibility to fit those hours in around your existing commitments. Please note that bird surveys are carried out from 15th April - 30th June, therefore the workload is expected to vary around the survey season. We'll ensure you're provided with an RSPB laptop and are set up with access to the RSPB computer network so you can comfortably carry out your role at home.

You'll be given a full RSPB induction and trained in everything you need to know beforehand. The Conservation Officer for Co. Down, alongside the Species Volunteer Network Project Officer and Volunteer Development Officer will support you in your role every step of the way.

Beneficial skills for this role are:

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• You need to be a great people person, friendly and approachable.
• Excellent telephone manner and written communication skills.
• An ability to lead/inspire others and work as part of a team.
• Creative and forward thinking.
• Computer literacy.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a small team.
• Excellent record keeper.
• Happy to work from home or office.
• Tact/diplomacy.

What's in it for you

This is a rewarding and enjoyable role. You will be part of a small and friendly team of staff and volunteers. This is a chance to gain experience in working with people of all ages and to learn new skills and develop existing ones. There is room for development within the role, an opportunity to volunteer for additional days in other RSPB projects/ reserves or role-share.

You'd be helping us to ensure that volunteers have a rewarding and enjoyable time with us. It's a wonderful opportunity to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation.