JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Project Officer (full-time or job share) - Maternity Cover
Responsible To:
Head of Regions
Location:
Butterfly Conservation Head Office, East Lulworth, Dorset (home
working would be considered)
Salary:
£22,723 - £26,958 pa (Band C) plus 5% pension contribution
Duration:
Temporary contract for up to one year (or less dependent on return
from maternity leave)
Background
Butterfly Conservation has received a Heritage Grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards a new
education project, ‘Munching Caterpillars’. The project is aimed at young people (7-11 years of age/
Key Stage 2) to learn about the food sources and life cycles of butterflies and moths. The project will
be run at locations throughout Somerset and Dorset, although we expect the lessons learned and
ideas developed through the project to be widely applicable and suitable for replication in many other
parts of the UK.
We are seeking an enthusiastic, experienced, creative and highly organised Project Officer to lead this
exciting project.
The activities forming the project for which funding has been received include:






A programme of fun events and workshops at primary schools and a variety of public and
community venues enabling children to learn about the habitat requirements of moths and
butterflies and how they can help them by planting food and nectar plants in their gardens, school
grounds and public community spaces and parks.
Providing live specimens of caterpillars and moths to help enthuse the children and aid their
learning.
Helping children to learn how to monitor and record the butterflies which are attracted by the
plants they have grown.
Organise visits to nature reserves or other key butterfly sites near where the children live.
The development of online learning materials.
The provision of training and support for volunteers, partner organisations and teachers wishing
to learn more about how to run butterfly and moth related activities for children.
Job Purpose:

To be responsible for the day to day delivery of the Munching Caterpillars project

To recruit, train and manage a team of volunteers to assist in the delivery of the Munching
Caterpillars Project

To be responsible for the Munching Caterpillars project delivery budget.

To assist the BC Finance team in complying with the Heritage Lottery Fund’s reporting
procedures
Specific Tasks:
1.
To deliver the programme of activities outlined in the project’s Activity Plan in primary schools,
garden centres and at public events.
2.
To provide live specimens for project activities by moth trapping and keeping/rearing caterpillars
3.
To identify further schools, garden centres and public events for participation in the project.
4.
To provide training for project volunteers and staff within other organisations to develop their
skills and enable them to run moth and butterfly related activities for children.
5.
To co-ordinate a team of volunteers to assist in the delivery of the project workshops.
6.
To build on good relationships with other organisations (e.g. Wildlife Trusts, RSPB) and
encourage their participation in the project.
7.
To build on the existing range of resources and materials (e.g. downloadable ID guides, food
plant lists, ‘how to’ guides) to support the delivery of the project.
8.
To work effectively with appropriate contractors to oversee the production of resources and a
project website.
9.
To provide the public ‘face’ for the project and publicise and promote the project widely through
multiple channels.
10. To ensure that the project’s reporting procedures are carried out.
11. To manage the project budget.
12. Any other duties in connection with the development of the Munching Caterpillars project, as
may be required in agreement with your line manager.
Technical/Specialist Skills:
1.
Experience of working with children in an educational environment.
2.
Experience in project delivery.
3.
Understanding of current health & safety and child welfare procedures.
4.
Experience of organising children’s activities/events and producing learning materials.
5.
Experience in developing web content and updating websites.
6.
Practical knowledge of wildlife gardening and/or Lepidoptera.
Budget Responsibilities
1.
Day-to-day control of the project delivery budget.
Line Management/Contractor Responsibility
1.
Appoint, train and manage a team of project volunteers.
2.
Appoint and liaise with an appropriate contractor/s to deliver the production of project resources
and website.
Dealing with Volunteers/Managing External Partners and others
1.
Develop and maintain contact with the project delivery partners (primary schools etc).
2.
Develop and maintain contact with other organisations involved in the project.
3.
Manage a team of project volunteers.
Decision Making and Society Policy
1.
Liaise with other Butterfly Conservation staff contributing to the development of the project,
especially those involved in volunteer development, landscape scale projects and Nature
Reserves, and the Head Office Fundraising, Publicity and Finance & Administration teams.
PERSON PROFILE
JOB TITLE: Project Officer – Maternity Cover
Technical/Specialist Skills
Experience of working with children, preferably at Key Stage 2
A teaching qualification and/or degree in horticulture, or a biological or
an environmental science
Knowledge of or an interest in butterflies and/or wildlife gardening
A strong commitment to environmental education.
Practical experience of planning and running children’s activities
The ability to use IT applications, including databases, spreadsheets,
GIS and word processing
Knowledge of health & safety, child protection and risk assessment
procedures
First Aid qualification (or a willingness to attend first aid training)
Full driving licence or means to travel around the area
Experience of developing/writing learning materials for the web
Experience of editing and maintaining websites
Experience of publicity work and the media
Experience of planning and running training workshops for adults
Essential

Desirable












Budget Responsibilities
Experience of managing budgets

Line Management/Contractor Responsibility
Experience of managing contractors and/or staff
Experience of supervising and supporting volunteers


Dealing with Volunteers/Managing External Partners and others
Experience of working with a wide range of people from the general
public to specialists (e.g. teachers, garden centre staff, managers of
conservation sites and local community spaces, etc)
Good written and spoken communication and presentation skills
Decision Making and Society Policy
Empathy with aims and objectives of Butterfly Conservation
Personal Attributes
Well organised and self-motivated; able to plan and undertake work on
your own (or with limited direct supervision)
Able to prioritise activities, meet tight deadlines and use initiative
Flexible: able to rapidly assimilate information and adapt to a changing
environment
Able to work effectively as a member of a team
Pragmatic, innovative, enthusiastic and able to motivate others
Able to manage potential conflict by dealing with people in a calm and
professional manner
Willing to work occasional weekends and evenings










Note: The successful applicant will be required to undergo a full CRB check as this post
entails regular working with young children.
MAIN CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Job Title:
Project Officer – Maternity Cover
Employment start date:
1 May 2014
Place of work:
Butterfly Conservation’s Head Office at Manor Yard, East Lulworth,
Wareham, Dorset, BH20 5QP (home working would be considered).
Salary:
£22,723 - £26,958 pa (pro rata for job share) (Band C) depending on
experience, plus pension contribution.
Pension:
Butterfly Conservation will pay a sum equivalent to 5% of your salary
into our Stakeholder Pension Scheme with Aviva.
Probationary Period:
This post is subject to a three-month probationary period.
Duration:
Temporary contract for up to one year (or less dependent on return from
maternity leave)
Hours:
Full-time, 37 hours per week. Time-off-in-lieu will be allowed for all
overtime worked. Job share will be considered for this post.
Annual Leave:
The annual leave entitlement for the first full year of full-time
employment is 23 days plus statutory public holidays.
Closing Date:
The closing date for receipt of completed applications for this position is
noon on Monday 17th March 2014.
Interview Date:
Interviews will be held on Friday 28th March 2014 at our Head Office in
East Lulworth.